by Lori Baltazar
Here’s why the tickets will be sold on October 29. And yes, I know it’s the start of a 4-day weekend.
Today, somebody asked me if I’d “missed the memo” regarding the long weekend which begins on October 29. It’s also the very same day that we’ll start selling tickets to the Dessert Comes First Gift List. After talking to my team, an incredible group of people who are helping me organize this event, we’ve decided to stay with the original sell date.
Why?
There are plenty of reasons but primarily, all of our event collaterals are already being printed and to change dates would be both costly and taxing. Mounting an event like this is no joke and it doesn’t come cheap so time and forward planning are vital.
Tickets will begin selling on October 29, 2011 at 1 pm and will continue until the 150th ticket is sold, whether that be on the same day itself or the week after.
I hope this clears up any confusion. And I do hope to see you next month. It’s definitely going to be a happy and dessert-filled holiday event!
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I think there is too much hype about this food bazaar. Has this blog gone commercial also just like the way most food blogs have gone? Just like the one of Anton Diaz, who started out as a blogger and ended up a food baazar-ista. It’s giving blogging a bad name.
Secondly, it’s a food bazaar, why hold it in a bookstore? Why not hold it some place big and wide, where everyone can come in and join?
Third, I like your food blog, but I get turned off when I read stuff like this that smacks of commercialism.
Tama ka blackwidow!!! A turn off indeed. K. Thanks. Bye
Hmmmm. I think it’s the opposite of commercial… with only 150 tickets being sold, it seems like a very exclusive, very niche, highly selective event for connoisseurs only. Looks like this blog is just trying to get her loyal readers and followers a chance to connect with each other. Otherwise, who will organize and foot the bill?! Hence, a few hand-picked sponsors and favorites to help-out in providing the necessary factors for an event and all pro-bono! i asked a friend of mine who is an avid reader how i can join, but she said all the food exhibitors are invited only, with no fee, just if they can sample some of their stuff to the attendees. SO even though I can’t be a part of it, i’m not a hater, instead I aim to be one of the chosen food purveyors someday!! Seems like a good goal to have if you’re a foodie or a gourmet enthusiast. Better to know that this blog has credibility and is NOT OPEN to the general public or anyone who can just pay their way. 🙂
well said cupcakemanila. i totally agree with you. with only a limited ticket of 150 it could only accomodate a few of the faithful followers of this blog. In my opinion, saying that this has become commercialized is an overstatement. The only sponsor that we can see is the one for the said event only. Unlike the blog of others where we can see commercials everywhere like a beer on the side and a macbook below the title. Sorry, no intention of offending anyone. 🙂
@Blackwidow, that’s just funny 🙂 if yah don’t like it, don’t read it. like me, i’ve stopped reading THAT green-blooded blog because i found it became too commercialized.
with this one though, i can still feel it’s genuine and not just a marketing tool. go ms lori! i’m quite excited to line up for those tix.
agree, every blogger has their own reason and right in what they want to do with the event they organized. up to us reader if we will patronize it or not.
As far as I understand from what I’ve read, Lori doesn’t plan to do this sort of thing on a regular basis–so I doubt this will be a “commercial” endeavor.
Quantify “big and wide” –Mercato is already a pretty big space. And while Top Shelf is an events place in a bookstore, its size helps determine the sort of events and the number of people who attend an event. Plus, if the venue wasn’t sponsored, the price of attendance would go up. The DCF anniversary event was well-attended, and I felt there was more than enough dessert for everyone.
Another food event, held about a month later at a nearby venue by a different group, did not have a set cap on attendance. But their samples were tiny you would have to be a Smurf to walk out happy. The set number is there to ensure everyone gets a fair share.
If DCF wanted to go commercial, it should have charged more than it did for the photo workshop–but it didn’t.
It’s a free country Blackwidow, you can choose to not go. Nobody’s twisting your arm. Really. 🙂
And if you want to critique Anton Diaz, do it on his blog. But don’t lump Lori Baltazar in the same class.
Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…… Blackwidow wants it to be held in a large venue, where MORE people can go, and that makes it LESS commercialized?
Okay then.
I think it’s wrong to brand DCF as commercialized. Lori, for me, is a very honest food writer, who writes what she wants, and how she thinks of, or evaluates, food, restaurants, etc.
Damn lucky for those chosen ones 🙂 I hope to be one of them someday!
i think to say that this blog has become commercialized is an unfair sweeping statement. the nature of a homebaker/artisan food supplier is such that word of mouth is absolutely necessary for you to succeed, else, no one will ever find you. Even reading about them in this (or other) blogs doesnt guarantee that each person who sees a picture or reads a good description will pick up the phone and order whatever it is. MOst (not all, i dont want to generalize) of us are happy enough to know this yummy food exists somewhere, and we wait for an occasion to order it. Lori’s events allow these sellers to reach out to the audience that they’ll have a harder time reaching all by themselves. what lori does here is for her readers, as much as it is for herself, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. She devotes most of her time to blogging, and she should be allowed to make a profit from it if she wanted to. and 3 events in a year is nowhere near “commercial.” suffice to say that those who have been following this blog for a long time, those readers who have gotten to know its writer, probably agree that DCF isn’t going commercial. this blog existed way before “foodie” became a buzzword. this blog isn’t “indie” for indie’s sake, it stays true to the essence of food writing, THAT is why its has a devoted readership, not just people on the lookout for next food craze.
With Lori’s network and connections, if she wanted to go commercial, she could do it on a grand scale with just the snap of her fingers. Do the math and compute just how much she earns from this. Hardly anything.
And, come on, even if Lori eventually goes “commercial”, nothing really wrong with it as long as she believes in the products.
Appreciate the effort you put in bringing together passionate food suppliers so they can have their well deserved enthusiastic audience,Lori. You’ve helped a lot in ensuring that my hard earned pesos don’t go to waste on food that just looks pretty, but really tastes pretty awful. : )
Lori’s not comparable to other blogs. She organizes these events very well and does it in the interests of her readers. When and how is it commercialized? Putting up an event is costly and all the legwork behind it can be a pain. So blackwidow, shut up. Do you see the government helping homebakers put up a venue where they can sell and promote themselves? If you think a 150 ticket is a tag for selling one’s self out, you are highly mistaken! As to the hype, well, there should be one since the readers are trying to do that. And no, it isn’t a bad thing. It’s not like Lori is endorsing beer with desserts. When it comes to that, then we’ll talk.
I can’t help but agree with blackwidow. Some blogs are overrated and this website has lost its original purpose. I used to enjoy following it, but it has gone to join the bandwagon. But with more class. Too pretentious, that is…this has lost its heart.
Not bad, we gotta work for a living. Just disappointing.
Sorry, but I have to completely disagree. If anything, Lori has put even more heart and more of herself into this blog. Remember the survey she had for her readers? She took it to heart and really read and considered all the feedback that was given.
Lori is not a sellout. Let me say that again, LORI IS NOT A SELLOUT.
She is so NOT like Anton (who I really, really hate with a purple passion – I don’t even go to Mercato because of his association with it) who pimps his kids, is the Big Bad Blogger (AFAIK) and who markets himself like cheap fish and tabloids at a “talipapa”. Lori pays for what she eats and writes about, tells exactly what she thinks the truth is and does not compromise her integrity. The moment she becomes a sellout, believe me, I will be the first to call her out on it.
God, I swear, I’ve tried to keep mum about this whole bashing of Lori and DessertComesFirst, but you guys go too far and make sweeping comments that generalize and compare her caliber to the worst of the worst blog-wh*res.
*big breath and gooooose-frabaaaaaah*
I bet Blackwidow and Bakeacake are the type of people who stop supporting a band the moment it breaks through the mainstream citing buzzwords like “sellout” and “commercialized”, think ‘class’ and ‘pretentious’ mean the same thing, and if something is successful enough to be able to try new things, it automatically means a loss of authenticity because they’re all about indie cred.
Sponsored by hersheys, selecta…if thats not commercial, I don’t know what is.
Obviously, you don’t know what real artisans are dear readers. I’m afraid you might be branded as “posers” and “wanna-bes”.
Alors, it is food..we can all agree to love it from appetizer to dessert, whichever order you prefer.
Having your own opinion is one thing, but who the HELL do you think you are to insult everyone here and tell us what we don’t know?
What’s YOUR non-sponsored, completely indie artistic achievent? I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you’re NOT talking out of your @ss. What’s YOUR art, YOUR blog? WHY exactly are you an expert in judging what is artistically pure and what is not? Please DO enlighten us.
I for one, am glad Lori has taken her blog further by not only writing about the food SHE likes, but also giving her readers the chance to try her choices. I think its just a natural progression of her passion. Its not enough to just write about it. She want us to experience it!
I def don’t consider this blog a sell-out, and would like to thank Lori for sharing her time and talent in organizing these events. Too bad it IS limited to only 150.
I will not sit by quietly anymore and have these hooligans with their holier-than-thou comments make sweeping generalizations about someone they hardly know.
Having sponsors is NOT a bad thing. Do you really expect her to use her own money to mount these events? Have you done that? You have the courage to speak ill about something you probably haven’t even done yourself. Even relief operations get sponsors so they have something to give/share. Not that I’m comparing what Lori is doing to a relief operation, but the point is something like this needs funding. Sure, it’s sponsored by Fully Booked and Selecta. So what? Lori didn’t do it because they told her to. They were kind enough to HELP HER mount an event for us. Do you get it? The event is FOR HER READERS. What the heck happened to gratitude?
Second point. Sure she’s charging people. Even though there are sponsors, not everything can be covered by the sponsors. Besides, if we can pay to get into a bazaar yet not find anything but feel ok about it, why can’t we pay to get into this one where we’re sure to get, at least, a free meal? Why single this event out all of a sudden? Just because we have to pay doesn’t make it any less from Lori’s heart.
Lastly, STOP THE HATE ALREADY. If you can’t say anything good, DON’T say anything anymore. If you don’t like it then DON’T go. If you don’t like where Lori’s site is going then STOP reading. It’s that simple. There’s absolutely no need to bad mouth someone just because you don’t agree with what they’re doing/saying. Especially if you don’t know the person well enough. Worse, make sweeping generalizations about something and someone based on so little information.
Oh, and one more thing, if your intentions were sincere, you could have emailed Lori directly about your thoughts and not post it for everyone to see. Congratulations, you got your 15 seconds of fame. You got to feed the attention-seeking-whore inside you. (Yes, it’s my turn to make a judgmental comment.)
Mellow Marco,
I am not picking a fight. It is my opinion and comment. As far as I am concerned, I am still part of the general publlic entitled to read and comment on this. Just as you are commenting on my comment. 🙂
I do not hate, just stated an opinion – take it either way you want. My intention was to state my opinion, do not get overly dramatic about it.
And please, no need to name call.
Cheers!
Sigh. Absolutely missed the point of my comment. Nor did I single you out. But since you acknowledged that you’re one of the ones I was talking about, good for you. The first step is acceptance.
Secondly, kudos. You extended your 15 seconds to 20.
I bet you’re gonna comment again because you’re the type who wants to get the last word on things. 🙂
Still waiting for your credentials that make you an authority over what is artisanal and what isn’t.
you bet 😉
“I think this blog is commercialized” is an opinion. “All you readers don’t know what artisanal means and you’re all posers” is picking a fight, you passive-aggressive, amnesiac, explanation-sidestepping troll.
“I for one, am glad Lori has taken her blog further by not only writing about the food SHE likes, but also giving her readers the chance to try her choices. I think its just a natural progression of her passion. Its not enough to just write about it. She want us to experience it!”
– I 100% agree with you, katrina.
I’ve met Lori in more than one occasion and I saw and felt how passionate she is with what Dessert Comes First is all about. Besides, most food bloggers would tell you that, for the most part, they (okay, including me and my bro) write in the spirit of sharing. And holding events like this gives Lori and her readers an intimate venue to enjoy the food and the experience TOGETHER.
Keep it up, Lori. Your loyal readers love you more because of how much of yourself and your passion you share with us.
Smile everyone. 🙂
basta ako I love Lori and this website. (as in period).Thanks again for making me happy everyday through your blogs, even now that I am sick(flu) I felt well cause my husband already agreed that we will try to be first in line for the tickets . hehehhee. see u soon Lori.
walang pakialamanan ng buhay…if you wanna go..GO!..if you hate this website LEAVE!
basta, i need to have 2 of the tickets…lori please!
Hi Lori,
I hope you take it all in stride.
I believe in your passion and enjoy what I read in your blog. I appreciate the great dessert finds that I would have tried to find myself if I had the time but I don’t so I rely on you and have not yet gotten disappointed. (Last night was the first time for my clan to try Jill’s sans rival and they loved it!)
I met you for the first time at the anniversary party and was amazed at how you knew me just from the email i sent. So did your staff who called me by my first name as I entered. Your warmth and personal care are so reflective of your passion and sincerity. My husband and I had a blast and I took home some of the treats coz we couldn’t eat them all! They were worth more than what we paid. The experience was so new and delightful … hard for others who didn’t go to understand what it is all about or who you really are.
I hope you don’t get discouraged. There’s a saying, “no need to explain — people who know you, do not need it, and those who don’t, will not believe you anyway.”
Keep writing and planning fun events, I continue to need the sugar high to take me away from the insanity of everyday life. Thanks!
🙂 mia
i hope i can get one of those tickets! Where ms lori? Looking at the food purveyors who will be participating in the event makes it more exciting!
There is SO MUCH MORE I want to say (Lori, you know how verbose I can be!), but many commenters above, especially Ian (in particular, the point about one’s popularity being equal to loss of authenticity) and Mellow Marco, have already said my main points; I wouldn’t want to be redundant. 😉
Now, I have to admit that, when I first read about this event, I got a bit confused, too. I even asked my friend from Fully Booked about what the ticket would pay for. But I think what throws everyone off is the word “bazaar.” We compare it to the usual Christmas bazaars, where most food vendors also give samples of what they sell, but the tickets are much cheaper. What made me realize that this event is very different from that, is when my friend said that this will have more purveyors than the 6th Anniversary party. Then, instead of comparing it to a bazaar, I compared it to what took place, and how much I paid, at her previous events. I went to Lori’s first-ever event, the Dessert Tea Party, six years ago. There were 12 kinds of cakes, and we also paid to attend. But there was SO MUCH food that we couldn’t finish our share and took a lot of it home. At the 6th Anniv. party a few months ago, there were 11 purveyors, each of which provided 2-3 kinds of food. The samples are NOT the tiny little, broken-up pieces of food that you get at regular bazaars; they’re properly apportioned servings. So, again, by the end of it, I couldn’t finish everything (and believe me, I can eat my weight in food), and took leftovers home. For that party, the ticket was also about the same price as this one.
Now, for this particular event, there will be 15 purveyors, again with more than one kind of food each. The only difference with this one is that you can actually buy the food they’re serving. Which is even BETTER than before, because if you loved, say, a piece of cake you tasted, you can bring a whole one home with you! Also, if you consider how much it costs to spend for food at a coffee shop or restaurant, then P500 for more than 30 kinds of food is dirt cheap! Not to mention, where else can you try that many food items in one go?! And anyone who’s been reading Lori for enough time can be assured she wouldn’t choose anything unless she really likes it; you might like some dishes better than others, but nothing will be bad.
Now, sure, there are sponsors. But as Mellow Marco said, we can’t expect Lori to pay for all this herself; why should she?! And these sponsors actually make the event more pleasant for the attendees. Top Shelf is a very comfortable and perfectly sized venue, and at the last event, Selecta didn’t force anything on anyone; they just provided free ice cream. HOW could that possibly be a bad thing???
When looked at that way, there is just no way that one could possibly insist that Lori is taking advantage of her readers; quite the opposite! To do so simply reveals one’s narrow-mindedness.
Okay…having said that, I would like to make this point, which, although not directly related to this DCF event, is relevant to the topic discussed in the comments of this post. WHAT is truly so wrong about going commercial, anyway??? Sure, most bloggers write about their experiences for the simple purpose of sharing (or, sometimes, bragging); but, hey…if they could make money out of it (assuming they keep their objectivity and remain straightforward with their readers), what’s so terrible about that? In fact, many bloggers (both big- and small-time) do get paid in the form of free food, invitations to tastings, etc. They gladly accept and write about them afterwards, without everyone else jumping on them for it. I think that Lori’s events are actually LESS commercial than what those bloggers do, because she organizes her own events, and then invites her readers to take part, without any obligation to tell others about it. Yes, we have to pay for it, but don’t you pay for food all the time, anyway? Honestly, if she started a business doing this on a regular basis (which she most likely won’t), I would admire her for doing so, and I would still attend, because I trust her taste and know she is not just passionate, but knowledgeable about food. What is wrong with Lori wanting to share her favorites with us, and giving deserving food purveyors a venue to promote their products, then asking us to pay for it? She is providing us with a service, and that deserves compensation. If you don’t believe that, then move to a communist country. But if you are paid for your talents or skills, then you’ve no right to scream “commercial” or “sell-out.”
Which brings me to a somewhat off-tangent point, but which I think needs to be made. So far, nobody has come to Anton Diaz’s defense, and as someone who has known him for years, I feel that I should. Anton absolutely does NOT deserve all the haters he has. As Mellow Marco said, you cannot judge him unless you know him. Here is someone who started a blog simply to share his food and travel experiences, just like everyone else who blogs does. He has the wherewithal to go to most of the new restaurants, resorts, etc., which many of us don’t. By reading his blog, I am informed of these options, I see the restaurant’s whole menu (a feature of his blog that I SO appreciate), photos of the resorts, and whether or not our opinions agree, at least I got a preview of these places. Now, since Anton was one of the first bloggers who got popular (along with Lori and Marketman), he naturally attracted more attention. Therefore, he managed to find a way to turn what was once just a hobby into something he could profit from and do full-time. He expanded his pursuits to include other ventures which are also related to his passions. The general public BENEFITS from these businesses of his. Please tell me, HOW IS THIS WRONG??? Wouldn’t most anyone want to turn their passion into a business, especially if it makes others happy?! Anton doesn’t cheat us of our money; he doesn’t lie; and NO, I do NOT think he is the Big Bad Blogger — he has categorically denied it, and I believe him. For any of you who think Anton is hateful, I challenge you to get to know him as a person and still think ill of him. I do not claim to be close to them, but I have had the chance to spend time with the Diazes on several occasions, and I can say that Anton and his wife, Rache, are lovely, sweet, sincere individuals. I hope that neither of them has read the terrible, unjust comments above.
Lori, I apologize if I have overstepped my bounds in this comment. It’s just that I feel some people are being horribly unfair, and that someone had to tell them so. Thanks for allowing me to rant on your page. 😉
Lori…something strange happened. My first comment didn’t publish, but my second one did. Please don’t think I prioritized defending Anton on your blog over explaining your side. I wrote a looong comment about my thoughts on this whole issue of your event, and I submitted that before I even wrote the second comment. I HOPE it didn’t get lost in cyberspace!!! 🙁
Just keep in mind,
“kapag ang puno ay mabunga…
…binabato.”
La la la la la.
I’m lining up on Saturday!
Katrina, BRAVA! I am in complete agreement of your defense of both Anton and Lori. Again, ang hindi ko masakyan sa ugali ng Pinoy na hindi matanggal ay either pikon pag natalo or inggitero (i.e. may crab mentality). Bakit sila galit sa taong umasenso or sa taong nanalo? These people WORKED to get to where they are whether you think they deserve the adulation and commercialization or not…..Their success wasn’t handed to them on a plate. Nor did they inherit it from someone else! And if you still think it’s sheer luck that got them there, you can’t do anything about that either. If you look at Anton, Lori or Marketman’s evolution as bloggers, they couldn’t be father from each other. Katrina, thank you for the time you took in putting this brouhaha in perspective. Wave you purple feather on those people who sadly, have very small and narrow minds. That is what keeps this country poor and behind on the progress meter. Because the state of your life is a reflection of the state of your mind! If your mind is filled with abundant and sweet thoughts, I daresay your life will be, as well. Viva to Anton, viva to Lori and viva to Marketman whom I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting. 🙂 You make this world a richer and happier place by sharing your experiences with us! And if we don’t like what we read or if we don’t like you, we shouldn’t even bother reading any of you. Thank you! 🙂