“To rekindle that fire that drives us- so we can go back to our communities with renewed passion. An event where we could come to learn how to be better advocates, care-givers, bloggers, by picking the brains of the smarter people in the room! The real magic that happens though, is that as we are attending, we unknowingly were weaving the tapestry of our community- tighter, stronger, and larger!” Well, Jenny Sprague, co-founder of of the Food Allergy Blogger Conference (FABlogcon) just summed up the spirit of the upcoming September 26-28, 2014 event in one fell swoop.
Check the speakers and sessions at FABlogCon
That little table where the idea took off–before the food and wine were served!
Ah-ha moment. I was chatting with a fellow advocate the other day and asked her about what makes FABlogCon different from the recent successful Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) conference we both attended. She nailed it immediately: FARE brought us high quality education and learning and FABlogCon brings us great education along with community and the magic of extroverted bloggers and advocates. She pointed out that many bloggers are truly extroverts and simply won’t allow anyone to sit alone (hint-if you want quiet, you’re going to need to head to your room). Whereas, at traditional conferences, we still bond and connect, but the main focus is to attend sessions and socialize on your own. FABlogCon structure highlights connections with others and the vendors serving our community.
Funky thinking. I think there is a mis-conception about FABlogCon being for bloggers-only. WRONG! There is a blogger track with topics specifically directed towards technical stuff. The second track appeals to ALL OF US focusing on topics about life with allergies and restricted diets (ground breaking medical updates, science, recipe building, advocating, etc). The Swag bags are off the hook and I really did need that extra suitcase for all my goodies. Goodies aside, I’m always on the search for new products to enrich my food allergic family’s life style.
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
I’m so excited to attend this year’s conference as I couldn’t attend last year’s FABlogcon. Good tip to leave room in your suitcase or bring an extra – something I didn’t think about. Looking forward to meeting you and all the other attendees!
Yay!!!! Do leave lots of extra room in your suitcase! We will have fun.
I was soo bummed that I missed the first one but I cannot wait until this September!!!
Nutrimom—I already have my gift for you! I made you something but I need to make sure I remember to bring it.
Oh goody – more new people to meet!
Any time meeting Alisa Fleming is a good time! Folks, Alisa is my official favorite road trip gal! If you haven’t met her, you’ll love her too.
I am most decidedly NOT an extrovert, and I still loved every minute of it last year. There is something magical about being surrounded by people who truly want to help boost you toward your goal- whatever that may be. The feeling of community was amazing, and I am looking froward to being immersed in the positive energy again!
Tanya, you put it so perfectly! You really explained it well. I was sitting back the other day thinking about relationships I formed and how many of the people I met at FABlogcon that I text, call and now visit! I rely on these folks for support as I offer support. It’s very amazing to be honest.
Thank you for the shout-out to the conference, Caroline! We are looking forward to seeing you again! I have to admit I’ve never attended any other food allergy events except the FARE walks in Las Vegas and most recently the Mylan summit in PA this past April. I am sure they all bring something unique to the table though, and every chance to connect people with good information and networking is welcome. I know from local support group leaders that many families are not on social media so there’s a lot to be said for taking what we learn and reaching out in communities in person – if we can through our sessions reach people that can go out and be food allergy and celiac, etc. ambassadors in their communities when they advocate for a 504 or when they help a fellow parent in the gluten free aisle at the grocery store, our contribution is something worthwhile. Even with all that in mind, I feel strongly that the work so many advocates are doing should not go uncompensated, which is where topics like monetizing a blog or getting published come in. I hope people know that the expense of the ticket gets them wonderful meals and events as well as education! Also, this is a group that is so committed to outreach that everyone is really welcome and even where opinions and approaches differ, we should all be able to talk about the bottom line of keeping our collective community safe in the face of a world that doesn’t always understand that it isn’t simple to be on high alert all the time about something as simple and fundamental as the food we eat.
Ah, I forgot to mention the great food!!!! Chef Keith is our culinary hero!