Logo by Amy Kim Design 🙂
The image that I had been seeing online for the past year had come to life as I drove up to Rosen Shingle Creek in my warm un-airconditioned airport shuttle. I still couldn’t believe I was actually here at the FOOD & WINE CONFERENCE! I had been waiting for this weekend with much excitement and anxiety. Did I pack enough clothes? Should I bring my laptop? Will anyone talk to me? This is the second food blogging conference that I’ve ever attended. Despite the mega-sized convention hall setting, the conference itself was intimate and warm (Figuratively, not literally! 😉 Am I right, fellow attendees?).
The view from Room 9412 at Rosen Shingle Creek.
The conference was off to a stellar start on Friday night featuring small plates from the hotel’s restaurants. They certainly did not disappoint and I shamelessly went up for seconds and thirds. Did you see me doing a balancing act with two plates and a glass of wine? Yeah, that was me. And thank you Banrai Sushi for quelling my craving for sushi! I was also able to catch up on some bad reality TV that night as well. This is my momcation, right? I caught a few episodes of Real Housewives of New Jersey. Nothing like a few cat fights to lull me to sleep.
A couple of my faves: ceviche shooters and local shrimp tacos.
Honesty. Authenticity. Passion. Quality. These are few of the words that resonated with me this weekend. Dan Cristo even mentioned that SEO of a site is determined by “trust and relevance”. Yes, even search engines want authenticity and consistency.
Having fun during lunch!
Quality and authenticity was further emphasized by the panel leading “Writing that gets noticed by The Media” as well as the esteemed panel heading “The Process of Writing/Publishing a Cookbook”. By the way, I need to start working on my cookbook NOW. One year to write and one year to publish!
Discussions on using social media, networking, and marketing filled out the day and I was excited to be able to attend ALL the sessions. The day culminated with #SundaySupper with much laughter, much wine, and much chocolate.
Sunday started off early and was also packed with informative sessions. “The Perfect Cooking Demonstration” was originally scheduled with Sara Moulton, but unfortunately she had to leave early for a family emergency (we hope that Sara and her family are all okay), so Katie Workman stepped in and did not disappoint. I am sure Sara would approve! And of course, Katie had some outstanding assistants to help her that day. 😉
The Perfect Cooking Demonstration with Katie Workman. Karen Parsons Hartzell (www.inthekitchenwithkp.com) helping with crepes, and yours truly helping with tempura shrimp. Photo on the right taken by Irvin Lin (www.eatthelove.com)
I learned more about Kickstarter and crowdfunding and was completely intrigued. The day was rounded out with a jam-packed photography session and a writing workshop.
It was a whirlwind weekend. I was completely blown away by the line-up of speakers and I got something from every one of the sessions. And nothing beats connecting with people in real life. No matter how many chats and interactions online; the real smiles, the conversations, and the hugs are incomparable.
The conference was timely for me since a few months ago I reached a point with my blog where I wasn’t completely sure where to go with it. What was my next step? What was my next challenge? Now my wheels are definitely churning and I am reinvigorated and inspired. We’ll see where we go from here!
For more photos of the weekend, check out Gerardo Luna’s album on Google Plus!
This inaugural Food and Wine Conference was the brainchild of Isabel Laessig of Family Foodie. She is also our fearless #SundaySupper leader. She and the crew worked tirelessly and passionately for this conference! I am certainly looking forward to next year!
