The 2026 IFWTWA Professional Development Conference will take place October 18 to 21 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Preliminary Schedule, Subject to Change
Schedule Highlights
Sunday, October 18
9 AM to 3:30 PM: Registration
Noon to 1:15 PM: A Taste of Wisconsin Through the Eyes of a Master Cheesemaker: An Interactive Tasting with Chris Renard of Renard’s Cheese
Renard’s Cheese, home to Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Chris Renard. Wisconsin is the only place outside of Switzerland to offer a Master Cheesemaker program, a certification that can take up to 15 years to complete and is considered one of the most rigorous cheese credentials in the world. Renard’s produces more than 100 varieties of cheese, and one of their cheeses was even featured in the 2025 holiday rom-com A Cherry Pie Christmas.
This session is being designed as a highly interactive experience that brings a bit of the creamery directly to attendees since we will not be visiting the operation in person. In addition to a guided tasting, the session may include cheesemaking demonstrations, video footage from the facility, and storytelling about the inspiration behind the flavors and varieties they create. The goal is to provide an immersive and uniquely Wisconsin experience.
1:30 to 2:45 PM: Bold Flavors, Wisconsin Crafted: A Pine River Tasting Experience
The session will be led by Chauncey Behm, Chief Growth and Innovation Officer at Pine River. Chauncey will explore Pine River’s approach to flavor innovation, showcasing the creativity and craftsmanship behind their award-winning products.
Pine River is collaborating with the Potawatomi culinary team to develop recipes that highlight the versatility of Pine River’s cheeses, so during the session, attendees can experience the Pine River flavors in a few delicious ways.
Opening Reception
4:45 PM: Buses leave the hotel for the reception
5 to 8 PM: Opening Reception, Milwaukee Public Market
* Private Tour of the Market 5 PM
* Public Market Open 5 to 6 PM
* Bar Opens Upper Level 5 PM
* Taste of Milwaukee Food Stations Open Upper Level 6 PM
* Wisconsin Bloody Mary Bar Open 6 PM
* Buses Return to Hotel 8 PM
Monday, October 19
7:30 to 8:45 AM: Breakfast
8:45 to 9 AM: Welcome Address
9 to 9:15 AM: Meet Your IFWTWA Board Candidates Part I
9:15 to 10:45 AM: Inside the Industry: Navigating the Future of Travel, Moderated by Robin Smith
Go behind the scenes of today’s travel industry with representatives from destinations and travel experiences. In this fast-paced panel discussion, industry professionals will share what they’re seeing firsthand, how the industry is evolving, and the trends and challenges influencing decisions now and shaping the future of travel.
10:45 to 11 AM: Break
11 AM to 4 PM: Marketplace Open
11 AM to Noon: Culinary Panel Moderated by Andy Harris
The Culinary Panel is always a conference highlight. This year, we are honored to host an acclaimed chef, a chocolatier, a family cranberry farmer, and a master butcher specializing in gourmet sausages. Milwaukee, culinarily, is far more diverse than fried cheese curds, brats, and frozen custard.
This year’s Culinary Panel features:
- Chef Paul Bartolotta of Bartolotta Restaurants
- Jenna Van Wychen, President, Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association
- Dan Bieser, founder, Tabal Chocolate
- Ryan Foltz, Master Butcher & Artisan Sausage Maker, Foltz Family Market
Noon to 1:15 PM: Lunch in Harmony
1:15 to 2:15 PM: Media Kits That Work: Turning Your Journey Into Opportunity with Shannon DalPozzal
In today’s competitive landscape of food, wine, and travel media, a well-crafted media kit is more than a résumé. It’s a powerful business tool. In this session, best-selling author and travel writer Shannon DalPozzal breaks down what makes a media kit truly effective, from essential components and design to positioning your personal brand for partnerships and press opportunities.
Attendees will learn what to include (and what to leave out), how to present their experience with clarity and confidence, and how to tailor their media kit for different audiences, including tourism boards, PR agencies, and brands. Shannon will also share real-world insights from her own media kit, one that has successfully opened doors across the travel industry.
The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A, giving participants the opportunity to ask specific questions and gain personalized guidance.
2:15 to 3:15 PM: Dedicated Marketplace Hour, Meet with DMOs
3:15 to 3:30 PM: Break
3:30 to 4:30 PM: The Evolution of Destination Dining: How Food is Transforming Travel Presented by Emma Ciciriello, Senior Manager of Food & Beverage Product Development for Holland America Line and Seabourn
As travelers increasingly seek authentic and immersive experiences, food has become one of the most meaningful ways to connect with a destination. Join Emma Ciciriello, Senior Manager of Food & Beverage Product Development for Holland America Line and Seabourn, for an inside look at how destination-driven dining is reshaping the travel experience.
In this engaging session, Emma will explore how culinary programs are evolving to help travelers experience the culture, history and flavors of the places they visit. From regionally inspired menus to culinary ambassador partnerships, destination beverage collaborations, and food-focused shore excursions, she’ll share how food and beverage experiences can bring destinations to life both onboard and ashore.
Drawing on examples from a cruise line with more than 150-years of experience, Emma will explore how historic recipes, regional traditions and evolving guest preferences influence modern menu development. Attendees will gain insight into the opportunities and challenges of creating culinary experiences that feel both authentic and relevant to today’s travelers.
4:30 – 5:45 PM: Break – get ready for dinner
5:45 PM: Shuttle leaves for dinner
6 – 8:30 PM: Exclusive dinner at High Stakes, the newest Bartolotta Restaurant, details coming soon (additional payment required)
9 – 10:30 PM: Networking and Nightcaps in the Hospitality Suite
Tuesday, October 20
7:30 to 8:45 AM: Breakfast
8:45 to 8:50 AM: Opening Comments
8:50 to 9:15 AM: Meet Your IFWTWA Board Candidates Part II
9:15 to 10:15 AM: Visit Milwaukee Panel, moderated by Julia Meehan
The Flavor Era is Milwaukee stepping fully into its identity, bold creative, and unapologetically original, and inviting the world to experience it It is a celebration of the makers, chefs, artists, neighborhoods, and big ideas that do not imitate culture but create it, proving that Milwaukee’s greatest asset is not just what we have, but who we are.
To celebrate its Flavor Era, Visit Milwaukee has invited four panelists: Kristine Hilmer, president & CEO of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association and a member of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association Education Foundation Board of Directors; Tim Cole and Jeffery Coleman, co-owners of MKE Wine Academy; and Zak Baker, Ca’Lucchenzo chef and co-owner, recently named a 2026 James Beard Award semifinalist in the Best Chef: Midwest category.
10:15 to 10:30 AM: Break
10:30 to 11:15 AM: Keynote Speaker, Carrie Matteson, the long-time President of the Woman’s Club of Wisconsin, dedicated community volunteer, breast cancer survivor, and successful entrepreneur.
11:15 AM to 5 PM: Marketplace Open
11:15 AM to 12:15 PM: Dedicated Marketplace Hour, Meet with DMOs
12:15 to 1:45 PM: Lunch in Harmony
1:45 to 2:45 PM: There Are No Stupid Questions: Ask the Experts Anything, Panelists: Kathryn Anderson, Teresa Bitler, Susan Lanier-Graham, Robin Smith, and Kristine Hansen.
Ever wish you could get a straight answer to your biggest writing, blogging, or content creation questions—without feeling like you should already know it? This is that session.
“There Are No Stupid Questions” is an open, unscripted, and highly interactive panel featuring four experienced writers from diverse backgrounds across food, wine, and travel media. Whether you’re refining your pitch strategy, strengthening your voice, growing your platform, expanding into podcasting, or figuring out how to increase your income, this is your chance to ask what’s really on your mind.
Step up to the mic and ask anything. No topic is off-limits, and no question is too basic or too advanced. You’ll hear real-world insights, honest answers, and practical advice drawn from years of experience in the industry.
Come curious. Leave with clarity, ideas, and maybe even the answer you didn’t know you needed.
2:45 to 3 PM: Break
3 to 5 PM: A Taste of Place Through Wisconsin Wine and Cheese, Moderated by Rob Lewis, Wisconsin-based winemaker, certified sommelier, and wine educator, and Molly Browne, Cheese educator and industry leader, Education Director at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and creator of Cheese State University
Experience the beauty of Wisconsin through an immersive tasting that celebrates the relationship between local vineyards, glacial soils, rolling landscapes, and artisan cheeses. From the limestone hillsides along the Wisconsin River to the cool maritime influence of Door County and the fertile drumlins of central Wisconsin, this class explores how geography and climate shape the character of Wisconsin wines and cheeses.
3 to 4:15 PM: Turning Passion Topics Into Published Books, Kristine Hansen
Sometimes writing a few articles isn’t enough—you want to dive deeper into the subject matter, whether it’s a hobby, culinary trend or ingredient, destination, or a food- or travel-related lifestyle or philosophy you advocate.
Your book could be a memoir, narrative non-fiction, travel guide, or cookbook. Learn how to identify the difference between an article and a book, and how to leverage your experience and research into approaching publishers with a book proposal that will turn you from a journalist into an expert.
Expect to take lots of notes, start thinking about your own book, and see real-life examples of a book proposal that landed a contract, as well as instances where the writer turned an article into a book.
5 to 7 PM: Happy Hour in the Hospitality Suite: Taste Milwaukee craft beer courtesy the Wisconsin Brewers Guild.
7 to 9 PM: Dinner on your own; there are several restaurants inside the Potawatomi Casino Resort
9 to 10:30 PM: Networking and Nightcaps in the Hospitality Suite. Snacks, beer, wine, soda, water, and more.
Wednesday, October 21
7:30 to 8:45 AM: Breakfast
9 AM to 4 PM: Experience Milwaukee Day (half-day and full-day tours listed above)
5:45 PM: Shuttle leaves for closing reception
6 to 8 PM: Closing Reception, Women’s Club of Wisconsin
* Docents Available for Mansion and Art Tours
* Dinner and Final Presentation
8 PM: Shuttle returns to Hotel
8:30 to 10 PM: Networking and Nightcaps in the Hospitality Suite