Eat Write Retreat: A Food Bloggers Conference

This weekend I attended my first food blogger conference Eat Write Retreat in DC. Unfortunately I was only able to go to a few sessions on Saturday as my husband and older daughter (i.e. resident babysitter) were out of town, but it was enough to get a glimpse of an amazing conference packed with useful information and loads of networking opportunities.

Here’s what I found:     

• An interactive session on food photography and food styling where we actually got a chance to play with our food, styling sandwiches and salads in teams and then seeing them up on the big screen. The critique was very valuable, as was the hands on approach. My best tips: use paint brush and olive oil to give glistening look and spray bottle of water to prevent food from looking dried out.
   
•  An excellent food writing session that made us think hard about the process of writing and storytelling. It also pushed us to our limits with assignments to describe a food using all five senses but not revealing what it is; to write a press release for a blog and to take another point of view than our own. Best tip: The devil is in the details!
   
• A lavish swag bag filled with goodies from oxo, calphalon, goo goo clusters, myspicesage, a wonderful book called The Kitchen Daughter and much, much more. My favorite goodie: oxo tongs.
   
• A fantastic three course lunch and three luscious wines, the Muscato was definitely my favorite at McCormick & Schmick’s in downtown DC
• 

  Wild Alaskan Halibut with Baby Bok Choy & Exotic Mushrooms

  Cameraderie with several food bloggers who’s interest in food, photography and eating was enough to create fast friendships.

 Here’s what I missed:

• Chance to meet sponsors and speakers at evening social events 
• Interesting sessions like PR for bloggers, how to pitch like a pro and more
• Tons of food photo opportunities 
• DC Foodie Tour, a wonderful farmer’s market and several other outstanding food events 
• More swag 
• But most of all time to bond with, talk to and learn from other food bloggers

Bottom Line:

Sign me up for next year!

 I’ll be there from the minute it starts to the minute it ends!