Food and wine are the lubricators of great social events, so it makes sense for restaurants, chefs and wine labels to take to the social media sphere to build relationships.

Many of Sydney’s top chefs and restaurants now have Twitter accounts, Facebook Pages or Blogs. Some of these have pretty serious following - the question is what comes first, build a profile as a celebrity chef or a social chef?

How do Australian wine brands cut through and build brand awareness in a cluttered market where the major retailers control product distribution, and there are more than 3500 different wine brands on a shelf? What about food bloggers and social event organizers? How much do they build and push advocacy for a particular place or product?

Whether you're into food and wine, an avid reviewer of restaurants, a brand, a marketer, want to build your personal brand or just interested in learning what the food and wine industry have applied in social media - this is the event for you.

We are back at Tone Bar, doors open at 6:15 pm for a 7 pm start. Our winetasting will be held directly after the presentations and question & answer session.

Wine tasting at the event

Stay after the presentations and network with follow SMCSYD members whilst tasting wines from some of Australia's leading brands on social media. 

Producers like De Bortoli and Best's Wines Great Western will highlight varietals, styles or category trends that have been driven by social media community engagement. The winemakers will also be online and able to answer any questions you have by using their twitter handles and interacting directly with you at this tasting.

Our presenters will be followed by an interactive question and answer session.

There will be discussion around:

• Does it help to have a profile to begin with, or can you build a social brand from scratch?
• Where do you find your advocates?
• What are the drivers for interaction and engagement?
• How do you measure success?
• How long does it take to build advocacy?
• What about location based services? 
• How do negative (and positive) reviews affect your business?
• How do you build traffic and engagement for a blog?
• What drives credibility in the restaurant and wine industry?

Our guest presenters and panel are:

Bridget Davis, The Internet Chef, Bridget CooKs

A visionary leader in her field and a powerhouse in the food industry in Australia, Bridget will talk about her journey from a chef in a kitchen to building herself into a global food personality as “The Internet Chef." She’ll share some statistics about the reach of her social media initiatives and how she’s used different channels to drive traffic to her website. The recent case study of building a loyal following for her new business venture "The Montgomery Street Café" via social media channels will inspire you about the power of this medium. Bridget will share practical advice relevant to anyone wanting to build a strong personal brand.

The ‘ Huffington Post’ named Bridget Davis as one of  “10 World Class Chefs on Twitter Who make it Sizzle” Bridget has  have been in charge some of the best kitchens in New Zealand and Australia including head chef for one of New Zealand’s iconic fine dining  restaurants ~ Number Five and head chef for  Bill Granger in the Sydney institution, Bills. She is currently indulging her pleasures working as a cooking coach, teacher and live cooking demonstrator alongside one of the best chefs in the world ~ Tetsuya Wakuda.

http://www.theinternetchef.biz/

twitter.com/Bridget_CooKs

Denea Buckingham, GourmetRabbit

Two years ago, Denea saw a niche in the food publishing market, there were plenty of reviews, cookbooks and competitions, but no one was offering the industry professionals a place to express their voice, a publication where chefs could explain the 'why' behind the fact, the men and women behind the pans, the bottles and the produce. 

So GourmetRabbit began, with an independent approach to content, publishing interesting rather than infomercial, professional vs performance. With a background in inorganic chemistry, Denea figured it out as it went along, meeting each obstacle with positivity and a proactive approach to making an important business succeed. Branching into social media and lateral marketing for the food and restaurant industry - it's an exciting time for Denea, and GourmetRabbit.

http://www.gourmetrabbit.com

twitter.com/gourmetrabbit

Trish Barry – Mastermind Consulting

Trish from Mastermind Consulting will explore social media adoption and case studies in the Australian wine industry including a discussion collaborative global events like #Chardonnay Day, The Rose Revolution and specific examples on some Australian brands who are leading the way and connecting with consumers directly via social media. 

Trish Barry (nee Pearson) has over twelve years marketing and business experience. Her consulting company Mastermind specialises in the wine industry with a focus on social media marketing. Mastermind clients have included Best’s Great Western, McWilliams Wines, Australian Vintage Ltd, Taylors Wines, Wild Oats, De Bortoli Wines, Plantagenet Wines and Wine Communicators of Australia. Trish has also been heavily involved in strategic planning for community social media initiatives like the Rose Revolution

twitter.com/MastermindTB

Look forward to seeing you there!