Enter Koprivnica

The food and tech conference gathered interested audience from food and tech world

In the crowded Mijo Kovačić Gallery, successful entrepreneurs presented to the audience how to make money from blogging, how to create digital content that will satisfy even the most demanding customers, and what is the formula for getting big yields from small plantations.

On Friday, 12.7.2019. Taste the idea - a food & tech conference was held at the Mijo Kovačić Gallery in Koprivnica. The conference ended the activity of the second bootcamp held under the “Partnership for All 2” project. Since bootcamp was focused on food and technology, entrepreneurs from these areas were selected as guests of the final conference. How does food marketing look like in the digital age, whether it is possible to make a living from blogging, and how, with the help of technology, small plantations can receive a lot yields, speakers Darko Kontin (Flavorific), Sanja Mijac (Domaćica), Damir Kečanović (Koprivnički malinjak) and Dinko Šimac (Beyond Pines) explained to the audience.

"A good and solid team of people is the key to success, this is a job that requires a lot of work and effort, and in order to create top-notch content, significant financial resources are required," said Darko Kontin, Creative Director of Flavorific Studio. "Flavorific" is a specialized studio providing digital content creation services related to food and kitchen appliances. What are the tasks of such a studio and what are the most common client requests, Darko explained to the audience.

Attendees were eagerly waiting to hear the presentation prepared by Sanja Mijac, a food blogger. Sanja Mijac hides behind the name “Domaćica”, and besides food, she loves photography, so her blog is a real visual treat. She brings joy  to over 200,000 readers a month, and has published a cookbook. "I am happiest when I get feedback from readers who, according to my recipe, managed to make the first cake or meal," said Sanja.

The raspberry grower from Koprivnica, Damir Kecanovic, presented the formula of success of the "Koprivnički malinjak". How smaller crops can produce large yields grown in an environmentally friendly manner, how the whole project is influenced by technology and what is the secret of keeping satisfied customers who return to them year after year, Damir revealed.

At the beginning of the conference, the audience was shown a video created through the project workshops, where mentors, bootcamp lecturers and attendees were introduced. Throughout the bootcamp workshops, 24 trainees passed, 6 mentors created the workshops, and were complemented by guest appearances from 6 lecturers. Through 24 workshops, which lasted 6 weeks, the mentors transfer their practical knowledge and experience in business to the trainees. The trainings were free of charge and the emphasis was on practical examples and interactive learning.

Taste the idea - food & tech bootcamp participants were able to gain knowledge of the state of the art technologies and their importance in food production and processing. They got chance to work interactively to design their own business models, to hear from experts about the obstacles they might encounter when starting a business. The program was complemented by a number of guest lecturers - chefs, nutritionists, brewers, and the whole bootcamp story is rounded with great food that thematically complement educational content. 

Taste the idea - Food & Tech bootcamp is part of the Partnership for All 2 project. It has been approved for funding by the European Union under the European Social Fund's call for Local Employment Incentives - Phase III. The project total value is HRK 1,999,427.02 (EU co-financing is 99.08%). The project leader is PORA KKŽ, and 5 other partners are involved in the project Koprivnica-Križevci County.