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Travel

2020 International Virtual Tea Festival

November 9, 2020November 8, 2020 3 comments
2020 International Virtual Tea Festival

The Chicago Tea Festival is one of the events that I was looking forward to most this year. Last year was so much fun! Coronavirus had other ideas, and in-person events will not be happening for quite some time. Thankfully the organizers decided to pivot by transitioning to the International Virtual Tea Festival. I wasn’t sure what to expect since this was an entirely new platform, but I’m happy to report that it was an awesome tea-filled weekend.

I completely forgot that I had purchased a Tea Lover’s Pass so I was pleasantly surprised to receive a box in the mail. Similar to what would be given out at the in-person festival, there were tea samples from vendors along with coupons and an issue of Tea Time Magazine. There were also two ceramics teacups to add to my collection.

Classes

The festival was hosted on a platform called Pathable that allowed you to access the sessions through Zoom calls and pre-recorded videos. The majority of them were free, but there was also quite a large number of paid classes. The two I signed up for were I regrettably signed up a bit late, so tasting classes weren’t an option. The teas just wouldn’t have gotten to me in time. That is something I will try to keep in mind for next time.

Even without tasting classes, there was still a full agenda for both Saturday and Sunday. The sessions that I watched ranged from tours of beautiful tea plantations and Japanese ceramics to a deep dive into water quality. I really enjoyed being able to watch at my own pace. There wasn’t quite time to watch everything, but my ticket gives me access to the videos for a few more weeks.

How do you take pictures of a virtual tea event? Here are some snaps from my Instagram stories.

Vendors

One of my favorite things about going to tea festivals is getting to walk around the show floor. Tasting tea, hanging out with friends, and meeting new people are all things I wish I could do right now. The vendor floor for this event featured many familiar companies, as well as a few new ones. Each one had a page set up with links to their websites as well as any specials they might be having. Several vendors had a posted schedule of events planned.

There was also an option for you to visit each company’s virtual booth. This aspect was both cool and awkward at the same time. Visiting the booth started a Zoom call, and you never really knew what you were going to be walking into. If this event is held online again in the future, I think I’ll coordinate with friends so that I’m not doing it all by myself. That would make it a bit more like in-person events since I am usually running around with my fellow tea bloggers.

Tea Blogger’s Roundtable

This was the first virtual Tea Blogger’s Roundtable, and it was a great one. I couldn’t help getting a little choked up when we opened by raising our teacups to our recently departed friend, Darlene Meyers Perry. Our focus was on how coronavirus has affected us all creatively. I always love hearing different perspectives from my fellow bloggers. They all inspire me to keep going, even when times are difficult. The panel included:

Moderators: Marco of Steap’d and Rachel of iHeartTeas

Panelists:

  • Sara – Tea Happiness
  • Daniela – Tea Cachai
  • Danielle – Tea and Me
  • Ricardo – My Japanese Green Tea
  • Anna – The Tea Squirrel
  • Verna – Straight from the Leaf
  • Geoff – Steep Stories
  • Robert – Lord Devotea’s Tea Sprouts

This might have been one of our biggest audiences yet, and they had great questions for the panel. I have missed my tea friends so much. It was great to spend a few hours with them talking about tea and life in these strange times.

I want to send a huge thank you to the festival organizers, Nicole Burris and Babbette Donaldson! They put in so much hard work pulling this event together. I cannot wait until we can all have tea together again, but this really was the next best thing.

Did you attend the International Virtual Tea Festival? What were your favorite classes? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

EventsTea
About Nicole Wilson

About Nicole Wilson

Nicole Wilson is a tea writer and educator who has been sharing her love of the leaf online for more than a decade. Her website, TeaforMePlease.com, is the longest continuously running tea blog written by a female author. In 2018, she won the World Tea Award for Best Tea Blog. Every week you can expect to see reviews of specialty teas and related products, informative articles, reports on important events, and more.

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3 comments

  1. Jackie @ By Golly, Ollie! says:
    November 9, 2020 at 2:00 pm

    I didn’t get to participate in the virtual tea festival this year, but if they do another virtual tea fest next year, I hope to participate (provided Sesame Street can occupy my toddler long enough!). I would have loved to watch the tea blogger panel!

    Reply
    1. Nicole - Tea for Me Please says:
      November 11, 2020 at 1:26 pm

      It was a lot of fun. I really liked that this format allowed people from all to participate. Maybe you’ll join us on the panel next year! 😉

      Reply
  2. Eustacia Tan | Eustea Reads says:
    November 13, 2020 at 9:30 pm

    I really enjoyed the Tea Bloggers Roundtable! I’m really glad they’re keeping the videos up for a bit more – there are a few more talks I want to listen to!

    Reply

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Nicole Wilson. Tea Writer and Educator
Do you love to drink tea, but wish you knew more about it? I'm here to help! The world of specialty tea is massive so it can be a lot to take in. On this blog, you'll find over 1,000 articles and tea reviews to start your journey. I'm always happy to answer any questions you might have!

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