2. Ideas In Food. Aki and Alex are a husband and wife duo behind this popular and inspirational blog and the book to go along with it. They are our Keynote presenters who will kick off the weekend! This is a big deal, you guys. They are also doing a workshop (not included in the ticket price) for any of you ambitious cooks/chefs who want to take your skillz to new, innovative heights.
3. My friends rock. When Stef, Stacey, Laura, Kimberly and I started this last year, we did it because we wanted to learn from all the talented people in our community. The same is true for this year, and we are stoked to make it bigger and better. This is truly a labor of love for us, and that alone makes it worthwhile.
4. Photographers. St. Louis has several food publications, and many many talented photographers. For Food Media Forum we have 4 of our favorites teaching photography topics from basic to advanced, and we've added some hands-on this year, too!
5. The food. Being a conference for FOOD writers/bloggers/photographers, we can't just serve up the usual boring conference food. The food has to be good. And it will be! St. Louis Originals is one of our sponsors and the restaurants they are bringing in to feed us at the Keynote party are some of St. Louis' favorite!
6. Never stop learning. You will hear this advice from many a wise person. Don't ignore it! To think that you know everything or know enough will keep you stuck. Open your mind, listen and hopefully learn something. Everyone will walk away knowing more than when they started.
7. New Friends! A bunch of people who want to learn how to express their passion for food, all in the same place. You will surely walk away with some new bonds.
8. St. Louis! I love this city, especially it's food community. If you are from out of town you will have no trouble finding great places to wine and dine. If you are from St. Louis, you might just discover something new about your city! We are so proud to showcase what this region has to offer.
9. Variety. The Food Media Forum is designed to help as many types of food media people as possible. Better writing, better photography, better SEO, feature writing, video... we are offering it all, and the people presenting on the subjects are some of the best in the industry. Check out the schedule and click on the individual classes to learn more.
10. Last Year's was AWESOME. Just read some of the recaps by Stacey, Diane Jacob and myself.
So what are you waiting for? Go get tickets!
:)