The Value of Belonging to a Travel Writers Group
The International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA)
Aug 10, 2009
The International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) is a resource base for professionals engaged in the food, wine and travel industries.
The association (IFWTWA) was founded in Paris in 1956 to critique restaurants, wines and hotels in France. The IFWTWA's headquarters was moved to the United States in 1981 and by 1991 had grown to include writers, authors, photographers and broadcasters (mostly domestic and several international).
The members cover a broad spectrum of travel destination attractions such as active and passive adventure activities, ecology, historical features, culture, fairs, festivals and special events. Some members' writing niches also include food and wine. Some members are from the culinary arts and sciences, the wine growing and production industry, and in the hotel and hospitality management industries.
The membership standards include a minimum of 10 published or other media travel articles per year. IFWTWA enforces a code of professional conduct and periodically audit theur more than 300 members.
Coordinated Media Trips
The association organizes conferences, regional meetings, and press / media trips to provide members with story opportunities, information and contacts essential to a successful career in food, wine, and travel journalism.
Since 1994, they have held at least three media trips per year (usually several), out of which have come thousands of travel articles, photographs, and broadcasts to a wide range of outlets reaching millions of viewers, listeners, and readers.
The trips are typically done in coordination with visitors and convention bureaus, chambers of commerce, public relations agencies, and marketing and communications personnel of airlines, cruise lines, resorts, hotels, and restaurants. They facilitate story opportunities for the members, and they also facilitate access for their hosts to working qualified journalists with substantial outlets and mass circulation.
The association recently adopted a policy of forwarding clips resulting from their members' visits directly to hosts, relieving them of this collection task.
IFWTWA Benefits of Membership
Regular Members are listed in the association directory, when updated, with a listing of their media outlets and a cross-reference of their listing by location. Associate members use the directory to locate members for press trips, press releases, etc.
Associate Members are listed in the directory describing their services and/or clients represented.
Members receive the IFWTWA monthly newsletter the Press Pass.
New members names, addresses and phone numbers are announced in the newsletter, along with their directory listing description, when they become members.
The IFWTWA has regional luncheon meetings in various cities organized by Regional Directors offering camaraderie, travel industry speakers and networking opportunities.
Several times a year the IFWTWA presents a conference for members, usually including a limited number of companion/guests, offering members an opportunity to experience a region or country with pre and post conference trips that can include anywhere from a week to a month of travel experiences in the conference region or country.
Global Writes Magazine
The official magazine of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, Global Writes provides an ever-expanding library of illustrated trip reviews by professional travel journalists with advice on the best vacation ideas and itineraries, plus tips and recommendations on global destinations, hotels, B & B's, cruises, restaurants, food, wine and more.
Culinary Division Advisory Board Chefs
The world is full of spectacular chefs and the IFWTWA has many on their advisory board. These chefs include such luminaries as Darina Allen of County Cork, Ireland, Teage Ezard of Melbourne, Australia, Daniel Boulud of New York, USA, French Master Chef Hervé Laurent, Guy Martin of Paris, France, and many more.
Celebrity Wine Masters
From the vine to the wine to those who understand and appreciate all aspects, the association's wine director, and sommeliers, will provide insight to grapes and their delicious results. Included are Doc Lawrence and Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers, David LeClaire.
RESOURCES
 |
