Can I get some feedback?

T

traca

Well-known member
Hey there. I'm needing some feedback and thought I'd turn to my friends from the swap!

Here's what's up. I'm currently planning a food-based conference here in Seattle. The genesis of this conference is TED.com, with a food-focus. (The title is FEAST: Emerging Conversations on Food.)

I've got some great speakers already lined up but we've decided to fork over some $ for a headliner. Someone intriguing with national recognition.

Since I've been "down in the trenches" for so long, I'm looking for some outside opinions and I'm hoping you can help.

Who would you like to see speak? Think fantasy. No name is out of the question.

Any thoughts?

 
Nigella Lawson,Alice Medrich,Hubert Keller,Thomas Keller, James Peterson,Jean-Georges Vongerichten

 
Caprial and John? I think they are on your coast. I would guess they would be very informative and

keep an audience engaged.

What a fun assignment for you! Let us know what you do!

Best,

Barb

 
Eric Ripert, Anthony Bourdain? I am getting a plane ticket!!

Oh My, Hubert Keller, Lidia Bastianch, somebody stop me!

 
For the record, it's not a TED sanctioned event. It's modeled after TED, which

means we'll be exploring a wide range of subjects all under the banner of food. (TED = Technology, Evironment & Design...and they've branched out significantly from there.) I explored working with TED (doing a regional TEDx-based conference) but according to their rules, it's limited to 1 day. I imagine folks will fly in from around the country for this event and we needed more than a day. So, we're striking out on our own with FEAST: Emerging Conversations on Food.

The topics we have lined up are deliberately aimed at a broad range of food-related topics, including:

- a journalist from Turkey talking about her work with marginalized ethnic groups, which surprisingly has a food tie-in, including death threats to her family for exploring these ethnic populations.

- on my wish list is a brain scientist who explores the nutritional deficiencies and the impact on the brain, especially in children (a la...feed your kids pop tarts for breakfast and there's potential for a significant diminished brain development. The issue extends well beyond the socio-economic implications we typically hear about.)

- A James Beard "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America" icon talking about the need for a new language around food

- A sustainable fishing guru who is going to talk about the implications of illegal fishing and hunting tuna pirates in the South Pacific

- A panel discussion on school lunches and the impact of 10 cents on the budget.

- A husband and wife duo based in Malaysia who write for Wall Street Journal Asia and the New York times talking about their life in food. Heavy slideshow represntation with stunning images.

- There's a chance we'll add a panel on molecular gastronomy...

- It's likely we'll be including a topic on sustainable meat.

- Etc.

Basically, many of these people are friends of mine. I'm inviting the public in on a larger conversation! And I'm on the hunt for more intriguing people to bring into the fold.

We're also in the process of lining up a handful of daytrip tours. We hope will include a visit to the Herbfarm (named as the "#1 dining destination in America) and a visit with spirit & wine makers; another will include a trip to a buffalo farm, an acquaculture farm, and local cheesemakers. And another will include a farm tour & butcher demo with a half cow break down.

You get the idea...

 
Last time I saw Tony, he mentioned he was on the road 260 days/year. But I can ask. You never know!

 
I think an interesting topic would be the impact of the technology on cooking

It really is remarkable how technology has changed the cooking world from when I grew up. Not just the internet and searching for recipes; but also blogs, especially those that demonstrate perhaps intimidating cooking techniques, forums like ours that enable cooks to stretch themselves and learn so much, etc. Even things such as apps on the iphone. Oh and facebook!

I really enjoyed reading a blog that was posted here, honestly I can't recall the name of the chef. It was her first post and it resonated with me how she is now having to change and adapt her world to accommodate blogs and realize that her words would not go through x number of proof readers, etc.

 
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