Content Archives - International Food Blogger Conference

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!

3 Ways to Maximize Your Time on Pinterest – Recap

March 31, 2021 by Sarah Wohlner

The IFBC21 Social Media Virtual Summit took place on January 15, 2021. Our highest-rated session was with Pinterest expert Nadalie Bardo which received a score of 4.6/5. Read on to learn how to maximize your time on Pinterest. *This is a summary of her talk. You can view the full video session by registering now.*

Let’s get into it!

1. Switch to seasonal content and pin 45 days before the holiday starts!

Winter (December – February)
Spring (March-May)
Summer (June – August)
Fall (September – Novemeber)

In order to maximize your time, you need to plan ahead. This includes switching to seasonal content and having pins up before the season or holiday even starts. We all want trendy and relevant content, but how do we know what and when to post?

Check out the following resources:
- Pinterest Trends
- Pinterest 100
- Pinterest Predicts
- Google Trends
- Analytics (Pinterest, Google, and Tailwind)

2. Fresh pins vs. Repins

Fresh pins don’t necessarily take more time. Nadalie recommends using a pin template and switching to video pins instead of repining old posts to new boards. Use Canva to change out the type and photos but keep the same content, then pin again.

How do you get more time to create new posts? STOP doing the following:
- Repining to group boards
- Worrying about repins
- Wasting time in Facebook groups
- Worry about tracking pins
- Using Tailwind Smartloops
Now, what should you be doing? START with the following:
- Pining mostly your pins
- Designing multiple pins per post
- Refreshing old pins
- Making your pins “seasonal”
- Testing and trying designs

3. Pining Intentionally vs Accidentally

Everyone debates scheduling pins vs manually pining, but it’s not about how you pin, it’s about why.

Figure out the following:
- What time of the week is best to pin? (Check Google Analytics)
- What time of the day is best to pin? (Check Google Analytics)
- What is the best board to pin to? (Check Pinterest Analytics)
- What is the best pin design? (Check Pinterest Business Hub)

For full examples and explanations, registering now to watch the entire session with Nadalie Bardo!

To view all sessions from the January 15, 2021, Social Media Virtual Summit check out our Agenda Page.

Join us at our next live event! More information can be found on the Virtual Event page.

2020 Call for Speakers

January 22, 2020 by Allan

It’s that time of year! We are opening up our Call for Speakers for the 2020 International Food Bloggers Conference, which is being held in El Paso, TX on Nov. 12-15.

As we shared earlier this year, we’ve made a few changes to the way we are putting our content plan together (including bringing Raj on as Content Manager!) Another thing we are doing differently this year – pulling content suggestions from IFBC Alumni. We’ve already taken a poll to discern which topics you are interested in learning about, and more importantly which topics you feel are most relevant in the food blogging landscape today.

While we are not limiting our sessions to this list, we are certainly using it to direct the conference topics outline:

Food Photography
Food Styling
Videography on a Budget
Reaching out to Potential Sponsors
Negotiating Sponsored Posts
PR for Food Bloggers
Creating a Media Kit
Diversifying Your Revenue Streams
Travel and Food Writing
Building and Email Marketing Strategy
Advanced Search Engine Optimization
Instagram Growth Strategies
Using Google Analytics to Plan Editorial Content
Creating Digital Products and Courses
Food Industry Trends
Consulting as a Food Blogger
Advanced Pinterest
Recipe Writing Tips & Tricks

If you have a workshop or presentation idea that fits into one of the above categories, or even if you have something in mind you feel would benefit our attendees that might be outside the box, please apply online via our Call for Speakers form. Submission deadline is February 5.

Selected speakers will receive a complimentary registration to the conference, but must pay their own travel and hotel costs.

IFBC Alumni to Vote on Potential 2020 Conference Content

January 7, 2020 by Allan

We at the International Food Blogger Conference have always involved our community in the creation of our conferences. For 2020 we are adding something new by having conference alumni vote on a list of potential topics.

In past years, we have first done a Call for Content in which people submit ideas. We then often submit those ideas to our alumni community for their opinion.

For 2020, we are taking the opposite approach. To ensure all content is aligned with your interests, we have created (with our Advisory Board) a list of 40 potential topics of interest to food bloggers. If you are an alumnus of the IFBC, you should receive an email now with a link to the online survey so you can express your views. Voting ends tomorrow, January 8.

Tailoring content to attendees is of course a primary role of conference organizers. But most conferences don’t allow attendees to select the sessions that will be presented. If you are an alumnus of the IFBC, please check your inbox, vote, and help us make sure IFBC20 will be outstanding!

Our Call for Speakers will go out in January.

Raj from Pink Chai Living Joins IFBC20 to Manage Content

December 3, 2019 by Allan

Earlier this year, we here at the IFBC promised to provide you, our attendees, with better content at IFBC20 and we’re happy to announce we’ve hired one of you to help us fulfill that promise! Please join us in welcoming Raj Thandhi from Pink Chai Living!

Raj spoke at IFBC19 in Juneau about Successfully Representing Brands Without Being a Star Food Blogger and she’s excited to bring her blogger expertise to El Paso as your Content Manager!

Raj has been blogging at Pink Chai Living for 9 years where she blogs about all things lifestyle – including food! – and is the founder and creative director of Pink Chai Media, a visual content creation studio and digital marketing agency in Surrey, British Columbia. Raj found her love for food and cooking as a young mom and has continued to explore the culinary world. She is always pursuing different ways to represent both her Indian heritage and her Canadian roots. Her recipe for tandoori turkey was recently featured in the Washington Post.

Alumni, be on the lookout for a survey in the coming days asking what you want to hear and learn about at #IFBC20. Raj will then take those results and find expert speakers on those very topics. Your input will be key in making IFBC20 successful for your needs!

Not yet registered for IFBC20? Do so here before the end of December (you’ll save some $$) to see, hear and meet first hand who Raj has selected for your IFBC20 education!

Welcome Raj!