The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) hosted its second Social Influencers Travel Summit (SITSUM) on October 12-15, 2016. The exclusive invitation-only conference is held for over 70 top national and international travel influencers. SITSUM is a very unique conference that has mastered the gift of blending keynote speakers, educational workshops along with local area tourism hot spots in a few days.
The four-day conference kicked off with a welcome event at the Atlanta History Center followed by an amazing dinner catered by Dennis Dean Catering where we all had the opportunity to get acquainted with one another. We were treated to a tour of the beautiful Swan House.
The attendees were all hosted by THE W ATLANTA BUCKHEAD located in the heart of Buckhead, the perfect location for amazing shopping, entertainment and fine cuisine.
The conference provided the opportunity for us to interact and learn from fellow travelers from all over the world. This was definitely unlike any other conference that I have attended over the past three years that I have been an influencer. The ability to sit in a class setting along with fellow amazing travels while having many of your friends teach a class and learn from new friends puts a new perspective on conferences and learning.
What I loved about SITSUM is they understand the importance of learning and having fun. Which leads to the many options that we were all provided to choose from for our tourism locations. I chose the Atlanta Botanical Gardens because although I live locally, its rare that I actually get adult time without the kids so for me it was the perfect moment to just enjoy. I was not disappointed! The Gardens were so beautiful!
The second place that I chose to visit for my tour was Ponce City Market. I have been trying for months to make it over to meet a few friends for lunch but time always gets away and it’s never happened. I was thankful for the amazing weather and the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour of Ponce City Market. We also were able to take advantage of their roof top Skyline Park which in my opinion is perfect for a romantic date night back in time.
In case you’ve ever wondered what happens when travel influencers meet up at Ponce City Market. Fun Times!
This year I have been actively trying to watch what I eat but what can I say when you love food! We were all excited about the evening Progressive Dinner. In case you’re not familiar it’s when you have the opportunity to enjoy amazing bites from South City Kitchen, ATLAS Buckhead and Del Frisco’s.
Fun right? There was one final place that we visited during the conference, The Shops of Buckhead. If you’re in the area The Shops are a must on your list. The atmosphere is amazing as well as the fine dining and shopping. We started the evening off at Dior for a private welcome toast.
We visited a few more shops for private intimate receptions and ended our night with a dinner at Doraku. This was my first visit here and although I’m not a sushi lover like I was in college the selection was amazing. The evening marked our last one together before our final conference in the morning so we thought that it was only fitting to have a sake toast. CHEERS UNTIL WE ALL MEET AGAIN!
Needless to say that I had an amazing time. I would like to thank a few SITSUM Sponsors Delta Air Lines, Flourish, W Atlanta – Buckhead and the Atlanta History Center, among others. I look forward to see you all in 2017.