I’ve been writing Wine Chicks Guide for almost 4 years now and my knowledge of wine has grown exponentially in that time. Last year I was awarded a Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC) scholarship to attend WBC12 in Portland, OR. I had a lot of great experiences, learned tons and perhaps most important, met others like me, people with a passion for wine. Like others I knew without some assistance I would not be able to attend. When I received that email notifying me I was a recipient, I was elated.
Travel costs, hotels stays, food and other necessary expenses combined with days off from work without pay can put a strain on a wine blogger. Hence, a scholarship was born.

Founded by Thea Dwelle (Luscious Lushes)and Megan Kenney the WBC scholarship provides funding for bloggers needing a little financial assistance to attend this beneficial conference. Funding comes from the wonderful philanthropists that donate each year recognizing the importance of bloggers in the wine industry.

Unfortunately not all recipients are granted a scholarship as there are generally more applicants than funding. As a committee member this year we had the task of going through a number of bloggers with varying degrees of blogging experience. One such lucky blogger and recipient, Jane Kelly Kosek, will be attending WBC13 in Penticton, British Columbia June 6-8.

Jane and her husband Steve have been blogging on 2 Hollywood Winos for just over one year. An independent film producer by trade, Jane’s blog provides a “he said, she said” perspective on wine as well as wine regions peppered with stunning photography of their local travels. This is her first time attending WBC and I know she’ll walk away with great memories and a plethora of information.

Wine just sells itself right? Well maybe but if you think of the thousands and thousands of wineries and new ones starting every year, you need all the help you can get. Wineries big and small rely on PR firms to get their brand to the masses.

Mia Malm
Mia Malm a scholarship donator heads up Malm Communications a boutique public relations and social media firm specializing in wine, food and luxury lifestyle. A New York transplant now living in California, Mia has a passion for fine wine and food. Having spent several years with Constellation Brands, Mia has an innovative vision and a pulse on today’s wine consumers.

Allison Markin
“Will work for wine” those four words were the beginning of a journey for Allison Markin of All She Wrote. Allison uses her media and marketing skills at All She Wrote to create successful and meaningful social media campaigns. Her clients include those in wine, culinary, hospitality and tourism.
A resident of British Columbia Allison was a huge proponent of bringing the conference to Penticton. In addition to all the hard work she has been putting into the conference her donation to the scholarship allowed bloggers to attend and learn about those great Canadian wines.

In less than one month I’ll be in Penticton, BC soaking up all the wine knowledge and blogger info my poor strained brain can handle. I’ll be sure to post a number of blogs and tell all of you about my experience.