The festival-within-a-festival, now in its fourth iteration, started when SOBEWFF founder Lee Brian Schrager spotted massive lines at a Capital One installation in New York City featuring food influencers doing demonstrations. It was the same weekend as BravoCon, which inspired the name. "I remember just saying, 'God, I really need to create a FoodieCon,'" Schrager says.
And the rest is history.
Beyond the Algorithm
This year's lineup reads like a feed of food social media stars. Viral sensation Nick DiGiovanni and restaurant review powerhouse Keith Lee will headline alongside 12-year-old phenom Keon (Cooking with Keon), who boasts millions of followers.The day mixes serious shop talk with playful competition. Panels tackle "The Creator Economy: Cashing In" and "The Viral Factor," while Miami's food personalities brave "In the Hot Seat with Tari Hot Sauce: 305 Edition." The "FoodieCon Olympics" pits creators against each other in culinary and content creation challenges.
Local food creator George Arango (@Mr.Eats305) sees the event as more than just another photo op. "This is about elevating our community," he says. "There's no better connection than being there with like-minded people who share similar interests." The festival provides creators a platform to showcase what audiences don't see online and preview new ideas.
FoodieCon has accumulated approximately 12 billion impressions across its iterations, averaging three billion per event.
South Beach Wine & Food Festival photo
A New Recipe for Food Festivals
SOBEWFF's evolution mirrors the changing food media landscape. The festival now serves up a mix of Michelin-starred chefs, Food Network personalities, and digital creators. "I don't know that anyone else reaches as broad an audience as we do," Schrager says.The strategy works. FoodieCon has accumulated approximately 12 billion impressions across its iterations, averaging three billion per event. The event has forged dozens of brand partnerships, with companies like HexClad and StarKist joining traditional festival sponsors.
The transformation is evident for Arango, who started creating content in 2016. "It is truly night and day seeing things grow from when I started to where it is now," he says. "From there not being an option when applying for media credentials at a festival as a digital creator to now festivals and brands working together with creators to host and advertise them."
FoodieCon Presented by StarKist. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, February 22, at Mondrian South Beach, 1100 West Ave., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $100 at sobewff.org/foodiecon.
