Sweet Week at BarkWorld 2016

#BarkWorld2016 was in Atlanta, Georgia (Oct 12th - October 15th) this year and it was fantastic. If you wanted to learn about dogs, or--how to approach dog-related brands, or just--take your dog's social media platforms to the next level, this was the pet conference to attend. I had no clue--what to expect from BarkWorld--but I'm confident I got a lot more than I bargained for.Not only were attendees given access to rock star presentations and panels, we were given access to brands in order to create possible collaborations with them. Leona made a few grooming videos for Andis Grooming and we plan on making some of our own "grooming your Shih Tzu at home" videos with their equipment as well. Get ready for those coming soon.But wait -- there was more!

We got swag bags filled with Miranda Lambert's line of pet toys, fun books, and delicious dog treats. Leona was happy to have one, imagine how she left when both her daddies got a bag each. And my BFF, Cris, also came and gave her swag bag to Leona. Three swag bags! We plan on having several giveaways on all our instagram accounts -- get ready to enter contests for your chance to win some of this swag for your pooch.Besides, what are we going to do with so many great toys, tasty treats and fabulous books? Plus, Leona loves to share!We had access to a few pet celebrities like the famous guy who's video went viral from doing yoga with his kitty. I chatted with him, Travis DesLaurier, and he's such a fun and interesting guy.There were a few puppies up for adoption and he gladly got involved. I missed the making of his shirtless video with a chihuahua -- but maybe there will be a next time? (Here's the video link and you can thank me later)

Certain #BarkWorld2016 attendees where given a CNN Tour which took us behind the scenes of many shows and a few that aren't yet slated to release until later in the year. We were all split into three groups of 10-12 and toured with our own tour guide. We weren't allowed to take photos during the tour which bummed everyone out -- but we managed to get a group shot at the end. The control room at CNN is crazy awesome. There were producers yelling and screaming at the screen and the rush of knowing they were controlling what the public sees on their TV set was unbelievable.We met several interesting people and Leona made so many new friends. People from Atlanta are extremely hospitable and made us feel so welcome. Whether it was the clerk at CVS, the Starbucks barista at the Loews Hotel, or the waiter at Einstein's -- we were in good friendly hands the entire time.

I was on a panel at the conference "Brand Influenced" and it was different than any other speaking engagement I've participated on because this was talking about Leona and her brand. Her social network which, thanks to her daddy German, has been growing at a rapid speed and we wanted to share the outcome of her being an influencer.On my next post I will include more photos of the conference as well as some of the speakers I got to "ooh and ahh" over.If any of you attended, what was your opinion of #BarkWorld2016? Would you go again? Why or why not? And if you didn't attend this year, would you consider going in 2017?Leave your comment below and let's discuss.

Stay tuned for #BarkWorld2016 blog 2 where you'll see the red carpet event, more pet celebrities, info on my panel, and the friends we made

.READ ABOUT SETH CASTEEL AND HOW HE WENT VIRAL WITH BUSTER THE DOG.