Last week I spent five days in Seattle for the International Food Bloggers Conference, a yearly gathering of some of the best food blogging talents in the world. Despite the fact that I suffer from major conference ennui, I always have an amazing time at IFBC because I get to spend time with people who think a lot like I do. It’s so energizing to confer with those in a similar vein!

The conference was held in the warehouse of Theo Chocolate Factory, which was fabulous. These folks kept us swimming in chocolate for the entire weekend, with factory tours and huge bowls of chocolate that magically stayed full the entire time. The space was decorated gorgeously, with little sparkly chandeliers and long, thick dark curtains hanging around the place. Honestly, you’d never know we were sitting in a dingy warehouse for two days! The decoration staff did a great job with the space, and I was really excited to walk into what felt like the dining room of an old castle that’s been decked out for a modern event.

I was super excited because for the first time (that I’ve ever experienced, at least), gluten free attendees were taken care as well, if not better, than regular conference attendees. We had muffins for breakfast and special chefs for each and every meal. Thank you to Shauna and Danny, Wheatless in Seattle, and the IFBC staff for taking such good care of us!

While the people, space, and food were fabulous, what we had all initially signed up for were the educational panels – the real meat of the event. I thought some of the panels could have used a little help (here’s my conference ennui rearing its ugly head) and a little less self-promotion, the vast majority were valuable and full of useful information. Some of my favorites:

• The Art of Recipe Writing, with Amy Sherman, Dianne Jacob, and Kristine Kidd: A lot of food bloggers write recipes, and without an editor to keep things in line, the process can go a little awry. These three ladies, all professionals in their fields, gave us lots to think about. Amy went on to talk about going pro, which I thought was INFINITELY valuable. I’d love to see an entire panel on this next time.
• Writing With All Five Senses, with Kathleen Flinn: Besides being one hell of a writer, Kathleen’s got a sparkling wit that makes her a joy to listen to. She guided the crowd through writing about a lemon, using one one sense at a time. It was a great exercise. Let me tell you, I’d never really considered the tactile properties of citrus fruit.
• From the Source: People Who Will Change The Way You Think About Food, with Jack Czarnecki, Debra Music, and Andrew Stout: If you’re a cooking zealot like me, you really like to know where your food comes from. These three food purveyors shared a lot about their crafts, and I was especially excited to hear Jack Czarnecki speak, since I’m miserably addicted to truffles.
• Food Blogging For Specialized Diets, with Shauna James Ahern and Alex Jamieson: Shauna and Alex are two women who know so much about artfully massaging special diets that I could literally listen to them talk all day, and their panel was wonderfully sweet and entertaining. I’ve been following Alex ever since I read her first book, The Great American Detox Diet four years ago, and Shauna’s newest cookbook is about to come out in a few weeks (I saw a copy that she had with her – it’s freaking gorgeous! Go buy it now!). I love these two ladies not only for their knowledge, but also for the hopeful, positive message they spread: you too can live a life free from misery, and we’ll support you through the journey.
• Digital Photography, with Penny De Los Santos: This panel was probably the best-received of the lot. Penny, a photographer for Saveur (among other publications), shared her photography know-how with a fabulous slideshow that detailed the nuances of capturing images of food. She received a standing ovation, and from my vantage point, it looked like she blushed profusely.
• Keynote Speech with James Oseland, Editor-in-Chief of Saveur:: James gave one of the best keynote speeches I’ve ever heard, talking about his love of food blogs and how sees bloggers changing the face of food media forever. It was awesome hearing him talk about his early days as a writer; there was a gratified hum around my table when he talked about pitching the editor of Saveur for the first time. He left us all feeling great about ourselves during a time when some of us are starting to feel the pinch of a crowded media space. Sidenote: If you ever shake hands with James, you’ll notice that he has the softest hands of any person walking this earth. I’m not sure what lotion he uses, but I need to buy some.
• Pitch to Publish, with Victoria von Biel, Kirsty Melville, and Molly Wizenberg: Sadly, had to miss this panel because I had to leave for dinner at The Herb Farm (post forthcoming!). I was really, really looking forward to this panel, and it broke my heart to miss it. Is it available online anywhere? Please share the link!

Really, there are not words to explain how great a time I had, so here are some photos from the event. I’m getting a little misty just looking them over.

I really, really wish that I’d taken more pictures, but I was having a good time and didn’t feel like spending all of my time behind the lens. I’m still completely atwitter with the joy of spending time with so many like-minded people that I might just float away from my desk. Can’t wait until BlogHer Food next month!

If you like this post about the International Food Bloggers Conference, check out these other posts from my IFBC friends:

• Cook it Allergy Free: What I Really Took Away from the International Food Bloggers Conferece
• Inuyaki: IFBC, Seattle Food Porn, and the iPhone 4
• Food Wishes: 2010 International Food Bloggers Conference Recap: The Unbearable Lightness of Being Influential
• Food on the Brain: IFBC: a brief food report
• Paula Thomas: IFBC 2010
• Eat Live Travel Write: Do what you love, work hard at it, be yourself: IFBC 2010
• Use Real Butter: ifbc 2010 recap and then some
• Savory Sweet Life: Musings on Food Blogging Conferences
• Andrea’s Recipes: IFBC 2010
• Food Nouveau: On Food and Friendships: The International Food Blogging Conference 2010
• Will Write for Food: Giving Recipes Away a Big Subject at IFBC
• Kathleen Flinn: What I read at #ifbc
• Whisk: Highlights from the IFBC 2010 Reception
• Savour Fare: International Food Bloggers’ Conference 2010 — What We Ate
• FoodBat: International Food Bloggers Conference
• The Merry Gourmet: Seattle food trucks (one last IFBC post)
• deVine Table: 5 Sound Bites From the Food Bloggers’ Conference

If you want your post about the conference added here, please leave a comment with a link to it. I’d appreciate you linking to this post as well.