S&S CON 2023 recap
A beautiful day packed with connectivity, creativity and truly fulfilling conversation. Come with us as we recap Sweets & Sounds Convention 2023!
From Left; Renee Loren, Brianna Regine, Leonard Brown, Angel Dahfay, Onyeka Obiocha, Joshua Jenkins, Mercy Quaye, Peter Johnson
Sweets & Sounds Convention 2023 was nothing short of inspirational! This incredible networking event brought together black and brown creative entrepreneurs and artists from across the country allowing space for them to connect with and learn from one another. Through workshops, panels, and installations, Sweets & Sounds Con 2023 provided a space for growth and collaboration. This year's lineup of workshops was nothing short of epic, covering everything from grant writing to branding and marketing, web design, and business entity 101. Let's not forget the incredible panel discussions, which included the Boss Up panel on entrepreneurship in 2023 and the Creative AF panel on what it means to be a creative. With so much talent in one place, it's no wonder that this event was such a success! Don't believe us? Check out these amazing photos from the panels and workshops!
The Sweets and Sounds Convention 2023 was a huge success with some incredible installations. The Caf popped up with a store, and Bloom brought a blossom garden-style mocktail and cocktail bar. CourtVision had a lounge full of games, DJs, and refreshments, while THE PHOTOBOOTH had an interactive set design perfectly themed for the event. With such amazing installations, there was never a dull moment at S&SCon 2023.
The event was hosted by the charismatic Michael Agyeman, who could be seen photographed to the left. This year's convention was bigger and better than ever before, with more workshops and installations added to the mix. S&SCon did not miss a beat, providing an unforgettable experience for all attendees.
We had the opportunity to connect with Angel Dahfay, CEO of Sweets & Sounds Ent., to chat about her thoughts on the event's success and what we can expect from S&SCon 2024. Angel was thrilled with how everything went and is already planning to take things up a notch for the next convention. We can't wait to see what Sweets and Sounds have in store for us next year!
BIZZIE: How do you feel now with the outcome of S&SCon ‘23? Is it everything you imagined?
ANGEL: I am so grateful for how S&SCon '23 turned out - it was everything I had imagined and more! After a year of planning, it was amazing to see all of my hard work come to life. Hearing feedback from attendees and collaborators alike was humbling and made me feel so appreciative. To have had an idea and see it brought to life in such a beautiful way was truly fulfilling, and I feel so lucky to have been able to experience it.
BIZZIE: What was your biggest take away/favorite moment from the event?
ANGEL: The biggest thing I took away was how much the workshops helped people. We had four workshops in total - Business entity establishment, Branding & marketing, Web design, and Fiscal sponsor & grant writing. I put a lot of thought into selecting the right workshops because I wanted them to be truly valuable for attendees. I just asked myself, 'what did I wish I knew when I was starting my own business?' and went from there. It was amazing to hear from everyone how much they needed each workshop.
BIZZIE: What was the inspiration behind this year's convention? From the installations, to the panels, to the workshops and the graphic advertisements, what inspired it all?
ANGEL: The inspiration behind Con '23's branding was the sky. I worked with my team to incorporate clouds and colors such as blue, green, brown, and yellow to create a cohesive aesthetic. I particularly loved this style because this year's Con had the freedom and funding to be everything I wanted it to be. To me, the sky and freedom go hand in hand. For the collaborations, I gave some guidelines about the branding intention and trusted our collaborators to come up with complementary ideas while still having creative freedom. It was great to see how everything came together in the end!
BIZZIE: I know it’s pretty early, but are there any details or things we can expect from S&S Con 2024?
ANGEL: Believe it or not, we're already working on S&SCon '24! While I can't give away too many details just yet, I can tell you that it's going to be even bigger and better than before. Our special word linked to S&SCon ’24 is 'statewide' - take that as you will, haha!
Photos courtesy of Bizzie Ruth and Fruit Guice Media
