Do you love delicious conscious food, building connections and learning how to grow your brand/business? If you answered yes to any of these then this festival is for YOU.
The Seed Food & Wine Festival is a 5 day experience held in Miami, Florida with multiple events happening each day. This is a mecca for anyone seeking entrepreneurial direction or just plain ole bangin’ food [that happens to be 100% plant based] if business isn’t your thing. I had the privilege of attending this event for the first time this year as a blogger [along with my hubs snapping pics for online publication] and to say we LOVED it is an understatement.
To make it easy for you to understand exactly what goes on at each event throughout the week – and to help you choose which [if not all] are best for you, I’ve created this guide to break it all down. From ticket pricing, day to day content, food and insider tips you’ll find everything you need to know to master the epic-ness that is Seed Fest.
Be mindful that event times, locations & pricing are all subject to change for next year’s events but the format and value in terms of what is offered will remain the same.
EVENTS
DAY 1:
VIP KICK OFF PARTY • 7-10pm
TICKET PRICE: $75
Each year the festival begins with a VIP kick off party which sets the tone for the awesome events to come. The party includes specialty cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and kombucha where speakers, influencers, bloggers, foodies and those participating throughout the week are able to mingle and network.
This year the party was held at Planta, a plant based Miami restaurant with gorgeous decor and a hip indoor and outdoor atmosphere. Some of the key sponsors this year were GTS kombucha, Kettle One Vodka and Green Roads Cbd oil where specialty cocktails with all three products were offered to attendees.
The appetizers for the evening were provided by Planta, featuring some of their most popular menu items that included: cauliflower bites, sushi, flatbreads and an adorable chocolate mouse terrarium.
The food was absolutely incredible and the bar kept busy all night. The husband and I aren’t drinkers so we indulged in these new GTS high alcohol content kombuchas instead. Beware, they definitely pack a punch!
This event is great as it offers a very intimate setting that allows the opportunity to really get to know some of the guests, influencers and keynote speakers before the busy week begins. I myself got a chance to chat it up with some popular faces you may recognize below.
DAY 2:
SEED SUMMIT DAY 1 • 8:30am-5pm
TICKET PRICE: $150
*2 day summit + Tasting Village Day event admission included
The Seed Summit is a back to back two day event that goes on from 8:30am-5pm with breakfast, lunch, happy hour and the Festival Day Tasting Village event included in your ticket purchase.
The Summit offers extremely valuable speakers/panels [curated by the lovely Jeannette from the podcast Planted In Miami] providing insight on a wide range of topics that include: trademarking, how to partner with large companies, staying organized, gaining media coverage, SEO and SO much more. Click here to see the full talk/speaker schedule for both days – Speaker Schedule/Topics
This year’s summit was held at the American Airlines Arena on the gorgeous main concourse floor with an ocean view and access to the outside patio seating area. Each day began with a buffet style breakfast from 8:30-9:25am featuring delicious foods, fresh raw juices and kombucha.
The amount of information alone makes this event beyond worth the price but once you factor in the food it’s truly next level. Day 1’s breakfast menu included an oatmeal bar complete with toppings [provided by Raw Juce], tofu scramble, tomato ricotta toast, yogurt, fresh fruit and chia seed pudding.
Day 1’s lunch included veggie spring rolls, sautéed veggies, white rice and mini banh mi sandwiches. Seriously UH-MAZING. The day then ended with a happy hour on the outdoor patio.
BURGER BATTLE • 7p-10pm
TICKET PRICE: $60
After our first day of Seed Summit we took a small break at a friend’s house and prepared ourselves for the infamous Burger Battle – a cook off amongst vegan chefs from across the nation where attendees vote on the best plant based burger. This year it was hosted in the heart of Miami’s art district known as Wynwood.
When purchasing a ticket to Burger Battle you are not only receiving a burger from each competing chef [there were 12!!], you also get unlimited wine, cocktails, kombucha, beer and desserts! There was even a Smores making station sponsored by Dandies Marshmallows you guys – I mean COME ON. I tapped out at 5 burgers, there was just no way.
The price for this event is well BEYOND the value. Even if you aren’t vegan or plant based I highly recommend adding this to your list of events for next year because the food is just THAT GOOD.
Congrats to Green Bar Kitchen in collaboration with Field Roast for taking home the win with their delicious breakfast themed burger AND getting engaged all in the same night!!
DAY 3:
SEED SUMMIT DAY 2 • 8:30am -5pm
Day 2 of the Summit began promptly at 8:30am with pancakes, quiche, fruit, oatmeal, Follow Your Heart yogurt and fresh juice on the breakfast menu.
The day carried on with speakers followed by small breaks in between sessions and lunch. The menu for lunch on Day 2 was a faux tuna courtesy of a soon to launch brand called Good Catch Foods, purple potatoes, 3 bean salad and green beans prepared by Sparrow Lane’s Chef.
Throughout both days there were also vendors set up upstairs offering snacks and beverages such as CBD coffee, chocolate fondue, mini cupcakes & doughnuts from Parlour Vegan Bakery, hand crafted fruit popsicles by Vintage Pops, gourmet chocolates from Bon Chocolatier and La Croix drinks.
The amount of knowledge I obtained [and food I consumed!] between these two days alone was unreal.
BEST OF THE BEST DINNER • 7-10pm
TICKET PRICE: $135
*Conscious fashion show admission and open bar included
FASHION SHOW ALONE: $30
*open bar included
Ok this experience was seriously something else. After the final day of the Summit, we went back home to change for a Conscious Fashion Show and a dinner that far exceeded our expectations.
The Best of the Best Dinner is a five course high end plant based meal experience designed and prepared by world renown chefs. From the plating presentation to the flavor profile of each dish, it is truly the epitome of a fine dining experience.
The dinner and fashion show were held at a beautiful venue called The Sacred Space Miami which is known for its spiritual elements and decor. The vibe here is so peaceful and embodies the idea of “mind, body and soul“. The night began outdoors with a Dj, open bar, hors d’oeuvres and a few eco conscious vendors to pass time before the actual dinner began.
Once the dinner was ready for seating, guests were led into an indoor room with 3 long, beautifully decorated tables plated for our meal. The menu included a wide variety of flavors and fusion creations from truffle ricotta to Cuban coffee cake. I mean, just take a look at the images below – it was truly incredible.
Once the dinner was finished we were led back outside where the Conscious Fashion show began. Models were showcasing creative pieces created from recycled materials themed around materials found in the ocean.
DAY 4:
FESTIVAL DAY TASTING VILLAGE • 12-6pm
admission included with Seed Summit ticket purchase
TASTING VILLAGE ALONE: $55
Close your eyes and picture a massive room [and outdoor area] filled with all the food and drink your little heart desires. This is TASTING VILLAGE DAY.
The event features over 150 vendors offering large portion samples of all kinds of plant based food, snacks, desserts, wines and kombucha. There are also tons of eco friendly beauty companies/ products for sale and let’s not forget about all the coupons for major brands too!
If you attended the 2 Day Seed Summit speaker events then you gained admission into this event as well – otherwise it was $55 for advanced tickets alone. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Amidst the food smorgasbord you can also enjoy speakers and live food demonstrations by some of the best plant based chefs/personnel in the industry. It’s hard to say how much we ate over the course of this event but take a scroll to see just a FEW of the items:
And as if those series of events weren’t enough the party didn’t stop there. We unfortunately had to head back to Orlando after the Tasting Village but there was also an After Party Event and a Farm To Table Dinner that followed PLUS a Brunch and Yoga/Meditation the following day.
SEED DOES IT RIGHT.
Whether you are a food enthusiast, business entrepreneur, Influencer or just your average person who likes to eat and drink – the Seed Food & Wine Festival is a serious MUST.
Want to see video clips from all of the above mentioned events? Check out my Instagram page here @chooseloveart and click the “seed summit” highlight icon.
I hope you found this guide helpful and that you’ll be joining me next year!
Til next time,
~ Chantel
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