2019 – Miami, FL
You’re probably wondering what is SoFlo Expo in the baking industry?
Well, let’s travel to the South Florida Cake & Candy Expo where you find all baking and cake products from various brands around the world all being held in Miami, FL. I heard of SoFlo a few years ago and have been dying to visit! I definitely had to attend one the moment I moved to Florida. Most expos in the industry cater to business bakeries and pastry shops. However, this expo seemed to also cater to home bakers, cake artists, cookie makers, sugar artists, and more.
I would definitely recommend getting the VIP ticket just for the grab bag. It held A LOT of products of several brands and tools that I didn’t expect. They even had a helpful app with times, locations, a map of events, and a list of vendors.
I was ecstatic to see the latest gadgets and tools in person because let’s face it no one wants to buy something and not work as it should wasting money. This is also a great event to save money as you can take numerous classes from your favorite chefs in the industry in one spot as opposed to visiting them individually around the country/world. I took a few such as the cake popsicles, stenciling, wafer paper, and Korean buttercream workshops. I would also suggest booking classes in advance because the best ones sell out quickly. If there’s one class, I recommend is any workshop taught by Michelle Smith from Cake Craze New Castle. I did the short stenciling workshop with her, but wish I would have taken the full class. She has a bubbly personality, is funny, and made the demo fun.
There were also free workshops throughout the expo. I got the chance to visit a brand I’ve always used, Satin Ice. Having access to various products is a great way to work and taste them. I tried their new Chocopan covering chocolate and I loved it! I’m not a big chocolate person, but it didn’t taste like chocolate at all. It had a mildly sweet flavor to it, so it wouldn’t overpower any flavor cakes you make with it. It comes in a variety of colors as well, but what I loved about it is that it doesn’t wrinkle or dry out like Fondant. Yes, you heard correctly it was smooth and easy to handle so fewer cracks!!! It can be daunting when you have to redo the fondant when it doesn’t come out right. I’m a fan! Though, I’m curious how it would work in hot temperatures with high humidity (like living in Florida), and customer reactions. If you purchase online make sure you buy the right one as they have two versions, Chocopan Modeling Chocolate to make figures and Chocopan Covering Chocolate for cakes.
The expo had a few areas where you can take selfies or group photos with fun and bright backgrounds. How awesome is that Cake-Designed Sprinkle Jeep out at the entrance?
There are so many products in the market today that the only thing I could recommend is buying what you use the most and items that can’t ship easily to you.
If you’re ready to show off your cake skills, there are a few cake competitions for different levels using different mediums (photos in gallery below).
I read a question about whether you can see everything in one day and I would honestly say you can’t. If you’re browsing then yes, but not if you’re also doing the classes, demos, and looking to purchase products for your business. This is also a great way to network with brand representatives and discuss how they can fit into your business operations. There are a few equipment companies there as well if you want to up your place with brick-and-mortar kitchens. You can certainly see everything, but not in one day. I felt I couldn’t check everything that I wanted to see because demos or book signings could be happening at the same time you’re taking a class. Bring $$$ and more 💰 With all the buzz of new and hard-to-find products you’ll want to buy all the baking products haha. I had a bag break, lost another, and learned a tip from another baker to bring a cart or suitcase.
Also, I did use this time to meet up with other bakers from my town. Use this time to meet your fellow bakers from Facebook baking groups that you talk with but don’t get to see. It’s always fun to meet up for drinks and share experiences.
Another Tip: I would follow soflocakeandcandyexpo IG account to get an alert, here or check the website for the latest classes. They sell these tickets almost a year in advance and they sell out quickly. Their new date is already listed on April 28-30, 2023.
Photos of my adventures at SoFlo 2019 are below 🙂
Disclaimer: I did not receive any monetary exchange or products for my opinions on this blog post.
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