Plan: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

[RobertM]

A couple more odds and ends

I've had a couple local people inquire if they can bring their spouses to the dinner on Saturday night. For anyone else that is wondering, the answer is of course, but I need to know so I can give the school a final head count. If you wish to have your spouse join us, please PM me and we'll add them to the count.

I'd also like to get an idea of the people who will be here on Friday for any kind of Friday afternoon activity I can muster up. Depending on the numbers, I'm contemplating a couple of different activities. Please let me know if you are interested in a Friday "outing", one just hit me last night but it will depend on the number of people interested.

[Kerry Beal]

I'm around Friday and by myself for dinner on Saturday.

[Mette]

I'm there on Friday as well, and if you need help with anything, let me know

[curls]

I'm around Friday. Depending on the activity, I'll be there.

[RobertM]

Updating our attendee list & adding new Friday Category which is only for the Friday daytime activity, not the Friday night meet and greet...

Yes, I'm coming, booked the room and transportation

Chris Hennes (+1)

Kerry Beal

Chocolot

curls

gfron1

Gene

lironp

lebowits

patti_h (+1)

chocoera

Mette

Tikidoc +1

Sue Casey

LindaS

Viktoria

Sarahdwyer

Friday (Daytime activity)

Kerry Beal

curls

Mette

Chocolot

Lebowits

Pretty Definite Attendees

Prabha

Robdoc000

MariaP

Maybe

Lisa Shock

prasantrin

MelissaH

DianaM

Lior - pending Lottery ticket(s)

AnythingButPlainChocolate

Genkinaonna

MarkIsComing

Carsondial

Can't Make it

mjx +1

mkayahara

YetiChocolates

Ruth Wells

Kevin Liu

nolnacs

[lironp]

My flight arrives in BWI at 1:35pm. I don't know how much time it'll take me to get from there, I guess about an hour?

Aside from that, I will be arriving from a 2 week trip that goes through Vegas, where I will visit ChefRubber, if anyone needs anything from there I can get it- I am travelling with a suitcase anyway.

Also, I will be carrying around some chocolates with me to bring to the conference, I really hope they will stay ok!

[lebowits]

My flight arrives in BWI at 1:35pm. I don't know how much time it'll take me to get from there, I guess about an hour?

Aside from that, I will be arriving from a 2 week trip that goes through Vegas, where I will visit ChefRubber, if anyone needs anything from there I can get it- I am travelling with a suitcase anyway.

Also, I will be carrying around some chocolates with me to bring to the conference, I really hope they will stay ok!

It will take you more than an hour to make the trip. BWI is close to Baltimore and you're heading south into Virginia. My guess is that it will take 90 minutes or more depending on traffic. Fortunately, you should be able to get ahead of the Friday rush hour traffic.

[lebowits]

RobertM - Would you please post the street address for the conference location?

[RobertM]

Of course:

Stratford University

14349 Gideon Drive

Wood bridge, VA. 22192

The school is in it's own building, near Potomac Mills Mall, across the street from COSTCO (closest to the COSTCO gas). For anyone needing landmarks there is a Toys R Us on the other side, Ikea is about 1/4 mile away.

[lebowits]

Of course:

Stratford University

14349 Gideon Drive

Wood bridge, VA. 22192

The school is in it's own building, near Potomac Mills Mall, across the street from COSTCO (closest to the COSTCO gas). For anyone needing landmarks there is a Toys R Us on the other side, Ikea is about 1/4 mile away.

Forgive the nagging... Is there a specific room we should look for?

[RobertM]

The Kitchens we will be in are on the Third Floor - I'll be putting up signs of some sort to direct conference members to the floor and general direction of the proper kitchen

[lironp]

My flight arrives in BWI at 1:35pm. I don't know how much time it'll take me to get from there, I guess about an hour?

Aside from that, I will be arriving from a 2 week trip that goes through Vegas, where I will visit ChefRubber, if anyone needs anything from there I can get it- I am travelling with a suitcase anyway.

Also, I will be carrying around some chocolates with me to bring to the conference, I really hope they will stay ok!

It will take you more than an hour to make the trip. BWI is close to Baltimore and you're heading south into Virginia. My guess is that it will take 90 minutes or more depending on traffic. Fortunately, you should be able to get ahead of the Friday rush hour traffic.

Thanks!

My flight back is also from BWI, I'm wondering if it's better to rent a car than rely on public transportation, any thoughts about that?

Since I'll be travelling for the 2 weeks until the conference, I thought about having a friend send a package with some chocolates to the hotel a few days before the conference. Do you think they will be OK with that? Has anyone tried sending chocolates by regular mail? Or would expediated shipping be better?

[Prabha]

Robert, I will be here on Friday, and would love to join any activities that day. Also, my husband, Ben, would like to join us for dinner on Saturday and maybe also Friday evening.

I have some molds that I'd be happy to bring. I'm thinking of buying an airbrush because I'd really like to learn to use it on molds. So if I do buy one, I'll bring it along.

[RobertM]

Liron - PM me; you can send your package(s) to me at my home and I would be happy to care for them until your arrival

Edited February 28, 2012 by RobertM (log)

[RobertM]

Prabha;

Welcome to Friday and welcome to Ben! We are glad that you both will be joining us!

[Prabha]

What should one bring to the conference? I'm planning on molds and scrapers, but I don't know what else I should be bringing.

[curls]

Thanks!

My flight back is also from BWI, I'm wondering if it's better to rent a car than rely on public transportation, any thoughts about that?

Since I'll be travelling for the 2 weeks until the conference, I thought about having a friend send a package with some chocolates to the hotel a few days before the conference. Do you think they will be OK with that? Has anyone tried sending chocolates by regular mail? Or would expediated shipping be better?

Once you get to the conference hotel there are probably enough eGulleters with cars that you will be able to get back and forth to the conference events but it would be quite complicated to get from BWI to Woodbridge via public transportation. I would recommend renting a car; I am guessing that the cab fare from BWI to Woodbridge (one way) would be over $100.

[patti_h]

I am expecting that my husband Phil and i will be arriving around 4. I put him down as my plus one because he will be attending everything- I want him to get an understanding of chocolate so that he can help me out when the need arises!

I also would like to know what we should plan on bringing with us- I will be bringing my melter and wheel/spout thingy, molds, and samples for the meet & greet but other than that I'm not so sure what we should be bringing.

Robert I will pmail you because unfortunately Phil and I have multiple food allergies between us....

[Kerry Beal]

Other things to bring - an apron and a couple of containers appropriate for taking stuff home in.

[RobertM]

My thoughts. Wear comfortable shoes, I'm hoping we'll be working on our feet the majority of both days. I second Kerry's thoughts, an apron and containers to take stuff home.

I like to bring my own "tools" - scrapers, dipping forks, etc. Simply because those are the tools I'm going to be using once I return back home and am working in my own "space".

Anyone bringing molds, I would STRONGLY urge you to mark them to identify them as your molds. It's very easy to get confused, many molds look alike.

[chocoera]

hey bob!!!! so, yes, i am for sure coming, and brad will be my plus 1! he is attending all activities that i will be in. steve suggested some shoe molds...if people are interested in that i can bring a few. i am flying in, so dont have a ton of room in my suitcase so i'm afraid i can't bring an airbrush, mold'arts or cocoa butter. i have room for maybe 4 molds (like chocolate bon bon type molds) that i can bring and of course samples for friday night. books? do we want dessert books too or just chocolate books?

also note to attenders, dont forget bench scrapers or off set spatulas...bob will there be baggies or pastry bags for filling molds? or should we bring some?

attaching a shoe pic so people know what i'm talking about and a truffle pic (only cuz hubby just took one today and its neat)

xoxo

can't wait to see everyone!

[RobertM]

I will have pastry bags there for our use; along with latex gloves. Plus, please don't forget we are in an excellent culinary school and they will have a great deal of equipment available for our use

[RobertM]

PS - beautiful work Erica

[RobertM]

Typically the Conference "Report" begins back in the hotel; so if anyone wishes to post in the comfort of your room you should think about bringing your laptop and digital camera

[Prabha]

So after much indecision about whether I wanted to stay near the campus, or commute from home (about an hour away), I booked a room at the Best Western for Saturday night. I did it through Hotwire for $97 including all taxes. It's about a mile from the campus building we'll be working in. Breakfast is included, though I have no idea how good it'll be. So if anyone is still looking for a hotel room, that might be an idea.