Food Bloggers of Canada is excited to present the FBC2016 Speakers Lineup!
Food blogging is hard work. It's a craft in its own right that's always required, at a minimum, strong skills in writing and photography. But blogging isn't new anymore. It's evolved tremendously over the last 13 years when some of those very first food blogs started popping up.
At its core, storytelling and visual imagery are still the key to food blogging — whether you choose to do it with words, photos or videos or for business or pure pleasure. And as with any endeavour, success, however you measure it, only comes when you do the work.
That's our theme for 2016: Do The Work.
Great things can come from sharing your culinary stories but you must do the work.
This year our lineup is full of people who have done the work. They've found success on their terms by doing what they love and by pouring hours into it. Whether it's looking for ways to improve their skills, knocking on doors to find work, networking, creating their own income streams, or telling their stories, they're always looking for ways to grow, learn, and perhaps most importantly in today's increasingly digital landscape, evolve.
We know that you'll leave FBC2016 full of practical ideas and solutions you can put in practice on your blog immediately. But you'll also leave inspired and empowered by this talented group of men and women.
Tickets are currently sold out but we are accepting people to our ticket waitlist:
Keynote Speaker — Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen
Deb Perelman is a self-taught home cook and photographer and the creator of SmittenKitchen.com, an award-winning blog with a focus on stepped-up home cooking through unfussy ingredients. Her first book, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook was a New York Times bestseller.
Her writing has appeared in Martha Stewart Living, Epicurious.com, NPR.com, BonAppetit.com, and Parenting.com, among other publications. She lives in New York City with her husband and their two children and is currently at work on her second cookbook.
Kitchen utensil she can't live without: flexible fish spatula
Connect with Deb on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
Noelle Chorney — Sunday General Session Presenter
Noelle will be sharing the stage with Claire Tansey in a Sunday general session on defining your own success.
Food is Noelle's passion. She cooks it, eats it, thinks about it, talks about it and writes about it. She's the leader of Slow Food Saskatoon, Saskatoon's senior judge for Gold Medal Plates, and records some of her dining and cooking adventures on amazoninthekitchen.ca.
Kitchen utensil she can't live without: her chef's knife
Connect with Noelle on Social Media
Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | NoelleChorney.com
Dana Harrison and Joel MacCharles — Sunday General Session Presenters
Dana and Joel will be sharing the stage in a Sunday general session on the importance of stepping outside of your blog in order to take your blog to the next level.
Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison created WellPreserved.ca in 2008. The site has more than 1,800 articles and 700 recipes on preserving food, food security, sustainability, food politics, hunting and more.
Joel is a lifelong home cook who writes and speaks on their shared passions. His writing has appeared across North America online and in print. Joel is a passionate public speaker with more than 20 years experience in adult education and motivation. He is a former TEDxToronto speaker.
Dana Harrison’ s love of great food is only matched by her love for tasty design. She’s been working as a professional graphic designer and illustrator for 20 years. As the Creative Director for WellPreserved she makes sure everything looks as good as it tastes. She’s also a good sous chef, dishwasher, instigator, connector and organizer.
Batch is their first cookbook.
Kitchen utensil they can't live without: rasp
Connect With Well Preserved on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn - Joel | LinkedIn - Dana | YouTube
Zoe Maslow - Saturday Workshop Presenter
From Blank Screen to Books on Shelves: The Editorial Process. Zoe will be speaking on how a book comes to life from concept to execution. She'll discuss what's working in the publishing marketplace, how she evaluates ideas and what she looks for in authors as well as the shift from blogging solo to working in an editorial team.
Zoe Maslow edits cookbooks, lifestyle, and fiction titles for Penguin Random House Canada. Some recent highlights of her list include Batch: Over 200 Recipes, Tips & Techniques for a Well Preserved Kitchen from bloggers Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison; Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky by Kitchen Magpie blogger Karlynn Johnston; and The Prairie Girl Cupcake Cookbook. Some exciting upcoming titles include This Can Be Beautiful, a craft and DIY lifestyle book from celebrity designer Tiffany Pratt; a cookbook by restaurateur Anthony Rose and Chris Johns; and a cheese book by Afrim Pristine of Toronto's Cheese Boutique.
Kitchen utensil she can't live without: my chef's knife
Connect with Zoe on Social Media
Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
Dr. Kimberley O'Brien — Saturday Workshop Instructor
Dr. Kimberley will be running a workshop session on Saturday on creating passive income through developing on-line programs or products to complement your blog.
Dr. Kimberley O’Brien is a Calgary-based Naturopathic Doctor on a mission to help you own your health and live a life you love! As an expert in nutrition and food sensitivities Dr Kimberley helps people to overcome their fatigue, digestive upset and chronic health concerns through healthy, whole food and natural medicine.
Dr. Kimberley inspires and empowers health transformations through her naturopathic practice, workshops, online program and her blog Healthy Life Redesign.
Dr. Kimberley is also the creator of the Elimination Diet Meal Plan online membership program, complete with allergy-free recipes, meal plans, videos and detailed guides that enable people worldwide to transform their health and reclaim their energy. Dr. Kimberley knows firsthand the importance of work-life balance and can often be found camping next to a mountain lake or hiking in the Canadian Rockies.
Kitchen utensil she can't live without: her fabulous cast iron wok!
Connect with Dr. Kimberley on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube
Dennis Prescott — Pre-Conference Instructor and Sunday General Session Presenter
Dennis will be the instructor for the Friday Pre-Conference Food Photography Workshop as well as presenting a Sunday general session on food photography.
Dennis Prescott is a musician turned food photographer, recipe developer, stylist, and a proud Atlantic Canadian. He's a regular contributor to Food & Wine Magazine, develops content for brands like Frigidaire, Reynold's, Pulse Canada and Vita Coco, and is the author and creator of Dennis The Prescott.com. "Eat real, eat local, eat delicious"
Kitchen utensil he can't live without: microplane grater
Connect with Dennis on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Zannat Reza — Saturday Workshop Presenter
Zannat will be presenting a joint Saturday workshop with Mairlyn Smith on tips to navigate media interviews.
For the past 20 years, Zannat has been helping organizations craft their food and health storytelling to help people live better lives.
She creates content that translates health research into plain language so people are inspired to make positive lifestyle changes.
Zannat appears regularly on Canada AM and CBC News Network, and is often quoted in print media such as the Toronto Star and other publications through the Canadian Press. You can follower her on her blog, Food For Happiness or visit her at Thrive 360.
Kitchen utensil she can't live without: Santoku knife
Connect with Zannat on Social Media
Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
Shayma Saadat — Saturday Workshop Presenter
Shayma will be presenting a Saturday workshop session on Food & Memory and the Art of Storytelling.
Shayma Saadat is an internationally published food writer, stylist and photographer who focuses on the food from her heritage — Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan — which she refers to as Silk Route cuisine. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, this World Bank-baby grew up in the USA, Nigeria, Kenya, Bangladesh and the UK. Six years ago, true to her nomadic style, Shayma moved from Rome, where she worked for the United Nations, to Toronto. Shayma is the author of the food-memoir style blog, The Spice Spoon. In July 2011, The Spice Spoon was selected by The Independent newspaper as one of the world’s 50 best food websites.
Shayma’s writing portrays the beautiful and romantic aspects of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. Her work has appeared in and been recognized by The Globe and Mail, CBC, BBC Good Food Magazine, The New York Times, Hello! Magazine, OK! Magazine, Edible Toronto, The Kitchn and Food52, among others.
Shayma lives in Toronto with her husband and three-and-a-half-year-old son.
Connect with Shayma on Social Media
Abbey Sharp (with Kyla Zanardi) — Saturday Workshop Presenter
Abbey will be presenting a Saturday workshop with her colleague Kyla Zanardi on How To Create a Thriving YouTube Channel.
Abbey Sharp is a Media Registered Dietitian (RD), national spokesperson, TV and radio personality, YouTuber, food writer and blogger, recipe developer, and the founder of Abbey's Kitchen Inc.
Abbey believes that a pleasurable relationship with food is inherently essential for good health and shares this unique philosophy through her regular contributions to The Marilyn Denis Show (CTV), Best Health Magazine, Fitness Magazine and countless other media outlets and publications.
Abbey has worked as a celebrity Brand Ambassador and Spokesperson for dozens of popular food, health and lifestyle brands such as Electrolux/Frigidaire, Almond Board of California, Jamieson Vitamins, Labatt, Sunkist Citrus, and Panasonic. She has a highly successful Tastemade Youtube channel, Abbey’s Kitchen, and food blog where she shares her favourite healthy recipes, nutrition myth busters and top healthy eating tips. When she is not on TV, her YouTube channel or writing, you can often catch her hosting top food events, workshops and conferences.
Kitchen utensil she can't live without: milk frother & Soda Stream
Connect with Abbey on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube
Mairlyn Smith — Saturday Workshop Presenter
Mairlyn will be presenting a joint Saturday workshop with Zannat Reza on tips to navigate media interviews.
Mairlyn Smith is the only professional home economist in Canada who is also an alumnus of the Second City Comedy Troupe, making her the self-proclaimed Funniest P.H.Ec. in the Entire World.
A popular media personality, MC and key note speaker, Mairlyn is also a Regular Guest Expert on the award-winning national daytime television show Cityline as well as a regular on Toronto’s Breakfast TV.
Among her many claims to fame, her two favourites are: dropping the puck at a NHL hockey game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Toronto Maple Leafs and that she has traveled from coast to coast eating her way across Canada.
Mairlyn’s forte is her ability to mix learning with laughter. She is the author of six award winning cookbooks. Her latest cookbook, Homegrown: Celebrating the Canadian foods we grow, raise and produce is a collaboration with the members of the Ontario Home Economics Association which was released in December 2015 and is another best seller. Cue the fireworks!
Check out her website www.mairlynsmith.com
Kitchen utensil she can't live without: her knives
Connect with Mairlyn on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Brittany Stager — Saturday Workshop Presenter
Brittany will be presenting a Saturday workshop on Visual Branding for You and Your Blog.
Brittany Stager is the designer & writer behind My Daily Randomness, a personal lifestyle blog. It's there that she writes about everything from home renovation and decor, to travel and food.
When she's not blogging, she's filling her days with Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at her integrated marketing agency, REES + STAGER.
Kitchen utensil she can't live without: her trusty wooden spoon
Connect with Brittany on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube
Claire Tansey — Sunday General Session Presenter
Claire will be sharing the stage with Noelle Chorney in a Sunday general session on defining your own success.
Claire Tansey is a chef, teacher and food expert. She has over 20 years experience working in restaurants, education and media, notably as Food Director at Chatelaine and as a guest expert on Cityline. She now focuses on inspiring home cooks with easy, fun and delicious recipes at Claire Tansey's Kitchen, on Cityline and in the classroom at George Brown College. Originally from Montreal, Claire lives in Toronto with her partner, Michael, and son, Thomas.
Kitchen utensil she can't live without: carbon-steel chef's knife
Connect with Claire on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
Heather Travis — Saturday Workshop Presenter
Heather will be presenting a Saturday workshop on Key Messaging for Bloggers — How To Get Your Message out to Readers, Brands and PR Agencies.
Heather Travis is a PR professional and lover of all things creative. She has extensive experience developing and implementing integrated public relations and marketing programs for agricultural brands, producers and processors, as well as high-end sporting goods.
She's a DIY junkie with a mean power tool addiction, and can often be found painting, refinishing, and scouring both junk yards and antique markets for her next fix … err, piece of content for her blog, heatherinheels.com.
Kitchen utensil she can't live without: wine bottle opener 😉
Connect with Heather on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube
Tickets
Tickets are currently sold out but you can join our FBC2016 Ticket Wait List
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