I recently had the pleasure of attending my very first planner event, called Spring Fling Planner Thing, in Tiverton, Devon (UK). I had no idea what to expect, what to take, or whether it was something I would even enjoy.
As someone who uses a bullet journal rather than a pre-printed planner, I was also very curious to see what types of planners other people enjoy using.
The first thing that struck me on arrival was how much effort had been put into organising the event. The tables were beautifully decorated, there were lots of lovely stalls to visit and each table had been sponsored by a shop, meaning that every attendee received a bag full of planner goodies.
I was so impressed by every detail that both the event organiser and shop owners had put into the day. From the minute I entered the room I was made to feel at ease. I've attended events for work where I have felt slightly awkward and the conversation was strained. My experience of this event was the complete opposite.
It felt that everyone was there to make new friends and have a good time.
The day started off with a presentation, letting us to know what to expect and the timings for the workshops. Our first activity was an icebreaker, where we were tasked with talking to as many people in the room as possible and asking them about their planner and supplies.
Next up, I ran a brush lettering workshop. I always get a little nervous before running workshops, but the attendees were so enthusiastic that I quickly relaxed into it and had a great time.
We were lucky enough to have the support of Cult Pens for this workshop. They provided all of the attendees with a Tombow ABT Brush Pen, a Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen and MT washi tape. Their support meant that all of the attendees were able to try brush lettering with really great quality pens and take them home to carry on with their practise sheets.
After lunch we had another two great interactive workshops. The first was a tutorial showing us how to stamp into our notebooks using inkpads, along with stamping onto tape.
The second workshop gave us the opportunity to make our own leather tags or bookmarks.
I took the opportunity to have a photo taken with Louise from Cult Pens and Annabelle who organised the whole event. Louise is also a fantastic calligrapher in her own right. You can see Louise's work here. I couldn't believe this was the first planner event that Annabelle had organised. She looked after everyone brilliantly and I wouldn't hesitate to attend any of her events in the future.
If you get the opportunity to attend a planner event, I would definitely recommend jumping straight in. I have made so many new friends in the planner community and couldn't stop smiling all weekend.
Things to take:
- your planner or notebook
- pens, pencils and some of your favourite stationery
- a camera/phone
- comfy footwear
- contact details to give all your new friends
I of course had to document the day in my journal, using some of the goodies I received from the event. These are pages that I will love looking back through, to remind me of such a special day.
I hope you've enjoyed hearing about the planner event and feel inspired to look for one in your local area.