SOLD OUT: Seafare Symposium, Seaweed + Oyster Social
Tuesday, February 18 - The Redd, Portland, OR
We are making a space for passionate food industry dreamers, makers and doers to take action.
Part of our three-day Blue Foods Forum, the Seafare Symposium will turn the traditional conference model on its head. Join us for a full day of immersive industry-focused workshops designed to drive progress and inspire collaboration around Oregon’s food system challenges and opportunities. If you’re tired of talking about ideas, and would rather be in a room with action-oriented, fun, and ocean-loving folks, this is the right place for you.
Over the course of the day, we will take a deeper dive on all things related to Oregon's wild and incredible foods from the sea, and explore how localizing our food systems and re-imagining of use our natural resources can ignite a better future for all. Food system champions such as Nikki Guerrero of Hot Mama Salsa, Chef Andre Uribe, Chef Maylin Chavez and Alanna Kieffer of Shifting Tides NW will help guide discussions and storytelling to help craft a vision for the future food systems we long to see. Enjoy intentional conversations, updates on compelling projects and business resources, and delicious ocean-centric food.
Symposium Workshop:
9 AM - 4 PM An immersive, industry-focused workshop designed to drive progress, activate solutions, and inspire collaboration around Oregon’s food system challenges. Registration fee includes breakfast snacks, art and seafood demos, tastings and lunch. Full scholarships or industry discounts available upon request. This workshop is limited to 50 attendees. Registration to the symposium includes entry to the Seaweed + Oyster Social.
Seaweed + Oyster Social:
4 PM - 6 PM For those who can’t make it to the Seafare Symposium workshops, join us for an informal happy hour mixer at The Redd! Enjoy networking with chefs, food scientists, and other seaweed and ocean-venture curious, in this business social featuring oysters and tasty sea snacks. In addition to Haystack Shellfish Cø oysters on the half shell by Chef Maylin Chavez, the student chefs from Siletz Valley School will be serving hot dishes out of a food trailer. Come support these students, who participate in Oregon's first ever High School Seafood Butchery Program.
This portion is open to the public; $10-20 sliding scale entry benefits the Oregon Kelp Alliance and Central Coast Food Web. Social is included for workshop attendees as part of registration.
Come for one event or all the Blue Foods Forum events in Portland!
Tuesday, 2/18: Seafare Symposium, Seaweed + Oyster Social
Wednesday, 2/19: Ocean Art! Xperience
Thursday, 2/20: Seafaring Speakeasy
Our Portland lodging partner, KEX Portland, is offering a Winter Waters discount all of February for those coming from out of town for Winter Waters events. Use code ILOVESEAWEED for 20% off room nights.
Huge thanks to our sponsors and venue partners: Oregon Coast Visitors Association, Travel Oregon, Oregon Coastal Mariculture Collaborative, The Builders Initiative, Ecotrust, Art Design Xchange, and Union Pine for making these event possible!
About Us
Winter Waters is an Oregon-born initiative dedicated to promoting seaweed as a superfood culinary ingredient and enhancing local Oregon coast food systems. Our mission is to bridge the gap between consumers and sustainable seafood sources through education and shared meals.
Each February, Winter Waters collaborates with chefs and tastemakers to celebrate local seafood! The state of Oregon boasts some of the most sustainable fisheries in the world, yet much of the seafood produced is exported, and a significant portion of consumed seafood is imported (about 90%!). There is a disconnect between the people and the process and we’d like to help bridge this gap through education and delicious culinary experiences.
Winter Waters Co-Founders: Alanna Kieffer, Kristen Penner, and Rachelle Hacmac