IFBC 2015: Here I Come!

For several years now, as summer slipped into fall, quietly shedding her glorious headdress for a grayer attire, I’ve watched the IFBC posts pop up on social media like autumnal blossoms, each a beauty ready to be plucked. Read a few posts and you’ll have assembled a bouquet of experiences: varied vicarious living, just enough to tide me over until the next harvest.  I never thought I’d be the one cultivating those stories. This year, I will be.

To those uninitiated, IFBC=International Food Bloggers Conference, an annual event put on by Foodista that has been gathering food bloggers around a communal table since 2009 to discuss food, writing, and technology. This year, the conference returns to Seattle, Washington, and I am freaking psyched that I will finally get to explore the Emerald City. Then again, I’ve never been to the West Coast before, so this is a whole new experience for me.

I’m looking forward to the writing workshop from Jess Thomson (Hogwash), Honing the Craft. My lazy habits have taken over again and my writing practices and freewriting have fallen to the wayside–a refresher is just what I need right now!

And the Writing, Food Photography, and Prop Styling session? It’s sure to be fabulous with Andie Mitchell (Can You Stay For Dinner and The New York Times best-selling author), Aran Goyoaga (Cannelle et Vanille, author, food photographer, food stylist), and Jenn Elliott Blake (A Blog Named Scout and prop stylist) on the agenda as speakers!

I’ve heard fantastic things about the Culinary Fair and Expo, and the Gift Suite. Something about needing to pack extra bags to bring everything home…

But it’s not just about the swag.

Honestly. I get excited about these conferences because of the people. The people that you meet, who are also toiling away at their labors of love, trying to find ways to do so even better. The people you’ve met before, making it a bit of a reunion–the only time you may see them face-to-face during the year. The people who represent the different brands you work with, or want to work with, because it’s really nice to put a face to a name, and have a real conversation with them. The people in a new city, a never-ending bounty to be enjoyed in people-watching and day-to-day interaction. Even the people on the plane–everyone has a story–what’s theirs? For a blogger’s life can seem so isolated and lonely–except, it’s not. And all these people? They enrich my life; they inspire me; they bring out the best in me; they keep me real. I thrive because of them.

Thanks to my friends at Sabra Dipping Co., I’ll have the opportunity to experience all of this this weekend. What a lucky girl I am! I promise, I’ll share it with you after. And be sure to follow along on my social media–I can’t afford a ticket for you, too, but I can bring you along virtually. I hope you’ll join me!

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Disclosure: I received a discounted rate for my conference registration for IFBC in exchange for promising to write a certain number of posts. In addition, Sabra Dipping Company is sponsoring me for this event. All opinions–as well as my enthusiasm–as always, remain my own.