Make a Wish, Make it Happen is the motto and practice of Startup Princess, founded by Kelly King Anderson, a dynamo with enough passion in her pinkie finger to knock you over with happiness. When Kelly arrived to pick up Gabrielle, Holly, Barbara and me from the airport, the car was covered in inspirational slogans. We got our Fairy Godmother wands (we were the mentors for the weekend, so our wands were a bit bigger than the other princesses…that just added a level of inspiration, rather than competition…).

You might think that the weekend was all fairy dust and cupcake sprinkles.

While there was a lot of sweet + cute (and cheeky + swank) there was a lot of learning this weekend. The gift bags that greeted Gabrielle and I as we checked in were incredible. Handmade cupcakes, glass-blown tiaras and crowns, a book, drinks, hand-written notes from Kelly with a drawing by her daughter:

The emphasis was on quality over quantity. The participants had as much to offer as the speakers. I learned about marketing to women by witnessing how women often market to one another. It is all about the story…I have noticed recently that my eyes glaze over when someone launches into a full frontal pitch with me. Hook me with a story, I’m all yours. Does the story have to relate directly to your product? Simple answer: no.

What makes this conference different from any of the many others I’ve attended this year? Going to a conference marketed to women about marketing to women is the best way to do it, I believe. The list is long but here are just 9 elements that makes this retreat unique:

1. Infants are welcome. (This is also true of Blogher, I should add.) There were babies on-site all weekend. Sweet! This pic by Ellen…I’m with Baby Nora.

2. Swag is not “swaggy.” It’s gorgeous. It’s hand-made. And beautiful - there is no need for a recycling room because all the gifts are things you want to take home. *Cupcake by The Sweet Tooth Fairy - <3 the packaging!

3. Fairy wings, wands and tiaras strongly encouraged. Want a fun day out? Wear fairy wings in an airport…guaranteed intriguing conversations will follow.

4. The environment is collaborative and creative. There was not a whiff of competition and therefore we all let our guards down for the weekend.

5. Tiny touches make a huge difference. For instance, there was a pitcher of ice water on every table so we could stay hydrated all weekend. You don’t think about it unless it’s not there. (Heather pictured here with sweater by Seven Smooches.)

6. Homework. I didn’t do all of my homework but Kelly assigned a considerable amount. We had pre-work and post-work. It’s great to give overachievers a lot to do around the conference…it makes it last longer!

7. Post-conf groups. We used the #princess tag for Twitter (and were a trending topic throughout the weekend). Now we have a group of Startup Princesses over at Tweetworks that are talking about the conference in a dedicated, sustained “chat room” type environment.

8. Giveaways. I love that Kelly did giveaways from the many sponsors and had the folks giving things away present the prizes. Adds a dynamic level to the weekend…and an element of surprise. Barbara is pictured here, giving away an Epson printer.

9. You needn’t overthink it. This tidbit of advice came from the always lovely Gabrielle Blair. She posts an average of 3 posts/day. I wish I could match that but I know that it would be difficult for me to keep up with her; nevertheless, the takeaway for me is just jump! Plunge! Get it out there fast and don’t overthink it.

These are just a few of the ways Startup Princess differs from other conferences I’ve attended in 2008. Each conference has its own unique offerings. This one excelled in the quality of people present, the quality of workmanship that went into the weekend, the quality of conversations that were had. A job well done to all who attended and made this weekend great. If you get a chance to attend in the future, do!

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If you love conferences as much as I do, you’re in luck. January is the Chicks Who Click Conference and in February, the Mom 2.0 Summit. Kirtsy will be sponsoring and I’m excited to be speaking at both. Please join us at one…or both!