HSMG Conference Tip 5 of 5: How Not To Miss Each and Every Workshop

This blogpost is the last in a series of tips for attending the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild (HSMG) Conference in Miami next month. This tip is about how to not to miss each workshop. If you're attending this year's conference, or planning to attend future conferences, my hope is that you'll find these tips helpful.

Upon check-in at the HSMG Conference registration you'll receive a folder (see below), along with a fabulous goodie bag. The folder contains the conference schedule. View the schedule online at the HSMG website for pre-conference planning (which I highly recommend).

This is my folder from last year's conference in Denver.

The first thing you'll notice is that there are two tracks running throughout most of the conference. This means you'll have to make a choice as to which track you choose. There are already sessions that I'm torn between, and this is where a gameplan comes in handy:

1. Partner with one or two other conference attendees. It is easier to keep track of if you only partner with one or two people. Otherwise you'll be chasing down too many people during the conference. If you don't know anyone read How to Get Your Social Media Game On Before and After the Conference blogpost (see link below).
   
   
2. Determine who will attend each session. Divide and conquer!
   
   
3. Take an extra handout for each of your "teammates" per session.
   
   
4. Take legible notes for each session on a separate piece of paper. Or bring a laptop and type up your notes.
   
   
5. Email your typed notes to your teammates. Or if you have handwritten notes, use the hotel copy machine (or scan when you return home and email to your teammates).
   
   
6. Schedule an end of day "briefing session" with your teammates to distribute handouts. During this time, while the information is fresh in your mind, point out any key observations that were made during the workshop.

Simple as that! You won't feel as if you missed a thing. Also, you will have networked with two industry colleagues that you may or may not have known previous to the conference.

You can read the prior posts here: Why You Should Pack an Extra Suitcase or Box; How to Get Your Social Media Game on Before, During and After the Conference; Even if You're Shy Just Say Hi; and An Open Mind Could Lead to More Sales.

Want to connect with me?

http://www.backporchsoap.com
Are you Twittering? Follow Me: http://twitter.com/BackPorchSoap
Find Me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BackPorchSoap

See you in Miami!

Tip 4 of 5: Why You Should Pack an Extra Suitcase or Box for the HSMG Conference

Photo Credit: Jocelyn Mathewes

This blogpost is the fourth of five in a series of conference tips. Today we're talking about why you’ll be glad you packed an extra suitcase or box for the conference.

The first year I attended the HSMG conference, I had no idea how many freebies and goodies that would land in my lap. The moment you check into registration you’ll land a giant sponsor-filled goodie bag that in past years has contained molds, fragrance samples, herbs, pail openers, and so forth. The freebies don’t stop there. There are raffles, give-aways at evening special events and also vendor tables where you can buy and win more soap-related products and services. There are also three days of conference handouts, which pile up quite a bit. When combined, all of these can take up quite a bit of space in your luggage.

On my flight home to Boston after my first conference, I showed up at the Palm Springs, CA airport to find out that my luggage was 10 pounds over the limit. The ticketing agent looked and me and smiled politely, "I'm going to have to charge you a $90 over-the-limit fee." So I transferred 10 pounds of goodies back into my carry-on and lugged the bag all the way back to Boston (and a layover in Denver to boot..ah, no pun intended). I promised myself that would be the last time I would shlep all that extra weight. Somehow I would get those goodies home without paying the price with my wallet OR my back. Since then I’ve smartened up and packed a small empty carry-on size suitcase within my regular luggage. This allows you to strategically pack for the way home.

If, for whatever reason, you don't feel like packing a second suitcase, there is another option. Mariann Smith of Just Bubbly (Rockaway Beach, NY) packs a prepaid and pre-labeled, USPS flat-rate shipping box just for this reason. Simply pick up a large flat rate box at your local post office, purchase a prepaid label, pack it in your suitcase, and you're ready to go. You might want to bring along some packaging materials and plastic ziploc baggies to compartmentalize small items. When you've packaged up your box, drop it off at the front desk of the hotel and it will see you when you get home!

Whether you decide to pack the extra suitcase or prepaid flat rate shipping box, you'll be glad you did! Your shoulder, wallet and plane carry-on companions will thank you.

HSMG Conference Tip 3 of 5: Time to Get Your Social Media Game On

Today I booked my flight to Miami for the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild (HSMG) Conference in May. It's hard to believe that the conference is only a little over a month away. This blogpost is the third of five in a series of conference tips and focuses how to get your social media game on before, during and after the conference.

If one of your goals is to meet and network with industry peers and experts, then reach out to them prior to the conference through Facebook, Twitter and blogs. First, simply head over to the Handcrafted Soap Guild Facebook page to chat with other attendees and HSMG members. Besides making new friends there and joining in on the conversation, you can join other soapmakers' fan pages and help promote each others' business.

Donna Pixton-Hacker, owner of The Chamomile Cottage (Mount Laurel, NJ) agrees. "One of the really fun parts of being at the HSMG Conference is taking photos of my new soapmaker friends and posting it on their Facebook page to show their friends and customers the lengths we go to keeping our businesses growing and learning," she said. "We will Tweet on each other's pages, post Facebook messages on each others' walls. It also gives us a short journal of the people we have met and the things we learned while at conference. I have spent many nights going back through my posts to recall what someone else captured from a speaker's presentation that I may not have gotten from it. So, I continue to learn from others long after the conference has ended."

As Donna mentioned, jump onto Twitter where you can find the Soap Guild under @TheSoapGuild. By following the Soap Guild you'll stay up-to-date with their posting. While there, enter in #SoapConf11 in the search box. It will populate results for anyone mentioning the conference. Using the hashtag (#) is a great way to meet attendees before the conference and keep in touch with them during and afterwards. I make sure I Twitter during the conference, and check the daily feed throughout the day to find real-time news, tips and funny stories.

Sara Nesbitt, owner of Sara's Soaps 'n Such (Burgaw, NC) did just that at last year's conference in Denver. "It's all about the hashtag," she said. "Use it on Twitter to find other Twitter users who are planning on going to the conference, who are tweeting from the conference and who are talking about it afterward. I didn't know about the hashtag prior to the conference last year, but I connected with several people online using it during and after the conference. That has led to anticipating this year's conference or future conferences and excited chatter about meeting."

An added bonus of using social media to keep up with conference happenings is the impact it can have on your business. Pixton-Hacker said, "I have noticed when my other HSMG Soapmaker friends do the same for me (post pictures on her business page from the conference) it boosts my customers' interest in what I'm doing, selling, or creating."

Lastly, use a search engine such as Google or Bing to search for recent blogposts on the HSMG Conference. You'll find companies and vendors who plan on attending and can comment on their blogpost, follow them on Twitter and Facebook, or simply email them to let them know you'll be at the conference.

Stay tuned for Tips 4 and 5 to be posted later this week: Why You Should Pack an Extra Suitcase and How Not To Miss Each and Every Workshop.

See you in Miami!

HSMG Conference Tip 2 of 5: Even If You're Shy, Just Say Hi

This blogpost series focuses on tips for attending the annual Handcrafted Soapmaking Guild (HSMG) Conference. This year the conference is held in Miami, FL on May 18-20, 2011. As I mentioned in my first post, the first year I attended I had no idea what to expect. I've picked up little tips along the way (and some thanks to input from other attendees) that I hope you'll find helpful if you're planning to attend.

Meeting other bath and body company entrepreneurs, industry movers and shakers, and networking is one of the highlights of the conference. It's common to be shy, especially if you are attending the conference for the first time by yourself. If you're not much of a mingler, or have never attended a business networking function to hone your networking skills, here are a few tips to get you making new friends.

First, it really can be as easy as just saying hello. Remember, you're at a soap convention. Just ask someone what kind of soap they make and where they're from - it's that easy. I always joke that one of the reasons I go to the soap conference is because I can talk soap with other people 24/7 and no one fades out or loses interest. But it's true. Everyone is there for the same reason: we love soap and want to promote and sell more of it.

"Jump through the hoop - put fear aside. It's amazing what happens after the ice is broken," says Mary Humphrey of Annie's Goat Hill (Leesburg, OH). She admits that she was previously a very shy person until she decided to just jump into conversations.

Second, go to Twitter or Facebook to find new acquaintances prior to the conference. "Pick a few people to interact with. Look online to get a feel for someone. Introduce yourself to them," says Kristen Bowen of Kristen Bowen Studio (Hyde Park, UT). One of the easiest ways to do this is to go to the HSMG Facebook fan page, introduce yourself and ask who else is attending the conference. Go to Twitter and follow @TheSoapGuild, @BackPorchSoap, @kbstudio, and @anniesgoathill.

Third, make friends with the wonderful HSMG volunteers. They wear brightly color aprons (easy to spot), have a great sense of humor, are friendly and are pros at making introductions. Even though they are quite busy throughout the conference, they have time for a quick hello, know many of the conference attendees, and are a great resource for meeting new people.

Lastly, use breakfast, lunch and dinner as a time to just simply say hello and talk soap to fellow colleagues. Remember that this isn't a time to sell your soaps. It's a time to be open to new friendships and to potential opportunities.

What are some suggestions you'd like to share?

Check back tomorrow for How to Get Your Social Media Game on During and After the Conference.

HSMG Conference Tip 1 of 5: An Open Mind Could Lead to More Sales

This blogpost series focuses on tips for attending the annual Handcrafted Soapmaking Guild (HSMG) Conference. This year the conference is held in Miami, FL on May 18-20, 2011. The first year I attended I had no idea what to expect. I've picked up little tips along the way (and some from other attendees) that I hope you'll find helpful if you're planning to attend.

One of the most important tips for a successful conference is to keep your mind open to new opportunities and possibilities. This is an educational and networking event, so you may not get direct leads for sales at the conference. But you just never know what opportunity may present itself. Here are just a few opportunites that have happened to me:

• Meeting new colleagues/friends in the industry who later may refer customers to you when they cannot fill their product or capacity needs.


• Mixing and mingling with industry suppliers who may feature your company or products on their website (to lead to more exposure and orders).


• Potential collaboration with industry colleagues whom you previously assumed were "the competition." (Like I said, keep an open mind and leave preconceived notions at home.)
  
  
• Picking up a key piece of information from a presentation that is the perfect piece you needed for your business.
  

Sara Nesbitt, owner of Sara's Soaps 'n Such (Burgaw, NC) said she picked up a key piece of information at last year's conference in Denver. It was just what she needed to hear. "Attending last year's guild conference increased my sales through the use of social media. I'd mostly thought of social media more as a networking tool than a marketing/branding tool," she said.

Sara said Donna Maria Coles Johnson of Indie Beauty changed how she viewed social media. "For example, she talked about adding brief videos via YouTube to your social media life. They don't even have to be directly related to your products or business; they can be about other people's businesses, like those that are local to your community, Sara said. "I'd never thought about that. I had used YouTube to upload tutorials for fellow soapmakers, but not to market other people. My thinking changed from "Social networking" to "social media." Ironically, through "media," I've begun to "network" more, connecting to local people who I've met in real life and befriended in person."

Sara said last year's conference taught her that social media wasn't something to fear. As a result, she now uses Facebook, Twitter, blog, newsletter and has a YouTube channel. "I use these tools to help other soapmakers grow their businesses - swirl tutorials for CP, discussion forum on Facebook, pictures and ponderances on my blog," she said.

Check back tomorrow for my blogpost entitled "Even If You're Shy, Just Say Hi."

Blog Post Series: Top Five Tips for Attending the HSMG Soap Conference in Miami

It's March, and I can hardly believe the Handmade Soapmakers Guild Conference in Miami, Florida is only two months away. I've been busy working on my two presentations and demo for the conference. Held May 18-20 at the Miami Downtown Hilton hotel, this fun and inspiring conference attracts entrepreneurs for lectures, classes, workshops and networking.

This is the third year I've been asked to speak at the conference. I'll be giving a presentation on "How to Successfully Wholesale" and a demo called "Wild Child Soapmaking: Combining MP & CP Methods."

This is a six-part blog post series to share what I've learned from attending past conferences. I've been picking up tips each year and thought it would be helpful for new attendees. If you have been attending the soap conference please leave your helpful suggestions and tips in the comments and I'll share them in this series as well.

Here are my top five tips that I'll publish in detail this week:

1. Proof That An Open Mind Could Lead to More Sales
   
   
2. Even If You're Shy, Just Say Hi
   
   
3. How to Get Your Social Media Game on During and After the Conference
   
   
4. Why You Should Pack An Extra Suitcase
   
   
5. How Not To Miss Each and Every Workshop

The keynote speaker for the 2011 Annual Conference is Barbara Corcoran, head of The Corcoran Group and real estate contributor to NBC's TODAY Show and a "shark" on the ABC reality show Shark Tank. Barbara is also a regular columnist for the New York Daily News and MORE Magazine.

There are many other fabulous speakers: Debbie May of Wholesale Supplies Plus, Kayla Fioravanti of Essential Wholesale, Marie Gale of "Soap and Cosmetic Labeling: How to Follow the Rules and Regs Explained in Plain English,", Larry Plesent of Vermont Soap, Tina Howard of Majestic Mountain Sage, world reknown aromatherapist Robert Tisserand and many more.

In addition to informative workshops, there is plenty of time to network with other business owners (one of my favorite parts of the conference). The evening sponsored dinners and entertainment are relaxing, informal and included in the conference package. Speaking of dinner, you won't go hungry at any HSMG conference. Last year I won more than $250 in raffles and giveaways - in addition to the $100 highly coveted goodie bag!

Two years ago the conference was held in Palm Springs, CA and I spoke about "Differentiating Yourself in the Highly Competitive Market of Soapmaking." Attendees learned how to increase sales by targeting niche and vertical markets. There I presented on how to develop an "eye" for demands and trends in other industries to stay ahead of the competition.

Last year at the HSMG 2010 Soap Conference in beautiful Denver, CO I presented on "New Opportunities in the Melt and Pour Soap Market." After the Palm Springs conference I didn't know how the Soap Guild could possibly top such a fantastic event, but they did.

It's not too late to join us in May. Simply visit the HSMG website and sign up. Hope to see you in Miami!

Fresh and Green for Spring: Natural Perfume Workshop with Charna Ethier

Natural perfumes are hot, hot, hot! If you're new to the idea, Natural Perfumery (NP) is the creative art and science of using natural aromatic raw materials that are beautiful and complex to produce lovely perfumes. Whether you want to learn to make natural perfumes for yourself or add it to your product lineup, mark your calendars for our Boston area workshop on March 19.

We are so fortunate to have Charna Ethier as the workshop instructor! She is the “nose” and founder of Providence Perfume Co. (Providence, RI) a natural perfumery specializing in luxurious botanical fragrances. After spending years working with large beauty and fragrance companies such as Aveda, she desired to create her own line of perfumes that were truly natural.

She is member of the Natural Perfumer’s Guild obtaining Professional Perfumer status and a regular participant in global perfume projects and collaborations. Her perfumes have received critical acclaim and have been featured on AOL, The Rhode Show, numerous magazines, and fragrance websites and blogs.

Under Charna's guidance, students will create and take home:

• Two Liquid Perfumes
• One Solid Perfume
• 12 essential oils (to take home after use in class blending)
  

In addition, Charna will share her knowledge on:

1. The Components of Natural Perfume: Essential oils, Absolutes, Floral waxes/concretes, Natural Isolates and Alcohol.

2. Tinctures (Hows and Whys)

3. Importance of Notekeeping (formularies, impressions, revisiting)

4. Measuring

5. Labeling and Ageing

6. Storage of Perfumes and Perfumery Ingredients

7. Accessory Notes

8. Botanicals Requiring Dilution

In addition, each student will receive a valuable handout containing reputable sources for ordering supplies; standard proportion of base, middle, and top notes; as well as formulation guidelines.

For more information and to register, please visit our website. This class is held in our Duxbury, Massachusetts studio, which is 40 minutes from Boston and 1 hour from Providence, RI.