The number of  2010 Wine Bloggers Conference registered participants has surpassed the total number of participants who attended the 2008 WBC!  Thanks to all the bloggers and industry representatives who attended the previous conferences and to those who have already registered or who are planning to register for 2010. You are making this happen!

The 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference Scholarship Fund was put in place to sponsor selected recipients with funding to attend the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington.  This is a fund created and directed by wine bloggers and they are in need of support to help send those who can’t quite find the extra pennies to Walla Walla. Funds are generated by donations from participating wineries, PR agencies, wine business industry members, and individuals like you. If you wish to donate to this fund or if you think you know a likely candidate, please contact the scholarship fund. Skip that morning latte and donate to a needy blogger!  To contact the scholarship or donate visit the Wine Bloggers Conference Scholarship Fund today.

If you have already registered for the conference or when you do, be sure to reserve yourself a room as well. The Marcus Whitman Hotel is holding 100 rooms for June 25 and June 26 at $129 per room per night. You can call 509.525.2200 or 866.826.9422 to make that reservation. Let them know you are with the Wine Bloggers Conference to receive the preferred rate.

Approximately 35 Wine Bloggers are attending both the Pre & Post Conference Excursions to the Yakima Valley on June 24 and the Red Mountain AVA on June 27. In the near future we will be posting final details on both excursions and when that happens, we expect to see even more wine bloggers get on the bus. These excursions were created to assure that bloggers make the most of their visit to this unique and beautiful wine region. When you register or if you have already registered, please be sure to reserve a room. The Richland Hampton Inn is offering Wine Bloggers a rate of $75 plus tax for June 24 and June 27. You can reserve those rooms by calling 509.943.4400. Just let them know who you are.

Stay tuned!

It’s the first week of 2010 and there is a lot happening in preparation for the June 25 – 27, 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference. There are already 115 participants registered for this year’s event! Thanks to all those bloggers who have already signed up and for those who have not, our maximum capacity is 300 and the last two years have left over 140 on the wait list so registering sooner rather than later is a good idea. In addition, close to twenty are already signed up for both the pre and post conference excursions. These excursions are a great way see, taste, and experience more of Washington with a visit to the Red Mountain and Yakima Valley AVA’s. More details regarding the excursion’s exact agendas will be posted in the near future.

The 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference is excited to already welcome some excellent sponsors from near and far to this year’s event. There are still sponsorship opportunities available. At the present, our sponsors include the Walla Walla Wine Alliance who is sponsoring our Friday After Hours walkabout and introduction to Walla Walla, while Rias Baixas Albarino and Wines from Spain is set to sponsor the Saturday evening fiesta. Jeffrey Saad will help us pair wines provided by the Click Wine Group with local foods.  The Washington Wine Commission will host Saturday’s dinner and we are excited to have  Ste. Michelle Wine Estates host Friday’s dining experience. The conference kicks off on Friday, June 25th with four hours of wine tasting and education provided by Hogue Cellars, the Meritage Alliance, the Lake Chelan Wine Growers Association, the Indiana Wine Grape Council, Barnard Griffin Winery, and a Walla Walla Wine Woman to name a few. With that reception, we’ll pair a fun lunch sponsored by the Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Center.

The agenda is coming together nicely too. In the months ahead, we’ll be asking you for your input and suggestions for the blogger’s educational Breakout Session content and keynote speakers. The Wine Bloggers Conference will once again host Tom Wark and the American Wine Blog Awards with 2009′s first announcement and presentation to the winners. Saturday afternoon will allow our bloggers to break into smaller groups and travel to and through local vineyards and wineries that will also be hosting lunch. This year’s Live Wine Blogging will feature separate Red and White Wine Blogging Sessions with several new and improved components that will only benefit the entire blogging and wine tasting experience. Finally, we’d like to note here that there will be WiFi, it will be strong, and it will be available for all and always!

Be sure to peruse the Wine Bloggers Conference site for more details and keep coming back to look for updates. If you are already registered, good for you. You might want to let your friends in the blogging community know that this year is not to be missed and that it is once again looking like it will sell out. If you are not registered, now is the time. We sincerely wish you all the best in 2010 and look forward to seeing you at the show. Cheers!