My Top 7: Canadian Food Bloggers Conference

While Monday I recaped the valuable information I learned while in the FBC sessions, I thought it might be nice for you to see what I loved about the overall FBC2013 experience… 

1. The Cocktail Reception // After a pretty intense drive to Hockley Valley (literally through sleet, ice, and snow), Shannon and I set up our table of goodies, sampled our stuffed mushrooms, and made our rounds in the room full of bloggers. I can’t tell you how excited I was to meet some of these bloggers in real life. After reading their blogs for years, they almost have a celebrity status in my eyes.

2. Dinner on Night One // What kind of food bloggers conference would this be without out-of-this-world-food! The first night we were treated to a gourmet dinner from Canadian Beef and Mushrooms Canada… When I saw the menu I couldn’t wait to dig in!  Starter: Poutine made with House Cut Fries, Rosemary, Chives, Rich Veal Jus, and Aged Canadian Cheddar Cheese. Main: Wellington Country Prime Rib with Yorkshire Pudding, Sautéed Mushrooms & Red Wine Jus. Dessert: Chocolate Trifle with Stewed Berries, Chocolate Genoise, Vanilla Custard and Chantilly Cream… soooo good!

3. We Are Friends // Heather of Canadian Beef could not have said it better, “I’ve built a relationship with these bloggers via social media, and a lot of them I consider my friends.” I consider myself very lucky to have been in a room all weekend surrounded by my friends.

4. The Knowledge // I mentioned this in my previous post, but the wealth of knowledge and experience the speakers and panelists shared was incredible. Most sessions left the audience in awe, while others prompted furious note taking. One piece of advice that stuck with me was from David Leite who said, “Punctuation creates rhythm. It tells you when to stop or slow down. Use it properly, it adds to your voice.” So. True.

5. Dinner on Night Two // Starter: Heirloom Beets with Best Baa Feta, Frisse, Shoots, Tamworth Bacon & Onion Jam. Main: Turkey Saltimbocca with Pingue Prosciutto, Monforte Toscano Cheese, Herbed Potato Cake and Market Vegetables. Dessert: Maple Creme Caramel with Vanilla and Maple Custard, Candied Orange.

6. Hockley Valley Resort // This was my first time to Hockley Valley, and I must say I was very impressed! The rooms were very large, the beds were phenomenal, and the food was delicious. One thing I would have loved to experience (but didn’t get the chance to because of the horrendous weather) was the outdoor bonfire… we’ll have to save that for next time!

7. Speaking // Little known fact about me… in grade six I won my schools public speaking contest for my speech called “Life as a Shoe”… embarrassing but true. Some might say I am a pretty confident speaker, and the whole speaking about bloggers and brands is not new to me. However, as soon as I sat down in front of my microphone and stared out at the room full of bloggers, I got pretty damn nervous. I could feel my brain turning to mush, the words on my cheatsheet started to become blurred, and everything started to move in super slow motion. As I stuttered through the first part of the discussion, I could feel my confidence building and eventually I gained my composure during the later half. After I felt comfortable enough, I felt like I could talk for hours… but alas, I only had a mere 7 minutes to preach my piece.

Again, I can’t even begin to describe what a wonderful experience this was, and how appreciative the entire food bloggers community is to Ethan, Mardi, and Melissa at Food Bloggers of Canada for pulling this all together!

If you weren’t able to attend the conference there are plenty of recap posts out there. Here are a few of my favourites:

• Food Bloggers Of Canada 1st Conference ~ A Resounding Success by Sober Julie
• I am on Fire by The Gouda Life
• 12 things to do at a food bloggers conference (that you can’t do at home) by Aimee of Simple Bites
• Inspired & Ready: Food Bloggers of Canada Conference 2013 by Sweet Twist of Blogging
• First Food Blogging Conference: A 19 Year Old’s Perspective by Living Lou