We are so delighted about the excitement and support surrounding EDB6! We’ve also had a lot of questions about the registration/application process so please read this post carefully as it contains VERY important information.

When can I register?

We’ve decided to delay opening registration by just three days because we want to give you more time to be ready for this. So that means registration will now open on Monday 20th July at 8pm.

How many delegate positions are available for EDB6?

There are 100 delegate positions available this year, which we think gives more of you a chance to experience EDB but still keeps the intimate nature of previous conferences.

There are 30 delegate positions available for ACT bloggers. We’ve had to think long and hard about this to make things fair for both local and interstate bloggers so we hope you agree that this is a fair decision. If there are interstate delegate positions vacant with two weeks remaining, we will open these up to more ACT bloggers.

How will delegates be selected?

There are strict selection criteria for EDB 6 (as in previous years). You must satisfy ALL THREE criteria items to be an eligible delegate, so please read them carefully and only register if you satisfy all three.

When we open registration at 8pm on Monday 20 July it will be ‘first in best dressed’ given you satisfy the criteria outlined below.

1. Your food blog or micro-blog (Instagram/Tumblr that is focussed on food)  must be at least six months old (as at Monday 20 July 2015)
2. You must have published a minimum of 6 food-related posts in your blog or 25 food related posts in your micro-blog
3. You must not be a commercial food blogger i.e. those blogging only for money or as part of their job (a chef blogging for a restaurant or business owner/staff blogging for a brand).

Please note that the organising committee will be going through each of the registered delegates blogs and if you do not meet ALL THREE selection criteria items we will have to make your place available for someone else and we will refund your ticket price, minus a $25 administration fee.

Will there be a registration fee?

Yes, there will be a registration fee this year – we are just dotting the final i’s and crossing the final t’s, and we will be able to reveal the exact cost on Monday night. But rest assured, it won’t be exorbitant, and it will be amazing value for what will be a whole weekend of eating, drinking, foodie experiences and blogging education from some of the best names in the business.

Your registration fee covers all food and drink provided by our partners during the weekend (Friday dinner; Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner; and Sunday breakfast and dinner), delegate pack and transport between conference venues. Accommodation is at delegate’s expense – we will soon be announcing some great value accommodation deals with our partners, with something to suit every budget.

Why have you introduced a registration fee?

As you probably know, Eat Drink Blog has historically been a conference that is free for delegates to attend, and past organising committees have had to depend entirely on the generosity of sponsors to put the conference together. Hence, previous committees faced many limitations; the two biggest factors were: having to restrict delegate numbers due to limited funds and work within a very strict budget, both of which stretches committee resources very thin.

This year, we have decided to introduce a registration fee for a number of reasons:

• The extra funds give us an opportunity to bring to you not just a conference, but an experience. We will break away from the traditional conference mould and learn in a more fun, interesting and interactive way whilst enjoying the foodie hotspots of Canberra
• The little extra money means that we are able to give more of you the opportunity to experience Eat Drink Blog
• More delegates = more event coverage = more exposure for sponsors = happier sponsors who are willing to give more
• This provides a platform for future EDB committees to try new things and have a little more freedom and a little less stress when it comes to taking on the task of organising the conference.

We hope this makes sense and we hope you will support us on this decision as it hasn’t been taken lightly.

What happens if the conference makes a ‘profit’?

It is important to note that the registration fee has been decided on a cost-recovery basis only. If there is any money leftover at the end of the conference, it will be transferred across to the organising committee for EDB7.

Still have questions?

If you have any questions between now and Monday night about the registration process or eligibility criteria please email us on [email protected] and we promise to reply to you within 24 hours.

So the only thing left to do now is if you meet all three selection criteria items mentioned above set your alarms for 8pm on Monday 20th July. We will post the link to buy tickets here, on our Facebook page and Twitter! We are super excited to see you in Canberra!

Registrations are now open! Purchase your ticket here.