Are you headed to #IFBC in September?

In less than three months I’ll be flying out west, headed to Seattle to attend the International Food Blogger Conference and I cannot wait! Spending a couple of days hanging out with my favorite food bloggers is my idea of a fun time and to make it even better, guess who my roommate is? FARMGIRL GOURMET! I’m so excited to meet Heather after the thousands of tweets, phone calls, and emails and thanks to my sponsor Sabra, it will become a reality! FYI: Sabra Grab Go Packs make the BEST airport snacks, so I’m sure I’ll throw a few of them in my purse to get me through my travels. 

A little more about IFBC: Organized by Foodista.com and Zephyr Adventures, IFBC was the first-ever conference for food bloggers, first held in May of 2009. The series focuses on three themes: Food, Writing, and Technology. This event will feature high-quality educational sessions, personal networking opportunities, and what 95% of attendees say is the best food and wine of any blogging conference! Join us for our FIFTH annual conference in beautiful Seattle, Washington!

Here are some of the sessions I’m looking forward to attending:

The sessions all look so informative and our keynote speaker will be Dorie Greenspan, cookbook author rockstar!

Entrepreneurial Journalism:
 Building Your Food Blog Media Business
 by Mark Briggs– I think this is going to be such a productive session, since more and more bloggers are transitioning their blogs from hobbies to businesses. In the past few months, I’ve given much thought to full-timing blogging and how to achieve that, so I’m hoping this session addresses some ways to go about that.

Food Photography and Cooking Demo – One of the hardest parts of blogging, at least for me, is the food photography. y nature, I’m first a cook and a writer. Photography doesn’t come naturally to me, I get impatient and snap away quickly as my stomach growls from hunger. Taught by Andrew Scrivani, THE food photographer for the New York Times, I’m looking to learning some tips for novice photographers and specially some iPhone tricks, since I only snap photos with my phone.

Artisan Olive Oil Tasting
 With California Olive Ranch – One of my favorite items to have in my kitchen, California Olive Ranch will be guiding us through a tasting of their oils. I’m excited to learn more about the olive oil making process and see how I can get out to California for the next harvest! Marnely Rodriguez-Murray, olive farmer. Has a nice right to it, right?

The Elements of Style – Being able to learn from NYT’s Best Selling Author Kat Flinn is going to be a dream come true! My style of writing is casual, just like I talk in real life but I’m looking to create more stories and to learn from Kat on how to bring those stories to life.

IFBC Travel Plans

The day before the conference, after working 10 hours, I’ll take the Steamship Authority Ferry from Vineyard Haven to Woodshole. I’ll then catch a Peter Pan Bus from Woodshole to Boston. Once in Boston, I’ll settle into a hotel (yet to figure out where to stay that one night, any suggestions?) for the night and wake up at 3am to get ready for my 5am flight. Then, a taxi to the airport and a flight from Boston to Washington, DC. A short layover and then the final flight to Seattle. I arrive at 11am, with a short hour to get to the W Hotel and shower before the conference opening at noon! WHEW!

The Big Question is: What should I eat/see while in Seattle?!

It will be my first time in Seattle and with only two days (mostly filled with conference sessions), I’d love to see and taste some of the best of Seattle. So here is where you come in: leave a comment below with suggestions. I’m planning on not sleeping much and just roaming the streets in search of delicious food, so please recommend anything from your favorite coffee shop to the best late-night eateries!