By Dave Nershi, CSW, IFWTWA Board Member
No doubt many of the attendees at this year’s Wine Media Conference in Eugene will be unfamiliar with the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). That is understandable, but for me, the wine conference and IFWTWA will be forever linked.
After all, that is the way I was introduced to IFWTWA. I’ve been publishing my wine blog since 2009, and this will be my 10th WMC, until recently called the Wine Bloggers Conference. My first was in Walla Walla in 2010, and I had a nice streak going until I missed the Australian meeting and COVID knocked out the 2020 meeting in favor of a virtual event. As a sponsor this year, I expect many more wine aficionados will be introduced to IFWTWA.
It was at one of the wonderful meetings when fellow blogger Tom Plant mentioned IFWTWA and how much he enjoyed the organization. It sounded too good to be true (spoiler alert: it is true!). IFWTWA is an organization for wine, food, and travel writers and content creators, as well as industry professionals. In addition to providing networking for writers, IFWTWA helps career development by arranging media trips and sponsoring a series of webinars focused on wine, travel destinations, and professional skill development.
Wine Media Conference attendee and IFWTWA member, Elizabeth Smith says, “I discovered IFWTWA through my attendance, breakout sessions, and wine writer connections at the annual Wine Media Conference (WMC, formerly Wine Bloggers) between 2011 and 2017. I realized I was missing a professional membership to grow as a freelance journalist. I joined IFWTWA March 2020 and recently renewed my membership for another two years. The webinars, FAM trip opportunities, and networking are fantastic, and I am thrilled knowing that IFWTWA continues to sponsor WMC, where my journey began.”
At this year’s conference, we’ll be sponsoring an information table so you can learn more about IFWTWA. I think you’ll discover, as I did, that this is a perfect professional “home” for wine writers and content creators. Here are some of the reasons why I think you will really enjoy IFWTWA members:
We Have Conferences!
Join with colleagues at one of our popular annual conferences and workshops and walk away with a notebook full of stories from any one of our many hosted mini-press tours at every conference. You’ll gain exclusive access to the backstories and notable figures driving local and regional topics relevant to our industry. This year’s conference is in St. Petersburg, Florida, from November 8 -11, 2021.
You’ll meet new people, explore new areas, get a chance to discover more about yourself and the world and, you’ll see places the typical tourist might miss.
You’ll meet speakers that are accessible, smart with lots of experience.
Our conference and workshop pros team up with local experts to hone in on and bring you exclusive and unique access to the latest and unique food, wine, and destination travel and learning experiences.
We Have Press Trips!
We host small group press trips throughout each year. From culinary tours in Jordan, cultural tours in Greece, the thunderous beach culture of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, to a gathering to explore the rustic and historic New England culture of Vermont, or perhaps discovering the wines of Livermore along with its contributions to the California wine industry, you’ll find our press trips offer something for writers with the broadest range of interests.
- You’ll travel in select company with your colleagues — colleague freelancers in the industry.
- You’ll network, pick up contacts, and learn from your colleagues,
Publish In Our Flagship Magazine
Our flagship Association publication Food Wine Travel Magazine is our online worldwide consumer magazine and gateway that presents the travel experiences of our members. This site gets 16,000-page views a month.
- You’ll become known as a wine or travel writer in the industry.
- You’ll get your name out in the travel and hospitality industry circles.
- You’ll claim bragging rights about having the coolest job where you get your stories out for all the world to see.
You’ll need to send your best work to our editors to show them you’re up to the challenge. Publication of your stories is not a guarantee. But if you do the hard work of crafting great stories, we can help you get them out on the world stage.
Explore The World with our Webinar Series
Learn about the world of food, wine, and travel virtually.
- Explore with IFWTWA new destinations with CVBs and DMOs.
- Join us for a virtual wine tasting. Past wine webinars include Malbec, Rogue Valley wine country, Southern Finger Lakes and Corning, Craft Wine, and Texas Fine Wine.
- Join us for cooking demonstrations.
- Topics to improve your skills like photography, video, and writing.
Take to The Airwaves
We’ve teamed up with Big Blend Radio & TV Magazine to give you the extra exposure you need for yourself and the topics you write about. Since 1997, Big Blend Magazines has produced, published, and distributed engaging content on multimedia platforms, successfully educating and entertaining an audience of over 3 million. Their digital content marketing and branding system works like a matchmaker, introducing and connecting their partners with audiences of like interest.
Live and recorded radio segments and podcasts set you apart as an industry subject matter expert beyond your present placements in print, blog, or online. As a member in good standing, you can apply to be part of a panel or do a solo article promotion.
We will see you in Eugene. Stop by and learn more about IFWTWA.