Well – it’s all done and dusted now. The Tasting Australia guests have all gone home, Victoria Square is getting back to it’s (new) normal and I’m very proud to say that the culinary travel blogging forum presented by PIRSA, Words to Go 2014, was a great success and huge fun!
As far as I’m aware (do correct me if I’m wrong) this is the very first time in Australia that a formal bloggers event has been officially embedded in a state-funded function. Words To Go 2014 offered delegates from not only Australia, but internationally too, the chance to learn from a first-rate program of experts in their fields and to network as a group, while being a part of the major South Australian culinary festival. I think the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) is to be thoroughly commended for taking the opportunity to directly share the experiences of our fantastic culinary culture with an interested and engaged audience.
Blogging is a media that isn’t going to go away. Food and travel blogs are some of the most popular world-wide and their engagement with a loyal audience offers producers and businesses an exposure opportunity whose value really cannot be underestimated. Encouraging bloggers and helping them work on their skills can only end up as a win for everyone concerned – the readers enjoy a richer experience, the individual blog authors gain expertise and confidence and those they write about have a chance to interact more directly with their customers. I’m very proud to say that, by offering bloggers another opportunity to learn and experience, in my state the SATC and many of the local producers and businesses actually “get it”!
For three days we all talked, laughed, learned, ate and drank. We enjoyed some of the very best our state has to offer in food and wine and I’m sure we sent a very happy, if full, group of bloggers home with some great memories.
We enjoyed the generosity of the Adelaide Central Market and it’s stallholders, a “Seriously South Australian” dinner specially curated for Tasting Australia’s Words To Go 2014 by Lloyd Cremer, the Executive Chef of Hilton Adelaide and two separate famil trips – one to the unique Campbelltown Food Trail and the other to a hands-on cheese making class at Bird in Hand Wines with Udder Delights cheese maker Sheree Sullivan.
The above is possibly the best advice I’ve ever seen on blogging, thanks to Chloe Reschke-Maguire of Yelp Adelaide.
I’m afraid I was a little too busy to get too many pictures, but here’s a glimpse. I’m still in recovery mode, but I’ll return to normal programming next week. 😉
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It looks amazing. I spent most of tasting Australia running social media for some of the food companies there but if it happens again I would jump to be in it. What a great way for South Australia to lead the way in using blogging to promote and be part of all the great things here. Your photos are fabulous.
Thanks you for the organization of this event Amanda. It was an honour to attend and I hang off every word of every skilled blogging presenter. It was probably an event that I got the most out of over any other I have attended, due in part to the calibre of the support extended by the sponsors. The South Australian Govt certainly is way ahead of any where else in Australia. Once again thank you for the support and vision of Adelaide central market marketing team. The pictures you managed to get are fantastic ( and of food before it was attacked!) Thank you
You put on one helluva show, Amanda. I’m glad I was there. I learned so much from Lauren Bath that I’ve turned into an Instagram fiend.
Thank you to you and your crew, Ursula Hickey from the Campbelltown Council. the Tasting Australia group as well as the South Australian government. It was top class all the way.
I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to be there. From what I’ve heard, it was one of the best conferences ever put on for bloggers so all credit to you and I hope you are now having a few days to recover from what must have been quite an ordeal to put together. I’m so happy for you and all the delegates that it was a huge success xx
What a great event indeed, it sounds fantastic. The spread doesn’t look too bad either! 🙂
As soon as I saw the tweets, I regretted my decision not to apply, immediately! Of, well, maybe next time. Looks like you all had a great time and I see lots of motivated people on Twitter. Great wrapup Amanda.