Friday, September 18
9 AM – Noon Intro to Blogging (Optional)
LOCATION Ravenna
For those of you new to blogging or needing a refresher on the basics, join this optional three-hour Intro to Blogging session. Experienced bloggers will cover important subjects such as making the most out of WordPress (i.e choosing and customizing a theme), demystifying search engine optimization (what is it and how does it work?), and a primer on content and marketing. (View Dr. Jean Layton’s presentation here).
1:00 – 4:00 PM Optional Excursions
LOCATION Meet at Buses on 6th & Union
Last year’s pre-conference excursion sold out in days so this year we are adding more optional pre-conference excursions. These three-hour field trips will start and end at the host hotel. The cost for each excursion is $25 and you must be a registered attendee of the conference to participate. If you are already registered for the conference, you can register for an excursion by using this IFBC Excursion Registration Form. If you have not yet registered for the conference, you can do register for the excursions when you register for the conference.
Discover the World of Tea with Teavana
Explore the world of Teavana tea during a rare behind-the-scenes interactive session with a master teaologist. You’ll learn how we craft our epicurean blends starting with the finest hand-picked buds and whole tea leaves and sample some of our latest tea blends, including those not yet available to the public. In addition to providing tips on brewing the perfect cup of tea, we’ll send you home with everything you need to start your own #TeavanaTime tea ritual. The event will take place in the private Teavana Tasting Room at Starbucks Headquarters in Seattle. Register here. Only $25!
[SOLD OUT] Chef’n Presents: An Exclusive Look at Chef’n featuring an Interactive Demo with Founder David Holcomb Hop on the Bus! Chef’n founder, CIO, and Famous Inventor David Holcomb, invites you on an exclusive tour of the innovative Seattle-based company’s headquarters, test kitchen and design studio. This unique experience, bursting with local Seattle flair, will feature a light lunch and cocktail party on Chef’n’s private roof deck, which just so happens to overlook CenturyLink Field (where the Seahawks play)! During lunch, you’ll be treated to a private, interactive, demonstration from David himself, who will walk you through the brand’s latest and greatest products, showing you exactly how Chef’n’s tools help you make better food at home! Featuring everything from strawberry hullers, garlic choppers, to cookie presses and more, Chef’n has the tools you need to make the meals you want to create quickly and easily. David might even share with you some of the brand’s soon-to-be-released products that are in the final stages of development! Transportation to and from Chef’n’s headquarters – which is just a short 10-minute ride away – is provided, so sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. All attendees will leave with enough Chef’n swag to make a meal and then some!
[SOLD OUT] Sansaire Presents : Sansaire Sous Vide Adventure
Join Sansaire co-founder and IFBC alumnus Scott Heimendinger for an exclusive experience in the Sansaire test kitchen! There, you’ll learn the basics of sous vide cooking, plus you’ll get hands-on training with Sansaire’s latest to-be-released products (they’re still hush-hush!). You’ll be well fed with tastings of 72-hour short ribs, fabled 65°C eggs, immaculately aged steaks, and other delicious surprises. If you’re already an avid Sansaire user, or you’re just sous-vide-curious, this is the perfect opportunity to learn from the experts. Round-trip transportation in a chartered van or other chartered vehicle will be provided.
[SOLD OUT] KitchenAid® and Sur La Table
Create buzz and build excitement for your blog by integrating innovative food and beverage preparation techniques with the help of cutting edge products.
Be inspired and learn behind the scenes knowledge from two industry experts. KitchenAid® and Sur La Table are teaming up to share their insights into enhancing recipe preparation through the use of innovative products for your kitchen. We’ll target techniques that are on trend utilizing KitchenAid® premium small appliances paired with Sur La Table cooking program expertise. Join us on September 18th at the Sur La Table Corporate Test Kitchen for a 3-hour event that will include a demonstration of time-saving techniques utilizing the new innovations from KitchenAid®. At the end of the presentation, you will receive a peek into what’s new for fall and take home some of these exciting new products to share with your readers.
Space is FULL. If you would like to be put on the waitlist for this excursion, please email kerry@zephyradventures.com with “KitchenAid/Sur La Table Waitlist” in the subject line.
5:00 – 7:00 PM Registration & Taste of Seattle Grand Opening Reception & Gift Suite
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom
This conference is all about food – writing about it, eating it, cooking it, taking pictures of it – food, glorious food! What better way to kick off the 2015 International Food Bloggers Conference than with a fantastically curated evening with all the best Seattle has to offer? Cruise through the gift suite and sample some of Seattle’s most beloved restaurants and businesses. We welcome you to Seattle with food folks from:
SkyCity at the Space Needle – our shining star for anyone visiting Seattle.
Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream – lines go out the door for this place All. The.Time. @MollyMoon
Hama Hama Oysters – home of the Blue Pool oyster, this family business keeps it classy and ships all over the U.S. Blue Pools were listed as one of the “9 Oysters You Need to Know” in Bon Appétit Magazine. @HamaHamaOysters
Armandino Batali with Salumi Cured Meats – you know….Mario’s dad. He’s Italian. He makes charcuterie. You want it. @SalumiSeattle
Marx Foods – Procurers of the BEST small batch, Northwest-made food products. From mushrooms to peach jam, they have the best the Northwest has to offer and will be sampling from a collection of their local favorites. @MarxFoods
Wild Ginger – A pillar of Asian cuisine in the Seattle area, the food at Wild Ginger spans the eastern Pacific Rim from China to Indonesia, and Malaysia to Vietnam. They offer traditional dishes from these distinctive regions and always use house-made ingredients. Chefs make fresh coconut milk, spicy chili sambals, delicate egg noodles and their pungent oyster sauce all from scratch. @WildGingerRes
ANOLON – Bakeware, Cookware, Tools & Accessories. ANOLON has everything for food lovers and home cooks. @anolon
Maryhill Winery – Maryhill is the exclusive winery for opening night, and will be pouring ALL of the wines below! Featuring a wide variety of Washington State Wines, we are honored to have Maryhill who was recently awarded Winery of the Year in 2014 at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. @MaryHillWinery.
Reds:
2011 Zinfandel
2012 Winemaker’s Red
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon
2011 Syrah
Whites:
2012 Winemaker’s White
2014 Rose of Sangiovese
2014 Viognier
Saturday, September 19
7:30 – 8:45 AM Breakfast & Session Hosted by Stonyfield
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom
Gluten Free and Vegan options are available!
9:00 – 9:10 AM Conference Opening
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom
9:10 – 9:55 AM Keynote Speaker Kim Severson, brought to you by ANOLON
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom
We are thrilled to announce The New York Times food reporter and author Kim Severson as keynote of this year’s International Food Blogger Conference this September 18-20, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. Kim has been a staff writer for The New York Times since 2004. She is a correspondent based in the South, reporting on the nation’s food and culture. She is also a contributor to NYT Cooking, a new website and app based on the extensive New York Times collection of recipes and cooking videos.
10:10 – 11:10 AM Discovery Sessions
Delve in depth into a specific food or drink product and brand, learning about the food, current trends, recipes, and more. These sessions are designed to be educational, both for you as a food blogger and by providing suggested future content for your blog.
Session 1 : How to Create Standout Holiday Content Presented by ANOLON with Irvin Lin of Eat the Love and Sarah Flotard, Food Stylist
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom A
Discover expert ways to make your upcoming content for the winter holiday season shine with popular food blogger Irvin Lin of Eat the Love, and Sarah Flotard, Seattle-based food stylist. Learn how to refresh traditional recipes, such as Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas cookies, and how to boost views and shares with irresistible visuals. Attendees will be treated to a special gift from ANOLON (conveniently shipped post-conference). And, to set the tone for holiday planning, this session will include a tasting of holiday appetizer and cocktail (non-alcoholic version will be available, too), developed especially for ANOLON and IFBC by Irvin Lin and noted mixologist Jenny Schwarz of Hopscotch restaurant and bar in Oakland, CA
Session 2 : Krusteaz Hands-On Cookie Swap Hosted by Krusteaz
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom B
Who doesn’t love freshly baked cookies? Krusteaz invites all conference attendees to join them for an interactive and hands-on session filled with cookie inspiration and swapping! Led by Krusteaz Culinary Specialist Malia Hasegawa and the Krusteaz Baker’s Dozen bloggers, this session will focus on quick, easy and budget-friendly styling and presentation ideas for cookie gifts, parties, and photography that lead to the most special moments. Attendees will also be among the first to taste test several new Bakery Style Cookies launched just this year by Krusteaz!
Session 3 – The Five Senses of Tea with Teavana’s Master Teaologist Hosted by Teavana
LOCATION: Ravenna
Whether new to tea or a tea enthusiast, please join Teavana for an interactive tea discovery session led by Teavana Master Teaologist Naoko Tsunoda. At our session, you’ll explore, see, smell, brew, and taste five of our most extraordinary pure teas and an epicurean blend crafted from a pure tea base and rounded out with flowers, fruits and spices. Activities include a Matcha demonstration and tasting and the opportunity to brew your own loose leaf tea. We’ll also share tips and recipes for using tea as a cooking and baking ingredient. You’ll leave not only with a better understanding of tea fundamentals, but with a tea essentials kit to help you start your #TeavanaLife tea ritual at home.
11:30 – 12:30 PM Breakout Sessions
Session 1 (Tech): What Do You Do After You Hit Publish?
LOCATION: Ravenna
So, you’re a food blogger! You spend hours researching and creating recipes, taking photos, visiting restaurants and writing about them. But just because you write it, doesn’t mean readers will come. How can you market your blog using social media? In this workshop, we’ll cover best practices for marketing your blog though popular social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. We’ll talk about evergreen content, editorial calendars, and how to build a social media marketing plan for your blog. You’ll walk away with lots of actionable tips and tasks that will help you to see an immediate change in your traffic. Please note: this workshop is focused on beginner-level skills, but we will include some tips and tricks for the more advanced social media user. Led by social media experts Lorraine Goldberg(Allrecipes.com) and Rebecca Coleman (British Columbia Institute of Technology & Cooking By Laptop). (View the presentation here).
Session 2 (Writing): Honing the Craft
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom A
No blog succeeds without good writing. Join award-winning food writer Jess Thomson (Hogwash) as she explores what makes personal narrative work, how she’s developed her voice, and where her own writing process starts. She’ll identify the tenets of good memoir, and lead a writing exercise that allows participants to put their new knowledge to use immediately. (View her presentation here).
Session 3 (Tech): Stop Motion Food Photography
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom B
Join veteran food writer/photographer/chef Todd Coleman in this exciting hands-on stop motion photography workshop. He’ll show you how to create stunning images using this interesting technique, then attendees will have the chance to break into small groups to practice shooting, editing, and putting it all together. If you’re looking to add new visual dimension to your blog or website, this is the class for you!
12:30 – 2:00 PM Lunch ON YOUR OWN (Lunch will not be served today. Instead, we hope you’ll enjoy some local food close to the conference venue! Check out these Hot Spots from Zomato!) OR participate in the Food Swap below.
(Optional) FOOD SWAP! Enjoy some free time or participate in this fun Food Swap for lunch! Cooks, bakers, canners, gardeners and foragers, this is the opportunity to trade homemade and homegrown foods with new and old friends! Share food, bottle drinks, recipes, tips & tricks – all while making new friendships. Bring something small to share – preferably shelf stable or bottled. (AS A REMINDER, we are not serving lunch on Saturday at IFBC.) For questions, email fellow attendee Emily Paster, who is organizing the event: westoftheloop@gmail.com
2:10 – 3:10 PM Writing, Food Photography and Prop Styling
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom A & B
Don’t miss this exciting session with the Dream Team of Talent! Join Andie Mitchell (Can You Stay For Dinner and The New York Times best-selling author), Aran Goyoaga (Cannelle et Vanille, author, food photographer, food stylist), and Jenn Elliott Blake (A Blog Named Scout and prop stylist). (View their presentation here).
3:30 – 4:30 PM Discovery Sessions
Delve in depth into a specific food or drink product and brand, learning about the food, current trends, recipes, and more. These sessions are designed to be educational, both for you as a food blogger and by providing suggested future content for your blog.
Session 1: Bubbles and Bites: Why Sparkling Wine is the Best Food Wine Presented by Italy’s Best Bubbles: Franciacorta and Stoneburner Restuarant
LOCATION: Ravenna
Sparkling wine is one of the most food versatile wines in the world. If you could only chose one type of wine to pair throughout every course of a meal, it should be sparkling. Its crisp acidity refreshes the palate for each bite of food, and pairs perfectly with simple salads and fresh seafood. Alternatively, its sparkling acidity cuts through richer foods like scallops, crab cakes, creamy pastas, roast chicken, duck and rabbit dishes. Sparkling wines are also fantastic with fried olives and sweet potato chips. Using the premium bubbles of Italy’s Franciacorta region, James Lechner, Owner and Wine Director of Seattle’s own Stoneburner restaurant, will guide guests through various styles of sparkling wine with tasty bites of food from the restaurant. By the end of the session, it will be sparkling clear: bubbles pair with an incredibly diverse range of foods. Franciacorta, Facebook , @FranciacortaUSA, Blog
Session 2 : Curriculamb 101
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom B
Local lamb takes center stage in this everything you want to know about lamb class. Learn about locally raised lamb, the variety of lamb cuts, cooking tips and wine pairing suggestions. Featuring Butcher Tracy Smaciarz of Heritage Meats and Chefs Ethan Stowell and Thom Koshwanez from Ethan Stowell Restaurants, you’ll be an expert on American lamb by the end of the session. Watch the demonstrations and enjoy lamb bites paired with wine. It’s all about lamb!
American Lamb, @fanoflamb, Facebook, Pinterest
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom A
4:30 – 5:30 PM Break!
5:30 – 7:00 PM Grand Tasting Wine Reception
LOCATION: 3rd Floor Foyer
This is your opportunity to relax, taste wines from various wineries and regions, and learn about wine tasting. Wine and food pairing is a hugely popular subject and an easy and excellent addition to many food blogs!
Trione Winery @TrioneWinery, Facebook, Instagram
Franciacorta, @FranciacortaUSA, Facebook
7:00 – 9:00 PM Culinary Fair and Expo
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom A & B
We are honored to have curated some amazing food brands and some of Seattle’s finest foods for this evening tasting event! Enjoy sampling a variety of gourmet goods from producers and nibble on cuisine whilst learning about their businesses and mingling with friends, new and old.
Manitoba Harvest Avocados from Chile
House Foods Q-Cubed – Lindsay Olives
Avocados from Chile Leaf Productions
The Culinary Trust Zomato
Stonyfield Bays English Muffins
Hot Cakes molten chocolate cakery
Percy’s & Co. Hot Stove Society
Sunday, September 20
7:30 – 8:45 AM Breakfast & Session Hosted by Bays English Muffins
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom A & B
As a first time sponsor, we are thrilled to be able to bring you a presentation on Sunday morning during breakfast featuring the President of Bays English Muffins, George A. Bay. A true foodie, George received his Grand Diplome from Le Cordon Bleu Paris. He will be sharing ALL THE WAYS TO BAYS showcasing a variety of recipes and cooking tips. Whether it’s a Bays English Muffin Panini, French Toast with Bays or even popular “smashes” with Bays, there are so many ways to use Bays. Come learn and share your favorite recipe ideas too. Gluten Free and Vegan options are available!
9:00 – 10:00 AM Breakout Sessions
Session 1: Essential Ingredients of a WordPress Site
LOCATION: Ravenna
Join Sara Rosso (Director of Marketing at WordPress.com, and writer at Ms. Adventures in Italy and When I Have Time) and learn how to go from having a standard food blog to having one that performs and looks awesome. We will learn about items such as choosing a more advanced theme that has greater functionality, keeping your blog secure, adding useful plugins that help engage your community and maximize your SEO, and more. The talk will apply to both WordPress.com sites and self-hosted WordPress sites as well, and there will be some tips and tricks applicable to food bloggers using all platforms. Follow her @rosso.
Session 2: (Writing): The Plan and The Pitch
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom A
Learn how to create your portfolio, set a day rate, establish good editor relations, and successfully pitch for print and online outlets. Hosted by Tara Austen Weaver, author and editor of Edible Seattle, writer Naomi Tomky, and author/editor Sara Dickerman, this session is a game changer for anyone wanting to advance their career in food writing.
Session 3: Food Trends: How to Identify and Use Them To Your Blog’s Advantage
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom B
Cronuts, fermenting, pork belly. The food world is an ever-changing place with new ingredients, techniques, dishes and flavor combinations popping up on blogs, magazine covers, and restaurant menus. Where do these trends come from? And how, as writers, can we stay on top of them and present them to our audience in new, exciting and unique ways? Get a sneak peak at flavor trends for 2016! Join Flavor & The Menu’s managing editor, Katie Ayoub, and Judith Dern from Allrecipes.com as they teach us how to discover these trends and capitalize on them. (View Judith’s presentation here).
10:15 – 11:15 AM Breakout Sessions
Session 1: Cooking With Cannabis LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom A
Washington is now one of three states that allows recreational marijuana use (Oregon’s legalization is pending), and cooking with cannabis is slowly emerging as a legitimate culinary pursuit, and a lucrative one at that. Many in the food world are curious about cannabis’s place in cuisine beyond the stereotypical pot brownie. Join Executive Chef Jeremy Cooper as he takes you on what is sure to be an unforgettable culinary adventure (don’t worry, you’ll leave the session with all your faculties intact).
Session 2: Hungry for Words: Journalism 101 for Food Bloggers LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom B
Get a crash course from award-winning author and former journalist, Kathleen Flinn, in the fundamentals taught at J-school and exercised by working journalists. You’ll move from Who/What/When/Where/How/Why to methods for conducting successful research, working with the AP style guide and interview techniques. We’ll also cover the elements that define good explanatory journalism (which includes most food writing). Finally, the session will shift to some basic reporter tactics, including designing your own “beat,” developing sources, keeping a tickler file and developing an editorial calendar. Even if you’ve got a recipe-based blog, this jam-packed session is aimed to help you avoid embarrassing mistakes, organize your thinking and make your work feel more professional. Hopefully, it will also inspire you to reach beyond your comfort zone and look at old subjects with a new, more inquisitive perspective.
11:30 – 12:30 PM Food Photography with Christopher Testani
LOCATION: Metropolitan Ballroom A & B
What is a food blog without great food photography? We’ll wrap up the conference with one of the most important subjects in food blogging. Learn about staging, lighting, use of colors, choice of camera, taking photos with smart phones, and many other subjects from renowned food photographer Christopher Testani.
12:30 – 12:45 PM Conference Close