Saturday night I returned home after a busy week in Salt Lake City for Altitude Summit. The conference ran from Tuesday night through Saturday and was a lot of fun. I met many talented people and attended inspiring sessions, but coming home felt good too — it was an exhausting week in the best way. By the last day, everyone I spoke with kept saying how tired they were, myself included.
I didn’t take as many photos as I expected, though many attendees will post recaps so you’ll still find plenty of images online. If you’re looking for recap roundups, there are several curated boards and Flickr streams where people have compiled highlights and photos.
Here’s how the week looked from my perspective:
(above image) I spotted this charming window display on the first day. Altitude Summit can feel enormous — roughly 500 attendees — but it’s the kind of big that’s warm and welcoming. This display summed up that cozy, delightful vibe perfectly.
On Wednesday night, Danni from Oh Hello Friend and I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Ruth’s Chris hosted by HP. Later I attended a Blog Brunch meetup and heard the unsettling news that there had been a drive-by shooting at another Alt dinner earlier that evening. Thankfully no one was hurt — a strange and frightening incident amid an otherwise positive event.
Panel sessions began the next day and they were very worthwhile, but the keynotes were particularly memorable. Ben from Pinterest gave a standout talk — he’s charismatic and insightful, and you’ll likely read the same praise across other recaps. My favorite panels on Thursday and Friday included “Blog to Book,” “Growing Your Readership,” “Kickstarting Your Next Project,” and “Building a Personal Brand.” Each offered practical takeaways and thoughtful strategies.
A recurring theme across many sessions was the importance of investing in your creative business — whether that means dedicating more time, spending money strategically, or simply treating your work with professional seriousness. That idea came up again and again and felt like a core lesson of the conference.
Lillian (left) and I chatting with Piper just before a panel. Photo courtesy of Justin Hackworth via Alt’s Flickr page.
I enjoyed seeing some upcoming art prints from Minted that are scheduled to release in March. The collection featured several beautiful pieces — I especially loved the mountain print in the center and can’t wait for the launch.
One of the Friday events included a Method smilebooth and lots of casual fun. After a few drinks, Kate and I wound up taking the biggest slice of cake back to our room and devouring it — I’ll never say no to cake.
(back row) Kate, me, Zoe (front row) Margot, Sarah, Meg
A Friday night party hosted by Uppercase and Squarespace was a highlight. All the parties were enjoyable, though I didn’t manage to get great photos of every event.
There was also plenty of swag — racks of thoughtfully designed freebies and promotional items. I barely managed to pack everything into my suitcase at the end of the week. I’m considering doing a giveaway with some of the goodies I collected; would you be interested in that?
By the end of the summit I had gathered an absolutely stunning stack of business cards — some of the best designs I’ve seen. I misplaced a few that I’d collected on the last day, but I still have a fantastic selection left. I plan to share photos of my favorite business cards next week because they truly deserve their own post.
Overall, I loved the conference experience. It was wonderful to meet so many talented and kind women, reconnect with old friends, and leave inspired. I hope to attend again next year — and I’ll be working on a wardrobe that can keep pace with the stylish crowd who show up to Altitude Summit. 🙂