Sarah Wohlner, Author at International Food Blogger Conference

El Paso is Off the Texas Grid

October 13, 2021 by Sarah Wohlner

Please note the following post is intended to assure those concerned about traveling to Texas that they can still attend the IFBC and support El Paso. We are not intending to divide our audience on issues not related to food blogging.

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In May, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the “Heartbeat Act” and passed the most extreme abortion law in the country. We have heard from some in our community who feel this is just one more Texas stance which takes the state off their potential travel list.

El Paso Takes a Stand

But El Paso, where our conference will take place in March, is not the equivalent of Texas. El Paso’s entire state delegation opposed this bill and one representative, Bill Moody, took action against that cost him his very powerful role as Speaker Pro-Tem.

Supporting El Paso

It is not unusual for El Paso to take a stand against Texas mandates. “The City of El Paso was granted a temporary restraining order against Gov. Greg Abbott’s mask mandate ban, allowing the city to continue with its mask protocol that went into effect Wednesday, Aug. 18. Masks must be worn while in any indoor facility,” said Sunny Tsai from Spectrum News 1.

We understand some of our audience is concerned about traveling to Texas; there are arguments for and against expressing your views via your attendance at events like the IFBC. We are not trying to take a stand either way.

But El Paso is not Texas. It is a border town located across the river from Mexico with a unique culture and food that’s not typical Texas. We picked El Paso because of its bi-culturalism. The city has a high vaccination rate. It’s one of the most diverse and progressive border regions in the world. In fact, while Texas has its own power grid separate from the rest of the United States, El Paso is part of the grid serving 14 Western states, two Canadian provinces, and part of Mexico. El Paso is on a different page, and power grid, than the rest of Texas.

Attending IFBC in El Paso

You might or might not have considered whether to attend the 2022 International Food Blogger Conference based on its location in Texas. It might be the food, content, speakers, sponsors, and fellow attendees are what is important to you. If, however, politics, pandemic policies, or women’s rights have entered into your thinking, please consider that just like all Texans are not alike, all cities in Texas or not alike either. Please help us in supporting El Paso, an incredible multi-cultural border town, by participating in IFBC22.

Why is El Paso a Food Blogger Paradise? From Celebrity Pati Jinich

October 6, 2021 by Sarah Wohlner

Patricia Jinich is a Mexican chef, TV personality, cookbook author, educator, and food writer. She is best known for her James Beard Award-winning and Emmy-nominated public television series Pati’s Mexican Table. Pati recently traveled and started filming a food special, La Frontera, in El Paso for a few weeks. She also visited Ciudad Juárez where the IFBC reception and excursion will be held. We connected with Pati and her team and she was excited to create a video specifically for our conference explaining why El Paso is a phenomenal place to visit especially for food bloggers. Take a look!

La Frontera airs October 15th and October 22nd at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS stations, on PBS.org, and on the PBS Video App. Check out the trailer now.

The IFBC is Going International – Explore Juárez

August 17, 2021 by Sarah Wohlner

Updated: September 7, 2021

The International Food Blogger Conference will take place in El Paso from March 17-20, 2022. But really, how can we go to El Paso without visiting Juárez, Mexico? Juárez is located 5 minutes away across the border. Chefs from El Paso often travel several times back and forth throughout the day to gather ingredients. Travel is completely safe. We have two incredible guided events planned in Juárez!

About Juárez

Juárez, also called Ciudad Juárez, is a Mexican city that lies on the Rio Grande, 5 minutes south of El Paso in the state of Chihuahua. Juárez’s population is estimated to be 1.5 million people. Juárez is safe. In fact, it is safer than many U.S. cities, especially for tourists. Upon research you might hear otherwise however, the city has done a remarkable job at turning this around to make it not just a safe visit but an enjoyable one too. Now, three fun facts! 1) Juan Méndez, a street vendor in Chihuahua, Mexico, invented the burrito. 2) Juárez is home to the Mexican vaquero (cowboy) culture. 3) In 2020, there were 295 days of sunshine.

Thursday Welcome Reception – Viva México

Juarez is the biggest door of Mexico, a country with a mix of pre-Hispanic cultures, filled with good food, kind, fun-loving people. Experience a show like no other in which we showcase the best of our folklore, dances, mariachis, and more! Just 5 minutes away from Crossing Borders. We start IFBC21 with a bang. Our Welcoming Reception will take place at the amazing Viva Mexico restaurant. But calling it a restaurant alone does not do it justice.

Yes, we will be eating dinner at Viva Mexico. The full dinner buffet will feature dishes from throughout Chihuahua and Mexico. We will also be there early to get special presentation on preparation of some of the more famous cultural foods, such as Margaritas and Guacamole.

In addition, after dinner we will be treated to a Fiesta Mexicana, a show featuring dancers, horsemen, and singers highlighting the local culture.

Post-Conference Excursion – Mysticism in Dunes

The Samalayuca Dunes are located in the middle of the desert in northern Chihuahua state, only 30 minutes from Ciudad Juárez. If you have never had the opportunity to stand in a real desert landscape, such as the Sahara, now is your chance.

We will visit the desert for both fun and food. Starting out we’ll enjoy several hours of adventure. You can choose to do a Jeep or ATV ride through the dunes for amazing views and a few thrills. Or you can choose to try the sport of sandboarding, similar to snowboarding but on a totally different material. Or you can choose to take a walk and learn about the dunes from a naturalist’s perspective.

Then it is on to the food portion of the event. We’ll start with a tasting and lesson on Sotol, the distilled beverage native to Chihuahua that is similar to tequila. We’ll then have a “Mysticism at the Desert” lunch, full of food local to this area of Mexico.

We will be chaperoned from our hotel in El Paso to the desert via bus and escorted throughout our time in Mexico. Come see how the locals vacation!

Travel and Passports

Passports are recommended to travel to and from Juárez. Passport cards will also be accepted. If you don’t have a passport or a passport card you will be able to cross over with a birth certificate or just an official ID card. Our hosts are working with our local CBP office to help out the process. Please make sure all your documents are up-to-date.

Safety

Is it safe to visit Juárez? Absolutely! Locals cross the border all the time, often living on one side and commuting to the other. In Mexico, we will be on a bus that takes us straight to the restaurant.

We hope you join us at the IFBC this year and partake in these once-in-a-lifetime events! Register Now!

Alumna Interview With El Pasoan, Yvette Marquez From Muy Bueno Cookbook

May 25, 2021 by Sarah Wohlner

I “sat down” (aka emailed) with IFBC19 speaker and alumna Yvette Marquez from Muy Bueno Cookbook. While you might know her from IFBC19 in Juneau, AK, which she described as “super dreamy!”, you might have also seen her on the Food Network, NBC, Buzzfeed, Cosmopolitan, Taste of Home, or The Huffington Post.

She was top on my list to interview as she is an El Pasoan, born and raised. El Paso is a fantastic city. It is now known as “a city reborn,” because it takes old tradition and mixes in modern amenities. El Paso is a zestful melting pot of culture that dates back hundreds of years. The “Sun City” has a way of life and community like no other because it is set amid Mexico and the Southwest. Take everything you love about Texas and combine it with the unique culture and food of Mexico. Yvette described the people as “very friendly, very laid back, and the folks are proud of their home, culture, and cuisine.”

Yvette started her blog in 2010 around this very premise, home, culture, and cuisine. She explained, “I started my blog to preserve my family’s Mexican recipes and to journal the writing of a cookbook.” She shows off these recipes not only through her blog and excellent photography but through video. I’m mean, she has even won an Emmy for one of her videos! Check out this one here about the Ysleta Mission History and Festival that happens right in El Paso. In 2019, Yvette spoke on our experts’ panel and had a breakout session about video, she emphasized, “I loved it all!”

When asked why El Paso is a great place to host IFBC21, she responded, “I think it will share the uniqueness of El Paso! El Paso is practically Mexico, and the Mexican food there is different — it isn’t Tex-Mex – it’s the pride of El Paso and Northern Mexico.”

We are incredibly excited to experience the unique culture and cuisine of El Paso. Please check out Yvette and Muy Bueno Cookbook for some fantastic and beautiful Mexican recipes inspired by her family.

7 Creative Ways to Monetize Your Blog

May 10, 2021 by Sarah Wohlner

On May 12, 2021, The International Food Blogger Conference is partnering with Jenny Melrose for the third of four virtual summits! We are talking about everything Monetization and how you can make money doing what you love. During the summit, we will be discussing different ways to monetize and offering 10 different sessions during the day for every level of blogger.

Here are 7 different ways to monetize your blog and some things to consider before starting:

1. Food & Wine Pairing

Food and wine, a match made it heaven. As a foodie and/or wine lover, you know there’s more to it than sipping and snacking. Creating a tasting and pairing event is a fun and creative way to make some revenue. This could be a prerecorded class or a live event. If you’re amazing in the food category but your wine knowledge could use work, this would be an excellent opportunity to partner with another blogger or professional and instantly increase the audience you market to. Interested? We wouldn’t leave you hanging. Check out the related session below.

Related Session(s): Craveable Consumer Content with PLAYTE Kitchen

2. Sponsored Content

The most common thing people think about when making money as an influencer, sponsored content. This is when brands either send you product or monetary compensation in exchange for promotion on your channel. While it’s great in theory, it’s hard to execute. How do you get in touch with brands? How much should you change? Are rates negotiable? This is only the tip of the iceberg. However, the biggest problem we see is sponsored content that feels artificial and forced. If you’ve worked with brands before, you know what we’re talking about. If you haven’t worked with brands yet, great! Get to know your audience first. The better your content performs, the more brands will want to work with you. Don’t sell out and post forced content.

3. Cookbooks (print)

Having a published book gives you instant credibility as an expert and immediately sets you apart from everyone else in your field. It also wraps up all your recipes into one awesome portfolio you can hold, show off and sell. Sounds great. How do you do it? Great question. You can either self-publish your book or work with a publisher. Pro and cons to both. When self-publishing consider the following: the finances of self-publishing, publishing and formatting tools, how to promote and sell cookbooks, and so much more. When working with a publisher consider the following: creative control, submitting a book proposal, landing a lucrative deal, available time, and more. Don’t get discouraged! All you need is a little help to get your book published and earning you some extra revenue. We wouldn’t leave you hanging. Check out the related session below.

4. Cookbooks (ebook)

Ebooks are hot! People are on their phones, computers, and tablets more and more. This is where consumers are looking because it’s more convenient. Newer software is also being released to make ebooks engaging and more interactive. When it comes to getting it done, that’s a different story, see Cookbooks (print) above. Some people reading this will think, yes, I know exactly what type of cookbook I want. However, I assume most are in between a few ideas or don’t know where to start. That’s okay, join the club. Seriously, join the community so we can discuss and help each other create high-value content.

5. Host Your Own Cooking Class

You love food, you have great recipes, you already share written content online, what about taking it to the next level and offering cooking classes? These could either be live or pre-recorded. Have a brunch party or make it holiday-themed! The ideas are endless. The next question is how do you do it and where do you host the classes. You might be surprised to hear you don’t need a fancy camera or a studio production. In fact, you could probably do it without purchasing anything. Of course, we can help get you started. See related session below.

6. Affiliate Links

Don’t be sleeping on affiliate links. It’s the hidden gem of monetizations. There once was a time when recipients of emails titled “Become An Affiliate With <insert brand>” would be mad. Why? Because there was no guarantee of income from sharing these links. Well, things are changing and with a different strategy, you could be sitting pretty with affiliate links. Affiliate links and sales need to be at the forefront of content creation because the amount of money you can make from using them is limitless.

7. Photography

You with your eyes first, and as a food blogger, you might have gotten pretty good behind the camera in order to sell your amazing recipes to our audience. Have you ever thought about taking on some photography clients? Well, it’s something to think about considering you can make four figures in one day shooting commercial food photography.

Related Session(s): Commercial Clients with 4 Figure Day Rates

This is just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to make money blogging, you need to be at the Monetization Virtual Summit on May 12. We have ten expert speakers and nine sessions waiting for bloggers just like you. Sessions are $7 individually or $25 for all, a small price to pay for potentially making thousands from the strategies you learn. Register now!

El Paso is Off the Texas Grid

El Paso Takes a Stand

Supporting El Paso

Attending IFBC in El Paso

Why is El Paso a Food Blogger Paradise? From Celebrity Pati Jinich