I say it over and over again but when I started this food blog to share recipes with my family and friends, I had no idea I would find this wonderful community of food bloggers and even make the best friends I have ever had. My good food blogging friends cheer me on, motivate me and inspire me every day. I'm so thankful for each and every one of them.
Jaden, Scott, Diane & Todd started Food Blog Forum (FBF) in March 2010 to build an online community for food bloggers. At the same time, they held their first FBF seminar in Los Angeles and Diane told me they organized it in two weeks!
I have had the honor and wonderful opportunity to organize the third and fifth Food Blog Forum events. From the beginning, organizing both events has been about bringing a food blog conference to my home state of Florida. I had a blast planning it, made some new friends and gained some wonderful experience.
We were so fortunate to have Walt Disney World as our hosting sponsor for the 2nd Food Blog Forum Orlando. I can't even begin to express my gratitude to Disney as the wonderful ladies we worked with (Pam, Karen, Janice, Laura & Joyce). They were amazing!
For our welcome reception, the night before the seminar, Disney planned this wonderful menu for us and held it at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. This has to receive the award for most creative display of food I have ever seen. This is a martini salad display and held various tasty salads!
I went for dessert first. Crazy, huh? Or crazy smart. The creme brulees were amazing and the blood orange dessert, wow. I didn't know that I would like blood oranges to so much!
I loved our sessions, I always learn something I can immediately use. Scott always has a great message to share with all of us. Diane & Todd taught us to share a story with pictures. The PR panel with Rachel, Jaden, Arianna and Tom was really informative. David Leite‘s talk was awe-inspring.
I love what Rachel said about working with brands, it needs to be a brand that you're passionate about and it needs to be authentic. I truly believe in this and only choose to work brands that I'm absolutely passionate about.
David taught has that being very specific in our storytelling makes it even more universal and more relatable.
After the morning sessions, we were whisked over to Epcot World Showplace (where they hold the wonderful parties for the Epcot Food & Wine Festival) and there were 10 tasting stations…oh my word is all I can say! The food was amazing!
My favorites (I had dessert first again!) were the Olive Oil-infused Chocolate Truffle Mousse with Sea Salted Caramel from Disney’s Contemporary Resort Bakery and the Seared Tofu with Zucchini and Eggplant Ratatouille, Roasted Mushrooms, Lentils, and Sun-dried Tomato Purée from Cítricos located at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
The chocolate mousse was so wonderful and not too rich, I think that's why a lot of us liked it! I love tofu and the lentils were perfectly cooked and seasoned. I told Curtis already that we will have to make it out to Cítricos for dinner soon!
Another highlight of the lunch? The chefs and pastry chefs were there in person. We got to talk to them and ask them questions. The set up at the World Showplace was amazing and having the chefs there to talk to us made us feel so special!
A huge thank you to all of our speakers, they were great to take time out of their weekend and join us and share with attendees their experiences.
Our round table speakers were Jaden Hair, Diane Cu & Aran Goyoaga, Todd Porter, Scott Hair, me, Lindsay Landis, David Leite, Elise Bauer, Rachel Barbarotta & Arianna Bastianini, Jennie Perillo & Kelly Senyei, Angie Dudley & Alison Lewis, Katie Farmand, Kendra Lott & Heather McPherson.
Later that evening, we enjoyed a wonderful Irish themed array of desserts near the water in Epcot for the IlumiNations show. It was wonderful. I tried to take a few pictures and was only happy with the above one. I then put my phone down and just savored the moment. The event for the day was complete and I just enjoyed the fireworks and being with friends instead of trying to capture the best picture of them.
The next morning, we got to relax and hang out at the cafe at Whole Foods Market Orlando. They made some wonderful brunch dishes for us…I think the crowd favorite was their bananas foster stuffed french toast!
Whole Foods had a 5-Star Angus beef carving station and these amazing spinach empanadas as well as Matt's Organic orange juice – made for wonderful mimosas! And a tofu scramble that was to die for!
Lindsay is such a sweet person. She is one of my best blogging friends and I'm so happy she could attend FBF Orlando! Thanks for all of your help, Lindsay!! From the programs to packing up your rental car and getting up so early with me. Thanks to you and to Taylor too!
I have to thank a few other people too; one of them Curtis my very, very supportive husband. He's amazingly patient and so supportive of everything I do. I'm a lucky girl!
Dawn and Katie, thanks for your help before and during the event! Jeanette, Carrie and Megan, thank you for waking up so early and helping us set up on Saturday morning!
I really wish I lived closer to both Todd & Diane as well as Scott & Jaden. They are such generous people. Thank you to the four of you for starting Food Blog Forum, I will be forever grateful. I hope that my contributions to FBF and in other ways amounts to a fraction of how much you all pay it forward in the community.
Photo taken by Angie. We were all smiling about something that Scott said! I wonder what it was.
It was a magical weekend made possible by our hosting sponsor Walt Disney World Resort. We had other wonderful sponsors as well including: KitchenAid, Land O'Lakes Deli Cheese, OXO and Whole Foods Market. A huge thank you!! It was great working with all of our sponsors and I loved that they shared so much with our attendees. The prizes were absolutely amazing this year, including two KitchenAid major appliances, wonderful prize packs from OXO as well as Land O'Lakes!
I also wanted to mention thank yous to the following companies for providing some great prizes as well as our other sponsors: Le Creuset, Scharffen Berger, Lifetime Brands, Downtown Food & Wine Fest, Edgeware, Visit Kissimmee, Bob's Red Mill, Goo Goo Clusters, Spice Islands and King Arthur Flour.
Visit more write-ups from some of our attendees:
- Todd & Diane White on Rice Couple
- Allison Ingredients Inc.
- Angie Bakerella
- Angie Big Bear's Wife
- Brandi Bran Appetit
- Denise Creative Kitchen Adventures
- Julius Droolius
- Emily Sage Recipes
- Erin The Girl & Her Mutt
- Gretchen What a Healthy Family Eats
- Heather Life by the Spoonful
- Helene Lush Lady
- Jen One Curly Fry
- Jenny Picky Palate
- Jenny Parkers Pantry
- Jeannette Jeanette's Healthy Living
- Jessica The Novice Chef Blog
- Jessica How Sweet Eats
- Joanne Fifteen Spatulas
- Josee Josee's Kitchen
- Julie Table for Two
- Katie Katie's Cucina
- Kelly Just a Taste
- Kevin Pee Dee Foodie
- Kim The Suburban Cook- Part 1 & part 2
- Kiran Kiran Tarun
- Kristen Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
- Lauren Lauren's Latest
- Lindsay Love and Olive Oil
- Melissa Dash of East
- Merry-Jennifer The Merry Gourmet
- Michelle The Domestic Mama & The Village Cook
- Monica Sweet Bites
- Nikki Pennies on a Platter
- Rashmi The Primlani Kitchen
- Robyn Grill Girrrl
- Samantha Sweet Remedy
- Sarah Sarah's Cucina Bella
- Susan Sticky Gooey Chewy Creamy
- Suzi Cooking's Good
- Wanda My Sweet Zepol
- Yelena Cooking Melangery
Diane {Created by Diane} says
looks like it was a WONDERFUL event, so wish I could have been there!
Hanan says
I bet you had just a blast there! Looks like a cook’s heaven =P
jen @ one curly fry says
What an awesome opportunity! I’m so glad I had the chance to attend! Thanks so much for all you did to make it happen!
Rachel @Following In My Shoes says
LOVE this, Julie, and I am in awe of you and this blog. You have worked so hard to create a great blog and presence…AND, you love help and support others.
The Forum event sounds and looks like an amazing experience….as a wanna-be foodie, I would love, love, love to attend this.
Oh, and I would totally go for the desserts too.
Word.
[email protected]! says
what an awesome opportunity!
Candace says
How amazing is that! I will have to try and make the next one and I just went to the forum for the first time, loving it already!
Paula- bell'alimento says
My family & I had the best time! Thank you SO much for your hard work organizing everything. You are a rockstar & I’m so happy to call you my friend xoxo See you SOON!
Kim Bee says
Julie first thanks so much for all of your hard work. You pulled it off beautifully. I had the time of life at this conference. I still need to post part 3 of mine which was the conference portion. Sadly I took so few pictures as I was furiously taking notes. I am so glad I got to meet you however briefly. I hope you got a chance to look at the book. Hope to see you at another conference where we talk a bit more. Are you doing Blogher Food in June?
Julie Deily says
Thank you so much! So glad you came! I am going to BlogHer Food in June! If you go, I hope to get to see you!
Marly says
Wow, Julie, it looks like another great conference! You do such a great job with these. This one looks almost as spectacular as the one at Nashville! (smile) Hope you can get some R&R now that it’s all over…at least until you start planning the next one!