The Momference 2023 Recap
Let’s get into Momference 2023! A time was had! This conference and celebration of black mom magic took place May 19 - 21 in Cambridge, Maryland at the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay Resort. I so enjoyed this one of a kind experience and serving as the panel moderator for the Friday night welcome dinner. This was my 4th time attending The Momference, and I’m at wowed at how Nikki, Simona and the Mom Squad continue to raise the bar. You know how an artist’s first or second album is sometimes your favorite one even if they have many others?! Well, The Momference team has truly found the secret sauce in making each conference better than the last. I guess that’s why it’s coined the premiere conference for millennial moms of color. Now, let’s get into my recap of the weekend…
All Photos by Iris Mannings
Theme
The theme every year is always so on point and so on time. This year was no different. The theme was Revolutionary Rest - the Renaissance of Black Motherhued. Not only has Beyonce’s Renaissance album (and now her tour) had us all in a chokehold, but so has running here there and everywhere, doing all the things. If there is one thing us busy moms need, it’s rest! I really appreciated the thought and effort that went into creating a restful, yet enriching and fun weekend for moms.
One huge takeaway from the weekend is that rest can come in so many forms. While naps, sleep, stillness, breaks are the like are so very necessary, we can embrace and redefine rest in a myriad of ways, from walking in authenticity, to a refreshing conversation with another mom, to sipping your mommy juice and partying in your pjs and much more. Rest for me sometimes is simply resting my mind from responsibilities and to do lists and instead having a good time. And that’s what this weekend was…a good time!
friday
At each touchpoint over the weekend, no detail was left behind and the hospitality from the Mom Squad was 5 stars. At check-in, I was greeted with a hug and swag bag. There was also a check-in mixer that I missed because mama had a fabulous glam session with Toni Fuqua in preparation for the welcome dinner. This kickoff to weekend was sponsored by Amazon and featured a fireside chat moderated by yours truly, in conversation with Noemie Gaines, Sharniyka Howard and Helena Andrews-Dyer.
The sea of 400+ beautiful black moms poolside in hues of purple was a wonderful sight to see! The focus of the panel was perfectly suited for this crowd…embracing authenticity. Our conversation covered:
Navigating the opinions or perspectives of others.
Showing up as your full self
Mothering your own unique way
Cultivating an authentic circle
Lessons learned in motherhood
and more…
This was such a great conversation and started to the weekend, and I was honored to be apart of it. The evening ended with music, socializing, toasting and taking all the cute pics!
Panel L to R: Noemie Gaines, Sharniyka Howard, Helena Andrews-Dyer, Shalyce Tyson
Saturday
A day of sessions, shopping, pampering and partying was in store on Day 2. It kicked off with a VIP breakfast with an appearance by keynote speaker, Tabitha Brown. From there, I enjoyed shopping with so many black mom owned businesses. The Mommy Market never disappoints. I walked away with items for my whole family. This year, with the conference focused on rest, there were pockets in the schedule to breath a bit and to indulge in pamper services on a first come first served basis. Then, right after lunch, an afternoon of powerful and inspiring conversations and workshops were on the agenda. Topics of course centered around motherhood, but also honed in on mental health, wellbeing and rest. The programming was wonderful, and my favorite sessions were the keynote conversation with Tabitha Brown, Rest is not a Reward with Kobe Campbell, and the entrepreneurship workshop with Angel Gregorio.
After a relaxing evening and kicking it with my college roommate (who was also my roommate for the weekend), It was time for some partying! All the mamas that got dressed up in the New Orleans inspired attire and enjoyed a nice of dancing, drinks and food bites, followed by a pajama party later that evening. While I technically didn’t rest in traditional terms on Saturday, I rested my mind as I mentioned earlier. Having a break from the to do the lists and all the things, in exchange for hearing some valuable gems, engaging with dope women, laughing with my girls, getting dolled up and more, was exactly what I needed.
SUNDAY
The weekend ended with a farewell brunch that was the perfect finale to a wonderful weekend! We enjoyed in a delicious meal, a word, took all the cute pics with the water in the background, gave farewell hugs and soaked up good vibes. There was even a hand washing and blessing station, where mamas were able to receive prayer before departing. That was such a special touch and left many moms in tears. I still carry the affirming words with me that were spoken over me.
So in short, Momference 2023 was absolutely everything! It filled my cup and connecting with so many dope mamas was just what I needed. I went home refreshed and rested..,.mission accomplished! Kudos again to Simona, Nikki and the Mom Squad for another amazing conference.
In what ways do you embrace rest? Share in the comments.
Have a glowing day!