Invitation from the International Food & Wine Travel Writers Association to attend their Annual Meeting & Conference, Montgomery, May 8-11.

Dear Alabama Travel Partners,

The International Food and Wine Travel Writers Association is delighted to announce our 6th Annual Meeting and Conference in Montgomery, Alabama May 8th to 11th 2014.

Maralyn Hill and myself decided on Alabama as a whole as we had each explored parts of it on our own. We know our travel and culinary travel writers and photogs will be amazed at the diversity of culture and food and environment that awaits their discovery.  Although our conference is based in beautiful Montgomery, we are also interested in asking the entire state if they would be interested in reaching our writers.

We have various methods for this. Attend our conference to network and secure a Marketplace table so you can visit face-to-face. Host a conference breakfast or meal to speak to the attendees( if a slot still available) .  Host a post conference Press Trip for writers. The best part about this is that you select the qualified writers from the applicants, this way they fit your marketing plan or strategy.  Further, our policy is a strict “No clips, no future trips” and we enforce it. Your ROI is our utmost concern.

http://ifwtwa.org/how-to-host-an-ifwtwa-media-trip

We also have a code of conduct that is enforced and usually a board member comes on each post trip as our liaison. We have had such great responses from our CVB hosts because of our members’ professional attitudes.

A couple more benefits to working with us during or after conference – you don’t pay for expensive airfare as they are already flying in on their own.

We have a media trip clips section on our website you may check out that  lists published work generated by the trip. Experiences so moved the attendees last year in Hawaii, we are publishing a book.  http://ifwtwa.org/category/ifwtwa-media-trip-results

And one last benefit to make your life easier; our online profiles. Each member is asked to keep their profile up with outlets, accomplishments, projects, urls of published work etc.; an easy way for you to check out the post trip applicant.

http://ifwtwa.org/author/michelle-m-winner (scroll down my new listings further down) .

We would love to meet you at our conference in May this year and have you tell your own unique story of your own corner of Alabama. There are so many stories waiting to be told of your special people and special places. Let us be your storytellers!

Marketplace info:

Our marketplace will be Friday morning from 9:45 to 12:30 (TBD). Each exhibitor will have a table with two chairs behind and in front. Before it starts, we will have a 1 min intro of each exhibitor. We are not sure if appoints or not. It will depend on signup.

We encourage associates to participate in the entire conference so they get to know members and are able to feel comfortable with which markets they want to reach.

I’ve taken registration costs from our registration form on  http://ifwtwa.org/2013/09/ifwtwa-6th-annual-conference-montgomery-al.html. If you notice, we are giving Alabama registrants a discount. We’ve also extended early registration to January 15, 2014.

• ►  Associate Member Registration Including Table at Market Place and Events Early: $300
• ►  Associate Member Registration Including Table at Marketplace and Events Late: $325
• ► New Associate Members need to fill in the Associate Membership form on the (IFWTWA Page). Indicate sending check as it will be covered with this registration.
• ►  New Associate Membership Including Table, Events & 7 month IFWTWA membership through the end of 2014 and having the new member registration fee waived Early Registration: $475
• ►  New Associate Membership Including Table, Events & 7 month IFWTWA membership through the end of 2014 and having the new member registration fee waived Late Registration: $500
• ► Alabama Associate Members at Marketplace receive a $50 credit on registration
• ► Alabama Associate Members sponsoring a post trip receive a $100 credit on registration.
• ►One of the two Alabama credits apply, not both, unless two people are registering. Then they each can take one.