We recently joined the BC Association of Travel Writers and are assisting on planning the 2014 annual symposium. This year’s theme is all about the things you taste while travelling: food, wine, beer, spirits, coffee or tea and will provide tips on how to write and photograph these libations. The Taste of Travel is an all-day event at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, BC on Saturday, May 17th from 11am to 6pm.
Photography Seminar
The symposium will open with a table top photography session to demonstrate the best techniques to shoot food and wine properly This session will be conducted by internationally accomplished photographer, Craig Minielly and will be followed by a photo contest of our lunches to be judged and awarded later in the afternoon.
Keynote Speech
Our keynote speaker is Lauren Mowery, a wine, coffee, and tea writer from New York City who contributes to the Village Voice in a wine column called Unscrewed and a tea and coffee column called Filtered.
Other publications she contributes to include: Wine & Spirits, Wine Enthusiast, Saveur, Fodors.com, and Palate Press.
Her blog, Chasing the Vine won a Wine Bloggers Award in 2013. She is currently working on her WSET certification. She’ll tell us how she eats and drinks her way around the world.
Panel Discussion
Percy von Lipinski is an award winning reporter for CNN travel where he was known as the CNN Travel Guru. Percy is passionate about the perfect marriage of Tourism and Social Media. “For the first time ever this new media opportunity can let even the tiniest countries compete head to head with the biggest markets in the world at little to no cost.”
Percy believes it is critical to understand both the art and business of the Press Fam in order to guarantee success.
Percy also works with Universal Studios in Hollywood to help scout exciting new locations for upcoming movies and produces Electronic Press Kits (EPK´s) for some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Summer Dhillon contagious energy contributes to a low boredom threshold. She has to wear a few hats to maintain her sanity, but her main one is as a public relations professional, specializing in branding, media relations, social media, product launches, and event management.
No two clients are the same. For small businesses, Summer takes them from conceptualization right through to execution while mentoring and coaching along the way. For larger companies, she provides solutions to complex organizational problems and details growth strategies.
For over a decade, Summer has worked in several industries– mainly tourism (focusing on agri-tourism), food & wine, fashion, and non-profit and has developed and executed regional and national campaigns for boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, organic wineries, adventure tourism operations, sporting events, ‘food to plate’ campaigns, and non-profit initiatives, such as Bike to Work Week Fraser Valley and Ride Don’t Hide.
Summer’s greatest strength is her charismatic ability to connect with people, gain their trust and create and cement lifelong relationships. She is creative, but also possesses strong analytical skills, enabling her to see ‘outside the box’ and quickly identify uncommon trends.
She also has a great passion for writing and takes it up in every capacity she can. Her love for the world of academia and belief in the power of education has led her to be a guest speaker at post-secondary institutions.
In 2005, Summer earned a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, majoring in marketing, and, in 1995, she completed a Bachelors of Arts and majored in psychology. She is currently working towards a Masters of Business.
Eric Pateman has grown his company from a tiny one-man culinary concierge service into one of the leading ambassadors of Canadian cuisine and a story teller for hundreds of small companies. Beginning simply as Edible Vancouver in the spring of 2006, it became Edible British Columbia, located on Granville Island, until becoming Edible Canada in 2010.
Eric has worked in the hospitality industry for over two decades as a chef, hotel consultant, entrepreneur as well as having the opportunity to rate restaurants for the Mobil Travel Guide.
He is the co-author of the BC Seasonal Cookbook and was named as the recipient of the Mayor of Vancouver’s Art Award for Culinary Arts in 2013, one of Business in Vancouver’s Top 40 Under 40 Business People in 2007, and to Western Living Magazine’s list of the Top 40 Foodies Under 40 in Western Canada in 2008.
Sonu Purhar works in international media relations for Tourism Vancouver – think of it as public relations for the entire city. Given her previous and sometimes current life as a freelance writer, she’s particularly enthused to work with journalists from some of the world’s foremost publications (think GQ, The New York Times and The Independent).
Sonu also holds a Masters in English, has presented at writing conferences in North America and the U.K., and was formerly assistant editor at a travel magazine – in other words, she’s experienced the range of emotions (from dread of looming deadlines to the exhilaration of a polished piece to the constant passion underlying it all) universally known to those who love writing.
Wine And Food Tasting
A post-symposium educational culinary tasting experience will introduce us to local wine, beer and spirits producers, all with great stories to tell and drinks to write about.
The tasting will be conducted speed tasting style with small groups moving from producer to producer every 10 minutes.
Drawings
BCATW symposiums always include draws for valuable, travel-related prizes donated by our sponsors and friends.
A night at Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort in Sooke to Carol Ann Quibell – 2013
We’ll hold several drawing throughout the afternoon. You might get lucky!
BCATW 2014 Symposium Agenda
10:30 Doors Open For Early Registration
Sponsor networking, mix and meet, book signings, and book exchange (bring yours!)
11.00 Food Photography Fun with Chris Minielly
12.00 Lunch
Lunch photography for contest, prize draws, President’s welcome
1:00 Meet the Sponsors
Industry members introduction, photo contest uploading begins
1:45 PM Keynote speaker, Lauren Mowery
2:45 PM Break
Prize draws, dessert, book exchange conclusion
3:00 PM Industry panel
Eric Pateman – Edible Canada
Jennifer Schell – The Butcher, The Baker, The Wine and Cheesemaker – An Okanagan Cookbook
Sonu Purhar – Vancouver Tourism
4:00 PM Break
Prize draws
4:15 PM Honorary membership presentation to Robert Sheer
4:30 PM Taste Descriptors You Can Use
5:00 Wine, beer, spirits speed tasting
6 producers – 10 minutes each
Photo contest slideshow begins
6:00 Networking mixer
Announcement of photo contest winner
Book Your Room
The River Rock Hotel has a special room rate of $129 for us. Please tell them you’re with the BCATW.
Register For BCATW 2014
The Taste of Travel Symposium includes lunch, snacks, prize and the tasting.
Please register at the member rate of $45.
Non members are invited for the very attractive price $70 until May 11.
Or, please join BCATW and get the member rate!
Checks payable to BCATW may be addressed to:
BCATW c/o K. Cullen, Box 1035, Delta, BC, V4M3T2
Or pay with Paypal!
