Media Grits Conference

01/06/2021

Happy 2021, media and tourism friends! This year *has* to be better than the last, right? We were able to have a team Zoom meeting right before the holidays and settle on rescheduled dates for our first-ever Media Grits conference in April 2022. More info coming soon, but we didn't want to leave those of you who have been planning to attend hanging as we wait out this pandemic!

04/24/2020

ANNOUNCEMENT: Our new Media Grits dates will be April 6-8, 2022 at The Harpeth Hotel in Visit Franklin, TN.

03/17/2020

MEDIA GRITS UPDATE: We've been quiet on this front out of respect for those in our community who lost their homes and loved ones to the March 3 tornado; COVID-19 engulfed the United States shortly after, and it feels a bit like a two-one punch to our division of Tennessee. Oof. 2020, be a bit kinder, will you?

As it currently stands, we're proceeding with Media Grits as planned: Aug. 5-7 at The Harpeth Hotel in Visit Franklin, TN. Here's to hoping the scientists and healthcare professionals risking their lives to find a cure are able to curb the spread and that everyone else who can possibly do so stays at home and safe until then. In the meantime, hunker down, friends, and we'll loop back to you in the near future with more news about Media Grits. ❤️❤️❤️

02/29/2020

An up-close look at the for-hire manipulation industry polluting today's information environment.

Despite Big Tech’s attempts to combat manipulation, companies that sell clicks, likes and followers on social media are easy to find.

02/28/2020

**MEDIA GRITS SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT**

A huge congrats to Media Grits speaker Vivek Surti, who was named a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef in the Southeast this week!

Vivek is the culinary creator of Tailor Nashville, the dinner-party style South Asian American restaurant that has appeared on Bon Appétit’s Hot 10 list of America’s best new restaurants, as well as Thrillist’s list, “12 Best New Restaurants in America.” The restaurant gave a home to Vivek’s popular VEA Supper Club, Nashville's first and longest running series of pop up restaurants that he created in May 2011. Vivek’s food point of view, South Asian American, reflects his heritage of being a first-generation American of Indian descent born and raised in Tennessee. His hospitality is served up as delightfully as the dishes he prepares, welcoming everyone around the table as if they are in his own home, and his tradition of telling relatable vignettes about each dish as a palate cleanser between courses at his supper club events will continue as he takes up residency at his own restaurant Tailor.

Previously, Vivek was the public relations director at the Nashville Wine Auction and will join a group of fellow hospitality entrepreneurs for a deep-dive into honest restaurant reporting and how publicists, CVBs and restaurateurs can better work with food journalists. Check out Vivek's award-winning restaurant here —> https://www.tailornashville.com/

02/25/2020

**MEDIA GRITS SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT**

Jesse Goldstein has worked in the food and beverage industry for more than 25 years. He began his professional career as a chef before he transitioned into restaurant management, and ultimately landed in marketing, graphic design, and branding, where he’s built a solid reputation for his work on local, regional and national brands. As the CEO and Creative Director of Fresh Branding in Nashville, Jesse has overseen the brand development of more than 75 restaurants, distilleries and consumer products. His experience on both sides of the business has brought him a unique understanding of the nebulous and often misunderstood world of marketing and branding, as well as insight into how those ideas must be executed and implemented in the modern day marketplace. He'll be on a panel with other food media experts discussing the state of restaurant critics and honest reporting today.

Follow Jesse's delicious adventures on his Instagram account —> https://www.instagram.com/food_sheriff/

02/24/2020

Do you know the difference between branded content and native advertising? Do you use either (or both) in your marketing strategy?

Congrats on taking the next step in your journey to understand all things content marketing. Now that you’re familiar with all the key content marketing terms, it’s time to graduate to level two of Content Marketing: Fake It ‘Til You Make It. It can be very confusing when everyone in the indus...

02/22/2020

With more media layoffs than ever—and, correspondingly, less freelance dollars, it seems—it's imperative for journalists to figure out how to diversify their skillsets, something we'll be talking about in-depth at .

It’s understood to be moving editorial operations to California.

02/19/2020

Do actual food critics still exist? Is it possible to be truly honest in a restaurant review when someone else is footing the bill? We love this look at the world of food writing via Keia Mastrianni for Charlotte magazine and will be discussing at length at the conference.

A case for informed, ethical restaurant criticism in an era of pay-to-play 'influencers'

02/14/2020

**MEDIA GRITS SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT**

Jade Broadus is the Vice President and Creative Director at Travel Mindset, an influencer marketing agency for the tourism and lifestyle industry. From overall creative strategy to social media and influencers, online and offline activations and every little decision in between, Jade helps develops the most engaging and innovative marketing campaigns. Travel Mindset has managed and executed more than 900 marketing campaigns for clients such as Fairmont Hotels, AccorHotels, Virgin Atlantic, Celebrity Cruises, Airbnb, and country, state and city DMOs and CVBs from all over the world, including Visit Britain, Visit California, Panama City Beach Florida, Visit Memphis, and Morocco Tourism.

In addition to Travel Mindset, Jade is the CEO of Vagabond3, an award-winning family travel blog. She has photographed and written for publications like National Geographic, Turkish Airlines, Expedia, Forbes, Marriott, Lonely Planet, Parents Magazine, and various other print and online publications. Read about Jade's recent trip to Maui here —> https://vagabond3.com/augustines-first-trip-to-hawaii-a-toddlers-guide-to-maui-review-of-fairmont-kea-lani/

02/12/2020

**MEDIA GRITS SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT**

Chris Chamberlain is a Nashville-based food, drink, wine, spirits, and travel writer who regularly writes for the Nashville Scene, Conde Nast Traveler, and The Local Palate. This local editor for Google and Zagat also has contributed to the Food Network, AFAR, Nashville Post, The Bourbon Review, the SFA’s Gravy newsletter, Southern Craft Beer, Taste of the South, Destinations of the World, and Edible Nashville and is the author of both The Southern Foodie: 100 Places to Eat before You Die and The Recipes That Made Them Famous.

Read Chris' latest piece in Thrillist on the coolest neighborhoods in Nashville —> https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nashville/where-to-stay-in-nashville

02/11/2020

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