Introducing Jeanne and Linda
June 15, 2012 in Uncategorized
Time is my enemy right now, it seems to be galloping away from me and I have so many interruptions that it is difficult to stick with any deadlines. The Food and Wine Blogger Indaba is taking place next Sunday….that is 9 sleeps away as I am being reminded all the time by those who are really excited to be attending. And I don’t blame them at all. This is going to be a fabulous event.
It is time that I start introducing some more of the wonderful, talented, delightful speakers and presenters that will be participating in this year’s Indaba.
JEANNE HORAK-DRUIFF – KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Well known and well loved Jeanne Horak-Druiff is a born and bred South African who has been living in London since 2002. She qualified as a criminal lawyer and lectured commercial law for eight years, but her real passion remains writing. She is a freelance writer and columnist whose work has been published in The Digital Dish, National Geographic’s 500 Food Journeys and 500 Secret Journeys; the BloggerAid Cook Book; and the forthcoming Creating a Meal You’ll Love and Foodies of the World. She is a regular columnist for the online publication We Magazine for Women and South Africa’s most popular food website, Food24. Jeanne started her award-winning food blog CookSister! in May 2004. This internationally respected blog was named as one of the Times Online’s Top 50 Food Blogs in the world and is also a four-time winner of the Best South African Food Blog Award title. Her individual and distinctive writing style and love of teaching has led to her being sought after as a conference speaker both at Food Blogger Connect (London ‘09 and ‘10) and the South African Food Blogger Indaba (Cape Town ’10 and ‘11).She is also part of a team of 4 bloggers who present From Plate to Page, a series of hands on, intensive foodwriting and photography weekend workshops in Europe. Cooksister has recently been named in the number one position on the Foodies100 Index of UK Food blogs.
Jeanne, a very entertaining speaker and wonderful friend to the Indaba, will present the topic – ethics, etiquette and why we blog and then later in the day she will present two workshops – one on photography basics and the second one on photoshop and how to read a photograph she will co- present with Alida Ryder. Can’t wait to welcome my friend and confidante back into the home fold! 
And just like on telly we can go straight to a short ad break…….
Golden Sturgeon Marketing Corporation has very generously donated a few of this most awesome product as give aways for the Indaba this year.
How fabulous that you are now able to make delicious frozen popsicles for yourself or your kids in 7 minutes. And if you are creative and innovative the sky is the limit! A very big thank you to Sanjai and Golden Sturgeon Products for this generous sponsorship.
And if you happen to book for the Indaba today or this weekend you stand in line to win one of these awesome packages (with a further very fabulous mystery gift included) just for yourself.
LINDA HARDING – THE SQUASHED TOMATO
The Squashed Tomato was founded by Linda Harding in 2011. The business provides clients within the food and wine industry with the edge to succeed in the world of social media. After identifying a gap for companies that have neither the time nor the resources to be active in social media on a daily basis, Linda decided to establish a business that would meet this demand.
Whilst The Squashed Tomato was originally started as a personal blog in May 2010, Linda soon realised that the food and wine industry was where she would find career happiness. As a graduate of the University of Cape Town, with an Honours degree in Economics and Statistics, and with a few years of work experience in the research and economic strategy industries, she decided to leave the corporate “rate race” behind and follow her passions. After experiencing the power of social media in building her own successful brand over a short period of time, as well as independently running the social media profiles of one of South Africa’s leading restaurant and food directories, Linda saw an opportunity to offer the same experience exclusively to South African restaurants and wineries eager to grow their own brands and client base. Today, The Squashed Tomato boasts a prestigious client list that includes some of the most prominent and exciting brands in the food and wine industry. It also offers consulting and design services to a wider target market, putting social media success within reach for any brand.
Linda’s FBI2012 session - Socially Active Blogs ‘n Brands - will focus on using social media to support and promote blogs, and how to create and build relationships with readers, in this dynamic and often unpredictable environment. Expect an interactive session that will help your blog to manage the risks, and reap the rewards, in the world of social media.
With a bio like that there is obviously no need for me to introduce Linda’s topic is there? But I will anyway….building your blog brand with social media 
I am so looking forward to hearing these lovely ladies speak. Thank you Jeanne and Linda for giving of your time and expertise to share with us all at the Indaba.
TO THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY BOOKED PLEASE INBOX ME IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL DIETARY REQUIREMENTS….ie Halaal, Kosher, vegetarian, vegan, and if you have food intolerances. Thank you. I need to let the caterers know urgently!
Colleen
