So that is what it’s like for everyone else.
They eat, they drink, they laugh and they enjoy, taking photos only of themselves for their personal viewing and to show off to their friends on social media.
I got to have that experience myself recently. For the first time in a decade, I did not cover the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival, a multi-day event that culimates in the Grand Tasting, a food and drink extravenganza on a little penisula that sticks out into San Diego Bay. Instead, I went as a guest of one of the presenters of an earlier tasting, Tom Fisher of BourbonBlog.com, and really enjoyed it.
Normally, when I cover events such as this one, I am busy taking photos, videos and interviewing people. Yes, I enjoy it but I’m always searching for that signature shot and the major moments so I can feature them on PubClub.com’s post-event coverage. I am also posting photos during the event to social media – a must these days – and then spend one or even two days afterward going through the photos, editing videos and writing a review.
This year, I did not have to do any of those things. I cruised around – part of the time with Tom – and ate and drank like every other guest. I was not in a hurry to get to every place and see everything because I was not covering the event. It was a relaxed pace, a nice pace. I also did not have to hold back from getting a nice little buzz during the event, so I had a couple shots of the available spirits.
Now that being said, I still prefer covering events as opposed to just attending them. As a journalist, I always feel the need to describe the scene and scenery to readers. It’s what I do – writers like to write, just as musicians like to play and actors like to act.
Still, it’s nice on occasion to see things from the side of the other people at events.
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