That’s a Wrap on #BlogHer19 Food!

Alright BlogHer, time to dish on something delicious… #BlogHer19 Food! We’ve got the full scoop on speakers, panels, sponsors, and activations. Are my food puns a little saucy? Don’t worry, they’ll get cheesier as this article continues.

The first of our summer conferences took place at BERG’N in Brooklyn. Over 350 attendees entered into our marketplace where they were able to network with fellow foodies, content creators and incredible brands. Attendees sampled and savored treats from DŌ Cookie Dough Confections, Chicory, Mike’s Hot Honey, Dr. Brew Kombucha, and Eattiamo. Wolffer and Baked by Melissa provided instagrammable moments with a dreamy rose lounge and an endless cupcake display. YUM!

Around the corner lived breakfast heaven. Dunkin’ kindly fueled our morning as they passed around their new Egg White Dunkin’ Bowl and Power Breakfast sandwiches. Packed with protein, they were the boost we needed to prepare for a full day of inspiration. And of course, coffee, coffee, coffee!

Our morning program brought learnings and lessons on on everything from food sustainability to how to turn your passion into a profit in the food world. We started off the morning hearing from Amanda Little, whose book “The Fate of Food”, re-shapes the way we are thinking about how we’ll feed humanity sustainably in the coming decades. Next, in our Fireside Chat with Gail Becker, CEO and Founder of Caulipower and Vegolutionary Foods, Gail shared her struggle to provide healthy, alternative foods for her sons and how she turned this challenge in to a business. She also hand delivered some yummy cauliflower pizza. We may have grabbed a slice, or two, or three.

Our “Save the Food” Spotlight Talk with Alysia Reiner and Elizabeth Balkan made us mentally note to check our freezers and remember that expiration dates can’t beat our noses. We can’t forget our #BlogHerU “The Business of Influence” session, which reminded us of our value as influencers and content creators. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you’re worth, and ALWAYS be authentic to your brand! Also, shameless plug, to join community pages and groups on Facebook. Join ours here!

Hold your breath and strap yourself into your seat… because Bethenny Frankel of Skinnygirl and Real Housewives of New York brought the house down at BlogHer Food. Bethenny offered incredible advice on being true to yourself in business and in life.

After a delicious lunch filled with networking and brand activations, we “Learned from Her” all afternoon with our Social Media for Foodies and Insta-Restaurants panels where we discovered it’s ok to take your food outside to get the right shot, just ask the restaurant first!

Later, our “Fire and Knives” panel brought to light an important conversation on the intersection of the #MeToo movement, sexism, and the food world. The fantastic panel of chefs shared their personal stories on how they are demanding change in the kitchen and reshaping the restaurant world for women everywhere with organizations including Women in Hospitality United and SheChef.

In continuation of our authentic and transparent discussions, Ilene Fishman and Christina Grasso shared insightful stories about their connections to social media and eating disorders. We appreciated their candid conversation and felt inspired to normalize this important message. Christina Tosi, Gail Simmons, and Sheinelle Jones exemplified “Winning Women” and emphasized of not comparing yourself to anyone else in their “#FoodForGood” discussion.

Our “Art of Food Video” and “Food Photography for Cookbook” panels suggested natural lighting and inexpensive equipment for your at-home productions. Making great content does not need to cost an arm and a leg!

At BlogHer Food, our male speakers did not disappoint! David Leite of the SHE Media Partner Network shared advice on viral content and let us sample his record breaking cookies. Smirnoff’s Vice President, Jay Sethi, made women everywhere feel welcomed to the vodka brand and revealed how women have been the driver behind Smirnoff’s marketing for decades.

Our last cooks to the kitchen were Paul Morello of Feeding America, who presented Lauren Bush Lauren. Lauren strives every day to put food on the table for underprivileged children with trendy purchases women love. Creating FEED helped Lauren mix business, pleasure, and philanthropy.

As always, we closed out the night (and the bar) with the Happiest Hour, with new Zero Sugar Infusions brought by Smirnoff. We wined and dined on Wolffer rose and Dos Caminos made our guac dreams come true.

Thank you to our major sponsors, Dunkin, Nexium, Smirnoff and Caulipower. We left BlogHer Food with full bellies, lots of photos, and inspired minds. If you were there, definitely take our survey below for a chance to win free tickets to #BlogHer19 Creators Summit in September! Let the countdown to our next BlogHer Event begin!