International Food Blogger Conference

IFBC19 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Julia Nordgren

by

Dr. Julia Nordgren of Dr. Julia Cooks will keynote the 2019 International Food Blogger Conference. Her talk will be titled “Should Food Bloggers Consider the Health Effects of What They Write?”

Dr. Nordgren is not only a doctor but a trained chef and cookbook author. We thought she would be perfect as a keynote speaker and an expert in this topic.

About Dr. Julia

Dr. Nordgren received her medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School, completing her pediatrics residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where she was elected Chief Resident.  After years of treating patients for cholesterol disorders and childhood obesity, she was motivated to inspire people to make healthy eating part of their daily lives.

In 2012, she took a break from medical practice and enrolled in the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. She graduated with honors. She now combines her passion for great food and her knowledge as a physician to help families make sustainable, impactful lifestyle changes. Dr. Nordgren practices medicine at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and leads hands-on culinary medicine teaching at the Stanford Teaching Kitchen.

Dr. Nordgren’s first cookbook, The New Family Table, came out in early February.

Should Food Bloggers Consider the Health Effects of What They Write?

We have never had this discussion before at the IFBC and we do not believe there is a definitive answer. But we think it is a question worth exploring! Here are just a few things to consider:

  • Do writers in general have a responsibility for what they write or is it the reader’s responsibility to judge what they read?
  • What does responsibility mean in this context anyway?
  • Can you think of any writing that you would consider irresponsible?
  • In the world of food and health, is “healthy” just one’s person opinion versus another or should we be driven by the facts and data?
  • If you do agree you have a responsibility to consider health in your food blogging, what can you do?

These questions are just a prelude to Dr. Nordgren’s talk. If you have any ideas on this subject, please share them here and we will be sure to pass them on. And come prepared June 20-23 in Juneau with your questions!

IFBC19 Content & Speakers Announced

by

The Agenda and Speakers pages for IFBC19 have been updated with current content.

This is not entirely complete. We still have our keynote speaker to announce (she has been confirmed!), half a dozen other speakers to finalize, and room for several sponsored content sessions. (If you are interested in sponsoring the IFBC, contact sponsor@zephyrconferences.com.

A few highlights from this year’s content and speakers:

Advanced Content: You will see on the Agenda we have quite a few sessions labeled as Advanced. If you are not advanced, don’t worry – there is still plenty of content for you too.

Small Group Discussions: We have allocated two hours for small group discussions, in which you can wander in and out of conversations on Technology, Food Writing, Social Media, Making Money, and All Things Blogging. These are designed to be two-way discussions, each led by an expert in the subject matter, so perfect for getting your questions answered.

Breakout Sessions: We have six different breakout sessions on topics ranging from Instagram to Self Publishing, from rapidly growing your page views to representing brands.

International Food Blogging: With the help of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute we are flying in five bloggers from four European countries and China. It should be fascinating to hear what is similar and different in their countries.

Lightning Talks: We will repeat the wildly successful Lightning Talks from last year, in which ten attendees will each have five minutes to expound on a subject. The call for volunteers will go out to registered attendees 45 days prior to the conference.

Food Writing: We have professional writers from USA Today and the Associated Press providing their viewpoint on food writing. Often food influencers forget about the writing but it is still so important!

 

If you have not signed up yet, please consider registering today!

How to Be a Better Food Blogger

by

We at the IFBC have heard literally hundreds of speakers over the last 10 years speak to all facets of being a better food blogger. So we thought we would distill some of that wisdom into one simple list.

We realize no list is perfect and what works for one person will not work for another. So let us know what you think!

How to Be a Better Food Blogger

  1. Identify your niche. You might choose a subject about a specific cooking style, a specific type of cuisine, the business of food, restaurant reviews, or whatever you want. But if you don’t have a niche, it is hard to get attention in a crowded online world.
  2. Invest in your website. Make a splash on your home page using graphics and a good logo. For a couple hundred bucks you can pay someone from Craig’s List to do this and make your site look professional.
  3. You are your brand. People read blogs in large part because they want to hear from the blogger herself or himself. Identify yourself, provide an About page, and include photos on your blog.
  4. Take a position on paid work. First off, make it easy for people to contact you. Then, decide what your policies are on writing for pay, advertisements, etc and put them on your site.
  5. Engage in social media. This one is pretty obvious but no one is just a blogger anymore. Use Pinterest at a minimum and potentially Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to help promote yourself and your blog. But only use platforms you have time for.
  6. Be authentic. Write about what you love and are passionate about. Show your personality! If blogging is a chore, it will come across that way in your writing.
  7. Cater to your audience. Conversely, determine who your reader is and why they want to read your articles. Google Analytics will help with this. In the extreme, you could be writing just what your readers (and Google) want, so keep in mind point #2.
  8. Use photography. Learn how to or spend the money to get quality food pictures. The more appetizing the picture, the more your audience will want to pin, retweet and share your recipes.
  9. Take video. Conversely, your videos to do need to be professionally filmed or edited. Just get that camera out and film you in the kitchen, out to eat, at a farm, or wherever.
  10. Interact with others. Network. Make friends with other food bloggers by commenting on their posts and reaching out to them on social media. Email other food bloggers in your area and arrange a meeting. Attend the International Food Blogger Conference!

Call for Speakers at IFBC19

by

Speaker applications are now open for the 2019 International Food Blogger Conference and will remain open until December 10. If you are an expert, have a story that needs to be told, or can impart some necessary wisdom upon our community, please fill out the form below. We are again specifically seeking advanced content that will resonate with our many returning attendees.

Who Should Submit

Anyone is free to submit suggestions, whether you have attended the International Food Blogger Conference before or not. Those selected to present must be prepared to cover their own travel and hotel costs. You should be an expert in the area you wish to present. Feel free to collaborate with others and co-present.

Potential Topics

The IFBC tends towards providing hard, actionable content. Subjects such as monetization, food writing trends, working with brands, search engine optimization, and mastering social media are all of interest to our attendees. Ideally you will have a sense of what we (and other conferences) have already presented so you can tell us what new and exciting development you can present.

We look forward to your ideas! Submit your content below and register to join us in Juneau.

IFBC19 Juneau Excursions: Registration is Open

by

Registration is now open for the Juneau pre-conference and post-conference excursions.

We understand traveling to any IFBC is a big commitment of time and money. We also understand if you travel to Alaska for a food blogger conference, you would like to see a little of the area and not just the inside of a conference room.

For our pre-conference excursions, we have focused on the local food and drink scene in Juneau with three optional excursions:

  • Juneau Food Tour
  • Alaska Brewing Company Tour
  • Juneau Bites & Booze Tour

For post-conference excursions, we are getting you into the beauty of the natural surroundings:

  • Whale Watching
  • Uncruise Adventures Ship Tour

In addition to these excursions, we will soon be providing discount opportunities on other local attractions, including a plane ride and salmon bake, so you can extend your vacation even more. All details are on our Excursions page. Registration is open only to conference attendees and their families or signifiant others.

Follow Us

Contact Us

ZephyrConferences.com
info@zephyrconferences.com
Our Equality Plan
Climate Change Pledge