A Conference Of Community #FWCon

I’ve attended several food conferences in the last few years but my time at Food Wine Conference 2016 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando proved to be the best one yet!  You want to know why?  I felt a deep sense of community at this conference unlike any other.  There were a few perks for me at this conference.  I was chosen as a Brand Ambassador to one of the sponsors, I was selected as a team captain for the #Hashed cooking competition and my entry in the Wish Farms recipe contest was awarded a first place slot!  That being said, my sense of community was not due to those fantastic extras!

Let me start by saying, the resort was gorgeous and the food and wine extraordinary.  Food and wine were in abundance and always presented in a lovely fashion.  Our sponsors were friendly and personable and available for conversation.  They offered up delicious snacks for our breaks as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner!  I particularly enjoyed the sessions where we heard first hand from our sponsors how their companies are run, how their families play a big part in the daily operations, and what it takes to get the food from the farm to our tables!

After registration late Friday afternoon we were greeted with wine from CKMondavi, a milk spa by Florida Dairy Farmers, where we made facial masks that were good enough to eat, followed by Florida Strawberry Growers welcome reception complete with strawberry and rum milk shakes.  Whoo!  Good start – right?  That evening dinner was “A Taste of Rosen Shingle” with a wide variety of delicious foods from sushi to pork belly tacos!

Saturday morning started off with a bang from our keynote speaker, Donatella Arpaia, Food Network star, chef and restaurateur who gave us plenty of laughs to start the day! Her realism and honesty were welcome words.  Lunch was provided by Idaho Potatoes, foods from around the world presented in buffet style. I made it all the way around the world, having a taste of everything from Thai curry soup to carnitas with a side of roasted taters! Lunch was followed by sessions on etiquette, Instagram and hospitality and then a nice long break, which I enjoyed poolside.

Saturday evenings event, “Sunday Supper Denim and Diamonds Dinner and Awards Banquet” did not disappoint.  We all put on our biggest diamonds and shades of denim and made our way to beautifully adorned tables for a taste of more CK Mondavi wines and an amazing beef dinner, courtesy of Certified Angus Beef .  I was recognized by Amber of “Wish Farms”during this dinner for my winning recipe, “Grilled Chicken and Blueberry Salad with Wild Orange Dressing” .  I felt honored as I know there were many wonderful recipes for the judges to choose from.  We ended our evening with a gorgeous poolside party compliments of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, where we enjoyed yummy little desserts, some lively music and speciality cocktails.  I chose the one featuring Duda’s fresh orange juice and tequila….right up my alley!  I’m sure by now you get an idea of how cool this conference was.

Sunday, the last day of #FWCon began with a lovely rose garden breakfast, don’t you wonder how we can still be hungry? The conference moved over to Rosen College of Hospitality where upon arrival we tasted cheeses from Cabot Cheese and heard from 2 farmers who raise the cows that provide milk to Cabot Creamery.  I was happy to hear they do name their cows and bathe them regularly!

Now, on this day I admit I was having trouble focusing as it was also the day of the #Hashed competition sponsored by Wish Farms, remember, I was a team captain, and a bit nervous.  The only info shared was that blueberries would be the focus of our recipe and the remaining ingredients would not be revealed until 15 minutes before I headed into the kitchen to prepare and plate our presentation.  Holy moly…I could not have done it without my totally rocking’ team, Lisa Hroncich Grant, Monica Maloney Heidler, Kristin King, Christie and Steve Campbell, April Tuell, Shana Overhulser, and Cynthia Landrie.  It was all in fun and the competition was a blast.  Our team did not take first place but I’m up for the challenge again next year!

You’ve now learned quite a bit about this conference and can see how lucky I was to attend.  I plan on returning next year and here is why.  I mentioned a sense of community early on and that is the reason.  This conference is small in comparison to the others I’ve attended but this concept makes it so doable.  It was easy to meet new people, other bloggers, brands and speakers.  It felt like we were all their with one common goal – I know that is the case with all events such as this, however, the availability of Isabel Reis Laessig, our fearless leader, and the warmth and friendliness of all involved turned this conference into a whole new game for me.  If nothing else, it gave me confidence to hit the next conference I may attend head first and with more ammo under my belt.  I am waiting for next years dates to be announced so I can schedule it on my calendar, I can’t wait!

I received a discounted ticket for promoting Food Wine Conference.  All opinions are mine alone.