EUROPAIN 2018: GETTING READY FOR THE MOST EXCITING WEEKEND

*Originally posted 1/31/18

​I’m SO excited for this weekend.
I have the opportunity to attend one of the most prestigious baking conferences in the world, Europain 2018. This baking conferences happens every two years and I am blessed that I don’t have to travel very far because it’s in a suburb of Paris just 45 minutes away from me. Do you know what else is super awesome? I managed to get into all 4 days of the conference completely free. How did I get so lucky? It wasn’t easy but I’ll tell you.

30 Hours in a Baking and Cake Decorating playground 
Europain 2018 is from February 3-6 from 10am -5:30pm every day. That totals up to approximately 30 hours of anything and everything related to baking and cake decorating. This is the first time I’m am going to a conference of this size (featuring over 400 exhibitors) and it’s exciting I’ll be able to connect with people from around the world based on our shared passion for baking and cake decorating. ​

Seminars about ancient wheat and chocolate tastings from around the world? Sign me up. 
Ok, so what is this conference all about? Like what am I going to do for 30 hours? Have no fear! I shall tell you. Every day is jam packed with seminars, roundtables, expert speakers, contests, interviews, demonstrations and over 400 exhibitors. So even though 30 hours seems like a lot, it’s honestly really not. Over the next couple days I’m going to spend my time studying the show schedule to make sure I don’t miss ANYTHING. By the end of the weekend, I am totally going to turn into an extremely well risen baking nerd (pun intended).
 
Here are a few events happening this weekend that I’m super pumped for:

• Ancient and modern wheats
• Bake design 2018- 2019 - decorative trends
• Digital learning in bakeries
• Agri ethical bakery
• Bakery Masters contest
• International Confectionary Art Contest (Mondial des Arts Sucrés)
• The World of Chocolate (Including a tasting from world wide chocolate)

Honestly, just writing this I simply cannot contain my excitement! I’m seriously considering camping outside the convention center like people on Black Friday. Alas, I have managed to prevent myself from doing such crazy things but I don’t know how much longer I can wait! Thank God, it’s only a few days away.

A chance to hear from and see top pastry chefs compete in contests 
As I briefly mentioned above there will be plenty of fantastic speakers talking about super nerdy topics like ancient and modern wheat. I think for the general public that probably sounds like the most boring thing on the planet but for me (and I’m sure other bakers) it’s super fascinating. As I’m writing this I’m getting giddy just thinking about all these amazing bakers and pastry chefs who will be speaking on their areas of expertise. I’m honestly so grateful I’m going to be at this conference. And no, I will not apologize about my excitement.
For some perspective, think about one of the coolest topics you know. Now imagine getting to go to a conference about that topic where you can learn more about it, meet other people who are obsessed with it, and just live and breathe that for an entire weekend. Yeah amazing. I know. So now you can understand how I feel.
Anyway, bake to the topic at hand. Whoops I mean back. Or do I? ;)
In addition to all of these amazing speakers there will also be live international contests happening. Teams from around the world will compete head to head in the Bakery Masters and Mondial Des Arts Sucrés (International Confectionary Art) contests. When I say all over the world I really mean it.
 
Here’s a list of countries that are competing this year in the Mondial Des Arts Sucrés contest:

• Ecuador
• Russia
• Taiwan
• France (lol obviously)
• Malasia
• Canada
• Venezuela
• Morocco 
• Colombia
• Ukraine
• Brazil
• USA
• Japan
• Singapore
• Mexico
• Georgia (not the state, it’s a country at the intersection of Europe and Asia – You learn something new every day!)
  

 
Let me know if you’d like to hear more about the contests!

The Orlando Cake Fair
Before I tell you how I managed to get a free pass into this amazing conference I have to tell you a little story about the International Cake Expo – Cake Fair that happened this past October in Orlando, FL.
Per usual, I was perusing the Internet looking for cake related events I could attend and stumbled on the International Cake Expo – Cake Fair. It was only a few months away from the time I found it, which meant I might actually be able to go with proper planning. The more I researched and read about the Cake Fair the more excited I got. There were cake competitions (that I could enter!), classes, demonstrations, exhibitors, famous speakers who are my idols including Buddy Valestro aka Cake Boss and Duff Goldman and even a fashion sugar art show! Yes. Models wearing sugar art inspired dresses. I think my heart rate is 140 bpm just thinking about it again.
But here comes the sad part, after calculating and planning like mad there was absolutely no way I could afford attending the conference since I had to save all my money for pastry school in Paris. I was heartbroken; I honestly mean it. My heart ached at the thought that I would be missing out on so many chances to learn new techniques and possibly meet my idols. I thought surely if I found it on time I was a sign that I should go but as the days went by the miracle I was hoping to happen (maybe finding a ton of money on the ground or you know one day it could rain $100 bills) didn’t happen. The weekend of the cake show passed terribly because all I could think about was not being able to go and everything I was missing out on. But let me tell you everything happens for a reason.

So how did I get into Europain 2018 for free?
One day while reading my usual baking magazine subscription on a lunch break I flipped to an advertisement for Europain 2018. My eyes frantically scanned the page. Europe’s baking convention. February 3-6. PARIS. Use code below for FREE entry. I couldn’t believe my eyes. NO WAY. I ran to my computer hopeful (but not too much so I wouldn’t get disappointed) and punched in the code. It lead me to a registration confirmation page. “Congratulations Patricia, You’re registered for Europain 2018”
I cried. ​

So here I am today, sitting in my apartment in Paris preparing for probably one of the most educational, inspiring and epic weekends of my entire pastry career. God is good guys. And yes, everything happens for a reason. Because if I would have gone to the Orlando cake show I probably wouldn’t of kept looking for more. So as you look into your new year breathe deeply and don’t worry if everything doesn’t go the way you expect it. Because Mr. upstairs knows what he’s doing. Keep your head up high because GREAT things are coming your way! :)

UPDATE: Read all about Europain in my new post What It’s Like To Be At Europain 2018
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