Hi friends! I wanted to recap my experience at FNCE: the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Washington DC where over 11,000+ nutrition professionals come together to address key health issues, trends, check out new food products, earn continuing ed and network. There were so many amazing people at this event and it was an HONOR to get to meet so many of you guys as well. I honestly never knew the impact I have made on RDs and RD-2-Bes and I was so very humbled.
I arrived Saturday evening just in time for the Nutrition Entrepreneurs DPG seafood dinner and networking event. There was AMAZING sushi and I loved getting into break-out groups to discuss corporate wellness, media and speaking, private practice, and book writing. If you’re not a part of this group, I highly recommend it!
Sunday morning I hit the expo to chat with my favorite brands and talk about their 2019 marketing strategy. It was nice to put names I’ve been working with over email/phone calls to faces. I also tried a few samples.
I ended up running into an old professor, a few dietitians I’ve mentored, and so many RDs that inspire me as well. I wanted to attend a few sessions but also prioritized networking with other RDs. I met up with Libby and Alexis and it was incredible. Libby has an incredible business mindset and was so sweet and Alexis was just so down to earth like I knew her for years.
I attended a session on Food Porn Dilemmas: Balancing Artful Imagery and Real-Word Attainability in Social Media and then attended a few other sessions on Tech and social media dietitians and then a GREAT session about Corporate Wellness and Media. Dawn Blatner spoke and the Chief Wellness Officer and Director at Wellness Corporate Solutions and it was one of the best sessions! Introducing yourself and networking after the sessions is key. I grabbed dinner at Sweetgreen, hit the dessert bar in the hotel with a friend and tried to hit the sheets early.
Monday was jam-packed. An early SoulCycle event with Belvita and the Blueberry Council in the morning, a lunch time event with Caulipowered (they were passing out my recipes!!) and a dinner event at Momofuku with the Seafood Nutrition Partnership were the main events. I also got to meet Dylan + Lauren + Lacey and attend a debate on Weight Management vs Health at Every Size. Was a CRAZY DAY but so fun.
Tuesday I attended a session on becoming a TED talk speaker and then explored DC. I was thankful I made the time to get outside the convention center. After that, I headed back home! I am so thankful my corporate wellness company understands the importance of these conferences for me to attend and gain intel, network, talk about what we do as a company, earn continuing ed, and grow as a professional.
Did you attend FNCE? Would love to hear about your experience!
