The Sweet Fest® Business Conference, also known as Sweet Fest Con 2017, is a business focused conference for aspiring & established professionals in the baking & sweets industry. Sweet Fest Con is a weekend crammed with invaluable information & tips to help Sweet Entrepreneurs with managing & growing their sweet business. Sweet Fest Con goes beyond the typical trade show, cake competition, or sweets expo in that it places a heavier emphasis on sharing business knowledge & tools with the Sweet Community.
Don't let the title of business conference fool you! Sweet Fest Con will be the perfect balance of business and "AWESOMENESS." Let's face it...the conference theme "Revenge of the Sugar Nerds" automatically makes you want to dust off your "coolest" pair of suspenders and high waters and bust a move Steven Q. Urkel style. In addition to tons of valuable information about how to better manage, market & grow your sweet business, Sweet Fest Con attendees & partners can also expect the following. (1) Opportunities to network with peers & leaders in the Sweet Community. (2) Exposure to products/services provided by leading suppliers in sweets industry. (3) Swag bag goodies (aka FREE STUFF), and (4) memories & life lessons to take with you along your career journey.
WELCOME & CHECK-IN @ 7:30PM
When you arrive at Sweet Fest Con, you will receive a Welcome Packet, Attendee Badge, Conference T-shirt, Swag Bag, and other top-secret goodies. We will be spending a lot of time with each other over the course of 4 days, and Thursday Check-in is the conference kickoff.
SKILLS SHARE-A-THON
We jump right in to the weekend with a fun & creative demo/networking mashup called the Skills Share-A-Thon. This evening activity will be the perfect way to break the ice and to meet your peers & product partners in the sweets industry. The night will include product/technique demos, food, alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks, and networking. Vending, Sponsorship, & Instructor Opportunities Available. Email info@thesweetfest.com for details.
BRING A GUEST OR FRIEND!
NEW in 2017, registered Sweet Fest Con attendees can register a guest to tag along during ALL evening social activities. Guests will be provided event swag, t-shirts, and evening meals along with the other Sweet Fest Con attendees. Guests are NOT ALLOWED access to any daytime lectures, seminars or masterclasses. Any guest wishing to attend these activities must register as a Sweet Fest Con attendee.
SEMINARS & LECTURES @ 8:30AM
Following breakfast, professionals from the industry will lead discussions and presentations around the key conference topics including, but not limited to, the following: copyrights/trademarks, gaining new business, and methods for making more money. 
All attendees will also participate in a Cupcake and Cookie Toppers hands-on class Sponsored by Renshaw Americas and taught by Chef Nicholas Lodge and Reva Alexander-Hawk at no additional cost.
SUGAR STREET NIGHTMARES
What would you do if the cake hit the floor while out for delivery? How do you deal with a bride with caviar dreams and a grilled cheese budget? If you haven't been there yet, just stay in the sweets business a little bit longer. On Friday evening over dinner, we will participate in a GROUP ACTIVITY that focuses on discussing some of the craziest sugar situations we've ever encountered in business. This will be an awesome opportunity to learn from each others' experiences and grow.
YOU WON'T GO HUNGRY!
What kind of food related gathering would this be if we didn't provide meals, snacks & treats throughout the entire conference?? There's no way we would ever let that happen! Daytime activities & presentations will be accompanied by breakfast, lunch & snacks; and evening socials will include food as well as both alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverage options.
SPECIALTY MASTERCLASSES
NEW in 2017, we have added specialty 2-hour masterclass sessions during the day on Saturday. Depending upon which conference experience you register for, you could participate in up to 4 of these masterclass sessions. Non-attendees can also register for up to 2 classes or the Full 4-hour Quickbooks session without registering to attend the entire conference.
MASTERCLASS LIST
Home Based Business Essentials
Opening a Storefront
Photography Fundamentals
Quickbooks Training
How to Deliver Your Clients Dream
Contracts & Customer Service
Live Stream without Fear
Legal Dish on Baking with Booze
DANCE PARTY SOCIAL
Break out the suspenders, bow ties, and glasses. It's time to party! No business conference is complete without a "TOTALLY NERDY" evening party to bring it all home. Conference attendees are requested, but not required, to dress in full on NERD or 80's throwback attire for this evening social. We want everyone to go all out and have the "Nerdiest time of their lives!" If you missed the fun last year, make sure to check out the video to see how much fun you can expect to have this year!
DID WE MISS ANYTHING??
Before we bring the conference to a close, we will have an open Q&A with all of the presenters to make sure all of your business questions and concerns have been addressed. We want to make sure you are fully prepared to take on the sweet business world before you head home.
CLOSING REMARKS & GOODBYES
We don't want to spill all of the conference beans...but let's just say there may be tears and DEFINITELY tons of Thank Yous! The conference is scheduled to end around Noon on Sunday.
CLASS AFTER THE CON:
Join special guest Timbo Sullivan of Cakes by Timbo in his Grinch Bust Masterclass after the conference is over. In this 6 hour class, you will learn sculpting, facial feature building, fondant detailing, hand painting, airbrushing and much more. Not to mention, as a Sweet Fest Con attendee, you will receive a $40 discount off of Timbo's class.
This sugar class is not an official part of the conference, but it is an added bonus for those who wish to stick around and learn from one of the best in the Sweet Community. After you register for Sweet Fest Con, make sure to sign up for Timbo's Grinch Bust Masterclass.
Jay Qualls of The Frosted Affair provides consulting services to Sweet Makers through his company Willow Tree Consulting. Jay explains that having an art for your craft simply is not enough to be successful in this industry. Sweet Entrepreneurs must “know your business" inside and out! In addition to being a shop owner, Jay has appeared on reality TV shows on ABC, Food Network and TLC. Jay is also a teacher, mentor, and published author.
After graduating in 2003 from Middle Tennessee State University with his B.S. in Organizational Communication, Jay decided to put it to good use and open a high end wedding cake boutique. Jay quickly turned Maples Wedding cakes into a leader in custom designed wedding cakes. He continues to be one of the leaders in the cake industry with his unique sense of style of cake design, teaching, product development, speaking, business development and consulting. Jay has studied and worked along side some of the greatest sugar artists in the industry. He believes cakes should be beautiful and delicious.
Celebrity Wedding Cake Designer
The Frosted Affair
Although raised on the west coast of the globe Amanda Schonberg is no stranger to the South. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Chef Amanda Schonberg has a great love for regional desserts. She has managed and worked for Fortune 500 companies such as Sam’s Wholesale, Chartwells’s Dining, and Great American Cookie Company. After managing a few companies within the retail food service industry, she soon decided to embark on her own culinary path.
In 2015 she started Chef Schonberg’s Sweets; a dessert’s catering company specializing in “Old Fashioned dessert’s with a New Flair.” Her unique approach to taking standard desserts and adding a unique twist to them quickly became popular. She has catered to celebrity artists such as Mindless Behavior, Gina Neely, Juvenille, LSU athlete’s and a host of others. She has been featured in local publications such as DIG Magazine and Moving Forward. She assists others who need help starting their business locally by offering private classes to guide them as well as to others online through social media.
Certified Chef & Culinary Mentor
Chef Schonberg's Sweets
Reva Alexander-Hawk is a life long baker, starting out like most of us as the “go to” source for sweets within her family. As a graduate of the distinguished California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, she has studied both as a student and an instructor. In 2002 Reva, after years of lending her talents to others, officially launched her own cake and pastry business, Merci Beaucoup. Calling on her Connections in the Los Angeles area, she developed a glowing reputation as a high end cake decorator, supplying cakes across California and beyond. Her efforts landed her on three seasons of the television show "Amazing Wedding Cakes”, an experience that has opened up many wonderful opportunities for her to share her skills with the cake community and become a trusted name in the sugars arts.
Reva’s fun, whimsical style is the result of her personality, a true cake decorator who’s goal is always to make people smile, a feat she has accomplished from L.A. to New York to Atlanta and all across the United States and now abroad. Besides her time on AWC, Reva’s work has been featured in Brides Magazine, Wedding Bells, People Magazine and many local publications and her work has been seen on E Entertainment, Food Network UK, and Style Network and recently featured on Duff Goldman’s new series "Duff till Dawn” and a recent winner on “Cake Wars” on the Food Network. Entering a new faze of Merci Beaucoup, Reva has taken on new challenges; moving her operations to Metro-Atlanta, writing books, and expanding her teaching efforts.
To sum it up in her own words, Reva is a “cake nerd.” #mercicakes #cakenerd all social media platforms @mercicakes.
Mistress of All Things Cake
Merci Beaucoup Cakes
Jockan Jordan is the owner of Dat Cake Place in New Orleans, LA. Dat Cake Place specializes in custom, sculpted cakes made with fresh ingredients. His bakery's motto is " If you can dream it, We can make it !!"
Jockan is also an accomplished decorating instructor and former competitor on Food Network's Cake Wars.
Bakery Owner & Decorating Instructor
Dat Cake Place
Juliet Galea is an 3-time award winning Sugar Artist of The Kitchen Next Door and host of Caker’s Chat, where Juliet chats with cake friends to help shed a light on topics that concern those in the dessert professional community.
Host
Caker's Chat
Dawn Belisle of Delights by Dawn is an Atlanta based criminal defense attorney turned online bakery owner. She is a graduate of Spelman College and Nova Southeastern University Law School and has practiced law in the Atlanta area for 20 years. Dawn began baking and selling her alcohol infused cakes, "Toxycakes" back in 2013. She is the proud mother of a 21 year old son.
Delights by Dawn is an online baking company that also provides "Toxycakes" to fans at the Georgia Dome during Falcons games and events, Phillips Arena for Hawks home games and concerts, and NASCAR 2016 Atlanta Motor Speedway races.
Small Business Legal
Delights by Dawn
Led by Mercer Law graduate, Attorney Omar T. Landery, the Landery Law Office focuses on intellectual property law, general counseling for small businesses and startup companies, and entity formation (i.e. legal creating an LLC, Partnership, etc.).
They believe in building genuine client relationships and providing personal attention to client needs. Since its inception, the Landery Law Office has helped numerous companies, artists, and authors structure their businesses, license their talent, review and negotiate contracts, copyright authored works, develop business policies, and protect their brands through trademark registration, and legal action.
Small Business Legal
Landery Law
Mandi Buckalew is the owner and operator of Cakeapotamus, a custom, small-batch bakery and cake studio in Opelika, AL. Since it opened in 2013, Cakeapotamus has produced thousands of cakes, cupcakes, and cookies as well as hosted scores of parties for children and adults. Known for it's unusual decor, Mandi's bakery has also been successful with out-of-the-box marketing and branding strategies.
Mandi earned her B.S. from Georgia Tech and her Master's from Auburn University and enjoyed careers in both animal behavior and teaching (special education) before becoming a baker. The experiences of both of the previous careers have served her well in operating her bakery. Prior to opening Cakeapotamus, while still teaching, Mandi took business classes in order to prepare for the rigors of small business ownership.
Bakery Owner & Decorating Instructor
Cakeapotamus
Lacey Reichwald is a small-town, small business owner with big ideas and a huge appetite for great experiences. She is a marketing mentor, travel enthusiast, and barista in addition to her role as owner of The SweetSpot Café and The SweetSpot Bakehouse in Whitewater, WI.
Lacey moved to Whitewater as a college student and fell in love with the midwest charm of the small college town. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a degree in interpersonal communication, Lacey took over ownership of The SweetSpot and immediately began infusing the small coffee shop with her big ideas and personal touches. Ten years, six renovations, and a second location later, The SweetSpot is the premier café, coffee shop, and specialty cake shop in the area. The backbone of The SweetSpot is a positive customer experience which has created The SweetSpot’s great reputation, loyal customer base, and sales that continue to rise year after year.
Lacey uses her knowledge and experience to mentor other small business owners on growth strategies, employee relations, menu design, and (especially) social media and digital marketing.
When she’s not working, Lacey enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, eating tacos, enjoying a craft cocktail, and cheering for the Green Bay Packers.
Bakery Owner & Marketing Mentor
The SweetSpot Bakehouse
Hailing from Los Angeles, Ca, Kevin Dwayne of Kevin Dwayne Photography is a photographer and writer now based in Atlanta, GA. A lover of all things art, music, and society, he strives to leave a positive impact in all the content he creates.
Kevin has served as the events photographer for Sweet Fest since 2014. His professionally shot & edited images of the previous Sweet Fest events have been instrumental in visually capturing the essence of what Sweet Fest is all about.
Head Photographer
Kevin Dwyane Photography
Roxanna Payne (also known as Roxie) is a passionate and seasoned Event Management & Hospitality Professional who is infinitely dedicated to creating monumental, one-of-a-kind moments.
Throughout her creative career, Roxie has gained over two decades of extensive hands-on expertise in the event management industry planning both corporate and social events. She has also had the opportunity to work with a multitude of celebrities, like Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman, political figures, and esteemed organizations, members of the senate, general assembly members, the Baltimore Ravens, foreign dignitaries, and embassy delegates.
Additionally, Roxie has worked as a Catering Director, where she successfully ran conferences, fundraising events, non-profit events, trade shows, and red carpet events. With an innate love of teaching, she has educated countless people in event management to date and offers private coaching as well as one-on-one sessions.
Currently, Roxie serves as the Owner and Event Manager of A Platinum Moment. She is now vigorously working on expanding her events empire through engaging newsletters, informative classes, periscope live streaming, and other leading-edge tools.
Prior to her current venture, Roxie served in leadership positions at Compass Group, Aramark, Starwood Hotel Group, and a number of prominent restaurant groups.
Furthermore, Roxie holds various degrees and certifications, including a Computer Science Degree, a Hospitality Management Degree, a Diagnostic Medical Sonography Degree, a Certification in Food & Beverage Management, Meeting and Event Management and numerous more. In addition, she holds membership at several reputable organizations such as NACE, ISES, MBHS Alumni Event Committee, and Montgomery College Alumni Event Committee.
Roxie Payne was born and raised in The Bronx, New York and presently resides in Germantown, Maryland. She has two adult daughters and is happily married to Greg Payne who is an award-winning, Celebrity Executive Chef. Outside of the event management world, she loves crafting and décor shopping. Above all, Roxie enjoys nothing more than spending quality time with her family and loved ones.
Head Event Planner
A Platinum Moment Event Management
As a native of Atlanta, Kimberly Bryant (aka Chef Kimihou) is closely connected to her southern roots, and she considers herself a true Southern Belle. Kimberly graduated with honors from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in 2013 and quickly gained notoriety around the Atlanta metro area, serving celebrities, local charities, and a host of wonderful customers. Chef Kimihou has a passion for baking and loves to make a client’s vision come to life through cake. When asked what her favorite part of her job is, she simply replies, “everything.” From helping a bride find herself during the process of planning her wedding, to surprise birthday parties and colorful birthday cakes for babies, every cake is an experience for Chef Kimihou. She once said, “every order is my opportunity to create a memorable experience during a memorable occasion for someone else. I live for those moments and truly love artful expressions through desserts.”
In addition to her role as a Celebrity Cake Artist, Chef Kimihou is also a Cake Decorating Instructor and mentor to bakers and aspiring cake artists.
Bakery Owner
Adonai Desserts Atlanta
Let's get down to business! Whether you're new to the sweets world and looking to turn your hobby into a legit business, or you've been in the game for years and looking for ways to expand...Sweet Fest Con has the information and tools you need to reach the next level. We listened to the attendees from last year, and we've added an extra day of learning and networking to the conference. In addition to our group trainings and presentations, this year we are offering specialty masterclasses to create a tailored conference experience that best meets your individual business needs.
At Sweet Fest Con, there's no need to pay hundreds for each individual masterclass session. It's all included in your registration fee. Upon registering for the conference, you will have the opportunity to attend up to 4 masterclass sessions depending on which Sweet Fest Con experience you select. Those attendees who select the FULL Sweet Fest Con Experience will have the opportunity to attend 4 Saturday Masterclass sessions, and attendees who select the LITE Sweet Fest Con Experience will have the opportunity to attend 1 Saturday Masterclass session. Whether you select the FULL or LITE experience, you will still receive all of the swag, food, and other goodies offered throughout the conference.
Also, by request, we've added the option to bring a guest to accompany you during evening socials. Oh, and if your guest isn't sure if they can fit the conference into their schedule just yet, you can register today and register them later. You have until Sept 9th to let us know and pay their guest registration fee.
If you're not able to attend the entire conference but would like access to the Saturday Masterclass sessions, you can register to attend up to 2 sessions or the full Quickbooks Training Masterclass session along with the other conference attendees. Access to the Thursday Skills Share-a-thon, Friday & Sunday Presentations, evening social activities and meals are not included in the Saturday Masterclass Only registrations.
If you need help with your sweet business, look no farther. Sweet Fest Con is where you need to be! Register using a credit/debit card or register using PayPal! Payment plan options available until August 14th. Click the buttons below to learn more about each registration type!
$
550
Payment Plan Available until August 14
$
670
Payment Plan Available until August 14
$
150/per session
Payment Plan Available until August 14
Doubletree by Hilton Atlanta Airport
Address: 3400 Norman Berry Drive, Atlanta, GA 30344
Contact: (404) 763-1600
Book your room: Doubletree by Hilton Atlanta Airport
