Acknowledgements

Copyright 2011 KCK Photography

For anyone who was at the Seaport Hotel on Tuesday night, hopefully you experienced the same thing I did — the beginning of something really special. The event exceeded all my expectations in almost every dimension. All of the vendors put so much time and thought into their displays — the room looked so amazing, and packed with interesting things to see (see photographic evidence of this, courtesy of KCK Photography).

We sold out the event, which on the computer screen seemed like a good thing, but was even better in person. Drool was bustling with pregnant moms-to-be, new parents, grandparents, friends, and even a bunch of adorable babies.

It was a lovely thing to get so many compliments about the event, but I got just as many nice comments about the Magic Beans staff. We are incredibly fortunate to have such an amazing group of people on our team, but, by and large, our store, warehouse and office teams only get to intermingle occasionally. The way they all came together Tuesday night  was really incredible for me to see.

This event was the product of so many people, but I feel that they all deserve acknowledgement. Think of this as the rolling credits after a movie.

First, to all our staff people who came out and did something a little different than usual, you all did an incredible job, even outside your comfort zones. Our warehouse guys, who usually wrap up their day by 6pm at the latest, were still working cheerfully at midnight that night.

To our internal team that worked on planning and setup for Drool, you were all so passionate about making this work. There were a lot of details to consider, and you didn’t miss a thing. To our creative team, Allie, Dana and the amazingly talented Robert, you all make me very proud. To our web team, Alex and Amanda, you guys are always innovating, always generating new ideas — I love it! Jill, our head buyer put so much thought into the merchandising and promotions for the evening, and everything looked amazing.

Colin, our Wellesley store manager, worked so hard with Eli and Isaac to make sure the purchasing experience went as smoothly as possible. Matt, our warehouse manager, was ready and willing to do whatever was needed before, during and after the event. And Carly, our office manager, is always ready to tackle any challenge.

To Brenda, our baby gear buyer and longest running Magic Beans employee, who (sniffle) had her last day with Magic Beans on Monday. You’re on to a new and exciting opportunity, but I can’t imagine a better way to wind up your career with us. And just because you don’t work here anymore doesn’t mean you aren’t always going to be a part of our family.

To all the friends I’ve made over the years through the powers of social media who tirelessly helped us spread the word and came out and supported Drool, I am so lucky to know you all. In particular, Christine Koh from Boston Mamas, Charlene DeLoach Oliver from Charlene Chronicles, Amber Maxwell from Green Child Magazine, and Annie Stow from Stowed Stuff — you guys were so supportive from day 1, and I really appreciate it. Sharon Gavini Reilly from Cool Dog Productions is a Twitter friend who really went above and beyond, creating a fabulous promotional video for us and serving as the official camerawoman for Jamie Grayson’s Ustream broadcast of Drool.

Speaking of Jamie, I’m not sure I’ve made a better friend through Twitter than him. There’s too much to say about what a kind, genuine, wonderful and funny person he is, so I’ll leave it this (to quote him): I’m obsessed. He came all the way from New York and spent three days with us, helping us prep and tackle all the last details. On Tuesday, he was a gift bag stuffing machine, working tirelessly for hours and hours even before the event started. I’m so grateful for his friendship and support. If you haven’t already read his new blog, BabyGuyGearGuide you must check it out immediately. Go! Click! Well. Actually, finish reading this post and then click.

To Jennifer Saphier Whitman and Michelle Harris from Plum Productions – you are both just completely fabulous at what you do. There was not a day that went by during the last six weeks that I didn’t thank my lucky stars to be working with you. Your creativity, integrity and attention to detail is unparalleled.

To the Seaport Hotel for being wonderful hosts and going above and beyond to make us feel at home.

To Eli and Isaac, my partners in crime, who were the biggest champions of this idea from day one, I love working with you both so much. To my sister Alison who came running when we called on Tuesday, frantic for help to finish the gift bags — she’s Magic Beans fan #1. This company has always been built around our families, and I’m so grateful for that solid foundation.

To all the companies and organizations who participated in Drool. As I looked around the room on Tuesday evening, I was feeling so much gratitude for the professional relationships (and so many friendships) we’ve developed over the last seven years. It meant so much to me that so many of my favorite brands trusted us to produce an event that would reflect the quality of their products and services.

I remember a phone conversation more than two years ago with Mike Grant from phil&teds. I was grocery shopping late at night and talking on my cell phone. It was shortly after another uninspiring, huge baby expo in Boston and Mike was trying to convince me that we should produce an expo of our own. Mike, this all goes back to that night and your gentle push.

To our sponsors, who literally made this whole thing possible. I’m particularly grateful to Britax, Maclaren, Dorel, Bugaboo and Viacord, Skip Hop, UPPAbaby, Bella Sante, The Boston Parents Paper and The Bump. And to our new friends at Big City Moms, thanks for being a part of this, and for all your encouragement along the way. We’re looking forward to doing more together in the future.

To my wonderful friends at Party Favors in Brookline: those cupcakes were the hit of the night. That cupcake in the picture up at the top? I ate it right after the picture was taken and it was SO good.

And last, but definitely not least, to all the people who came to Drool. Thank you for spending your evening with us, and for creating such a fun and energized atmosphere.

If you’ve made it this far, you deserve your own thanks! Go ahead and pat yourself on the back.

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