Taste Trekkers Food Tourism Conference comes to RI

One of my many obsessions has to do with food - watching all things Food Network, Travel Channel and more. I may not be an excellent cook, but watching these shows makes me feel like I could be. My kids have even gotten into watching some of these shows with us. And if you remember, there was that one time the boys and I spent like 5 hours at Olneyville Weiners to attend a taping of Man vs Food and meet Adam Richman. (The episode with the boys is still saved on my DVR!)

Al and I are always saying we have to get out more, try more things. OK no I lied. That is more him. He is so much more adventurous than me ... but he has a point. I want our kids to try a huge variety of things! Each year we discuss hitting different food events but prior to now the boys have been so young and something always seems to come up. Now that they are 5 and 7, we have decided that this is the year.

Last week I heard about the Taste Trekkers Food Tourism Conference and I was immediately intrigued. It is the nation’s first event designed for people who plan their vacations around food. It brings together hundreds of chefs, farmers, food bloggers, travel writers, culinary students and other passionate foodies as it showcases regional cuisines from around the country. Hungry yet? I know I am!

They do this all around the country. And now they have decided to come to Providence, RI in September! Why Providence you ask? Because we were just named the number one culinary destination in the country by Travel and Leisure Magazine. So exciting!

The Taste Trekkers Food Tourism Conference event will feature a cocktail reception, a tasting pavilion, a food truck court (I am loving the thought of a food truck court - my husband is a huge fan of the food trucks), and group dinners all around the city of Providence. Matt Jennings, the celebrated chef behind Farmstead in Providence, is delivering the conference’s keynote address.

The event will be held September 20-22, 2013. Their goal is to show passionate foodies how they can explore the world through cuisine by bringing together chefs, farmers, winemakers, and other artisanal food producers from different areas.

• Sample foods from different places
• Learn the culinary history of different regions
• Gain practical tips for planning your own food-based vacation

I am beyond excited that this is going to be a local event for us! Who will attend you ask? They say that this conference is for anybody who loves to travel and loves food. It will attract hundreds of food bloggers, travel writers, culinary students and passionate foodies. Everybody is invited, whether you are a seasoned traveler or looking to plan your very first culinary vacation. You do not need to be a food tourism professional to attend, but professionals are welcome and are likely to find a lot of value in this event.While they expect that most attendees will come from New England, foodies from all over the country are welcome.

We do however need your help to get this conference rolling! To make the event happen, a Kickstarter.com crowd funding campaign has been set up. In the first 48 hours it raised over $2,000 towards the goal - which is amazing! Help is still needed though, as they have over $10,000 more to raise in the next 22 days.

Check out the video below, and then you can pledge your support here.





Find more information at TasteTrekkers.com

You can also follow up with them on Facebook and Twitter.


*Disclosure: I will be receiving a ticket to the event in exchange for this blog post and social media promotion. Opinions are, as always, my own.