Trip Report: TBEX 2024 in Puerto Rico
By Stephanie Avilés
In July, I attended my first TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) Conference with our Costa Rican clients at Vamos Rent-A-Car who sponsored the event. The North American conference this year was held in Puerto Rico, where I’m from, so I jumped at the opportunity to see what it was all about.
Vamos Rent-A-Car on the step and repeat at TBEX North America 2024.
The TBEX Conference offers a range of Pre-BEX tours
We started the week with one of TBEX ‘s pre-tours. These tours allow attendees to get to know the host destination beyond the conference rooms and the convention center. I had the opportunity to attend one focused on Loiza’s art, history and culture.
Despite growing up in Puerto Rico and knowing about the Afro-Caribbean community and its deep history there, it was a place I had never ventured to truly get to know. Like many Puerto Ricans, I had been to some of the beaches there and made many stops for food at the roadside restaurants in Piñones, a coastal strip just a short drive outside of San Juan where the air is thick with the smells of frituras (fritters), pinchos (kabobs) and bacalitos (salted codfish). It is a place where on weekends, locals and tourists typically go but like me, many don’t often continue the drive inland to get to know its vibrant community. During the tour, we drove past the beach into town with our very charismatic tour guide who gave us a primer on the history of Loiza, and I had the privilege of visiting Samuel Lind’s artist studio. I could wax poetic about how lovely that experience was, but it’s the type of place where you have to be there (and meet him!) to understand, so I’ll share few photos instead.
Afterwards, we headed to Taller N'Zambi where Sheila Osorio taught us how to dance Bomba, a traditional call and response dance and musical style that was originated by enslaved Africans on the island. Bomba is an autochthonous dance that lives on and is celebrated as a symbol of resistance in Puerto Rico.
Meanwhile, our clients took the Old San Juan tour and got to experience the island’s distinctive colonial center through a walking tour of its cobblestone streets and colorful buildings. Other pre bex tours included a trip to a local farm focused on growing culinary ingredients, a drone workshop, hiking in El Yunque, Bioluminiscent Bay and even a longer trip to the west side of the island, where I’m from.
Highlights
The VIP party was held at the beautiful Vanderbilt Hotel in Condado, one of the luxury hotels I included in my Puerto Rico hotel round up and Discover Puerto Rico, the local DMO, did an incredible job setting up a fantastic event and showing atendees boricua hospitality. We were told there would be cocktails and hors d'oeuvres but showed up to find a full dinner spread featuring even a traditional lechon en la vara (whole roast pig)! Here I had a chance to meet a few people I had corresponded with before but never met IRL. including Jen Ruiz, a fellow Puerto Rican journalist and content creator who was also one of the keynote speakers. During the event I was also able to connect with Angie, one of our affiliates who is also one of Jess’ good friends.
One of TBEX’s strenghts is the ability to bring people together while experiencing what a destination has to offer. At the end of the opening party the following day, a lively parade of vegigantes, cabezudos, and stilt-walkers donning traditional Puerto Rican folkroric attire lead us from the convention center next door to Distito T-Mobile for a performance and after party, a beautiful showcase of our cultural heritage.
During the conference we took turns attending learning sessions and manning the Vamos table, where we had the opportunity to connect with more bloggers and companies beyond our 1:1 meetings. One of the biggest highlights for me overall during TBEX were the incredible keynote speakers. Jen Ruiz, Marty Lewis and Juliana Broste each delivered very different but equally outstanding and inspirational talks. I left each one of those with a new outlook on travel and key takeaways that are already making an impact on how I approach my work.
Networking and 1:1’s
The speed networking meetings were a fantastic way to get to know a lot of people in a very short time. During our meetings, we introduced people to Vamos, the affiliate program, and listened to what folks were working on and what they were looking for in a brand partner. It was important for us that we were having real conversations and not simply pitching a program. The benefit of being there in person was to actively listen and learn what has worked (and what has not) so we can ultimately create mutually beneficial partnerships. My only advice to someone taking the appointments is to drink lots of water and to be prepared to lose your voice. It’s a marathon, not a sprint!
Vamos also enlisted local Costa Rica artisan Gato Negro to create a short run of teal handmade keychains for the event imprinted with the words “Pura Vida Costa Rica” that were made sustainably from leftover scraps and we had a chance to share these very cool functional pieces with the people attending our 1:1 meetings.
During the conference I also had the opportunity to reconnect with Julisa, who I met during a journalism course we took together last year and we were able to squeeze in a quick dinner with our mentor, journalist Victoria Leandra and Bianca from This Latina Travels at Lote 23 in Santurce. As if the schedule wasn’t packed enough, I made my way to the Caribe Hilton after for the 70th anniversary of the Piña Colada on the day Women Leading Rum was holding a ceremony to honor the women of the rum industry in Puerto Rico.
A short sleep and suddenly TBEX was almost over! After the last of the 1:1 meetings and closing keynote, the closing party was held at the Bacardi factory. I attended with Alex from Vamos and we announced the winner of the Vamos contest for a free car rental, TravelingJules. The closing party allowed guests a place to have fun, share their experiences throughout the week, and unwind. There we enjoyed live music, had dinner, and tasted through some of the Bacardi lineup before calling it a night.
The biggest and most important strength of the conference is the people who attend.
We had the opportunity to meet many local and International creators throughout the week and it was clear to us that this is a strong, tight-knight community. The connections and friendships forged at these events go beyond a one time thing and we loved seeing people connect and support each other.
I can’t count the times I overheard “How can I help?” or “Does anyone know where to go for x?” throughout the week. The community they’ve built is special and no matter where you are in your journey, whether you are winning awards or just starting, there’s a place for all at the table.
As a content creator and writer, it’s important to find that and foster the collective learning. This is why we like to highlight travel industry events that are fostering it well.
