As a lifestyle blogger and not specifically a niche food blogger, I found that one of the first comments that others had when we met at the International Food Bloggers Conference (#IFBC) was them wondering why I was there, what I got from the conference or hoped to get.
((and, to be transparent here, the fact it was in Seattle, WA didn’t hurt either… ))
The thing that I love about the International Food Bloggers Conference is that it IS the only food conference I attend. About 1/3 of my blog traffic regularly comes for the recipes that I post. Although I don’t think I’ll ever publish a cook book (apparently it’s good to be more specific than “a dash of salt” and “leave in the oven until done-ish”- WHAT- that isn’t specific enough for some readers?! LOL!) I still feel that those 1/3 of you who come for recipes are valuable and for that, the opportunity to attend this conference last year happened and I was impressed enough to know that it will be (hopefully) a conference that I attend every year.
The other conferences I have attend are for every blogger niche but the information that I have learned at #IFBC has also applied to all areas of my blog. It has probably given me the best tools and resources of any conference since my eyes were opened at the first blogger conference I attended in 2011.
Plus… the swag and food is amazing! 😉
How has the #IFBC helped me as a blogger?
-Photography. Before attending last year, my pictures were… marginal at best. After listening to the New York Times Food Editor Andrew Scrivani last year and this year speak and applying his principles of good photography I not only awoke an inner photographer I didn’t know I had- but all my recipes started looking professional. With that newfound confidence- I knew I could better represent brands that I wanted to work with and even the non-food posts looked good. I felt better about what I was publishing.
and I totally met him this year. 😉 and uh… he kinda liked my photos… #blushing #shamelessbragging
-Riesling goes with EVERYTHING. well. almost. Outside Oslo recipes should serve beer. 😉 I can now order wine with more confidence after attending a wine and food pairing. I’ve wanted to be a wine snob for awhile now and I’m a few steps closer to actually understanding this fascinating beverage. I loved the opportunity to experience wines from local wineries and get to understand the actual science behind wine and how different wines can affect the taste of foods so much- it was crazy to learn and experience first hand.
– the People. Clearly this isn’t something I “learned”- but it’s the other half of why I come back. Having people who support you and who you are so excited to see every year is huge. I had a good time at BlogHer but the sheer size and scope of it overwhelmed it. #IFBC had about 350 and had to turn away over 150 others. It’s hard to get a ticket and they are opening up more tickets to next years event to help accommodate it. I loved seeing Megan @MegantheGFvegan, Marisa @margsintherain (missing Jacqueline and Claire!) and meeting some new friends, Katie @monikercreative and Lisa @LisaSawtelle who have plotted with me to take Andrew out for bourbon and learn more photography secrets.. You’ve been warned Mr. Scrivani! 
The bottom line- people want to meet and connect. It’s not about the cliques and who you know.
Overall it’s a good conference whether you are a lifestyle blogger who posts recipes like me or a dedicated food blogger. The people there are professionals and the speakers are experts in their field. Whether you are just getting into food blogging or a seasoned expert, the connections made are valuable, the people are friendly, Seattle is beautiful and ohh did I mention the food and swag were amazing??? Have I convinced you yet? You should totally go.
and I can’t end without mentioning the conference coordinators… one of the biggest reasons I want to go back every year. To sit with a friend, I moved to a table and suddenly found myself at the table with Sherry & Barnaby from Foodista.com and Allan from Zephyr Adventures– I felt a little like- Oh- perhaps I just crashed a reserved table then heard a whispered, “Heidi! Hey! Good to see you” from Sherry . Just- xoxoxo for making my time there special and picking me to be one of the food photographers! Def a conference high. I’ll be back.
-Disclosure- My employer CCF Brands/Great Day Farms paid for me to attend and learn but as usual- ALL thoughts and opinions are my own.