As many of you may know, Chef Nicholas is lucky enough to be the Brand Ambassador for Renshaw, the world's leading manufacturer of rolled fondant. We have been working even more closely with Renshaw for the last few months... doing what you ask? Well, let me tell you!

I'm always so sad to see summer go. I love hot summer days, and days by the beach and pool. Of course, in the cake decorating world, the summer can be less relaxing; it is wedding season after all. Weddings every weekend, and hot weather making buttercream melt and fondant sweat. Yuck. The end of summer brings in a calmer period for many cake decorators, and it also means that ISAC will be open on Saturdays again! Hooray! Starting September 10th, we will be in house every Saturday for your cake decorating needs; and I know you are all excited, because just yesterday on Instagram, one of our amazing followers lamented that she wished we were open on Saturdays. 

Reopening on Saturday's isn't my only fun fall tidbit. Nope, I have some fun events, classes, demos, and guest instructors to tell you about!

It's almost time for the 2016 Sweet Fest Business Convention!! This September 23-25, 2016, business owners in the sweets industry can head down to Atlanta to attend this fantastic event. This conference is a bit different from your average cake/confectionary convention because it focuses on the business side of the industry, rather than the artistic side. Let's be real, it doesn't matter how beautiful your cake design is, or how mouthwatering your cookies are if you don't know how to attract, appeal to, and retain customers. This business savvy and fun convention is more than a trade show, competition, or expo. It is aimed at Sweet Entrepreneurs who want to learn how to grow and manage their business by sharing business knowledge and tools specific to our industry! Oh, and guess who is one of the presenters? Chef Nicholas!

Earlier this week the Cake Masters Awards opened their nominations for the 2016 awards! In 2015 Chef Nicholas was honored to be a finalist in the Cake Hero category. This year we are hoping that Chef Nicholas will be selected as a finalist (and eventual winner!) of the Best Learning Experience Award. With 38 years of experience, Chef Nicholas has reached an innumerable about of students around the world. On Facebook, Chef Nicholas shared the highlights of his teaching career, and I thought I would do the same here. It's our hope that you will consider nominating Chef Nicholas for the Best Learning Experience, especially if you have had the privilege of taking one of his classes!

Chef Nicholas at the ICES Convention

It's that time of year again my fellow cake decorating friends! ICES CONVENTION 2016! We are less than two months away from bringing the cake decorating world to Mobile, Alabama. Chef Nicholas has already begun to prepare for the big weekend, and I am super excited to share some of what ISAC will be offering, as well as some of the activities at this year’s convention.

2015 ICES Convention

The 2015 ICES Convention is less than two months away, and this year we celebrate its 40th anniversary! If you have never attended an ICES Convention, why not start this year? There is a long list of classes, competitions, demos, and shopping to enjoy

Summer Camp is Better with Cake!

Who didn't love summer camp as a kid? Well, ok, probably a lot of kids, but only because they were too young to go to CAKE CAMP!! Every other year the California Cake Club hosts the weekend-long Cake Camp, and guess what? The 15th Cake Camp is this year: August 13-16, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada! There are demos, classes, and a vendor area (code for shopping!). There will be about 18 different retail booths in the vendor area, including our ever popular International Sugar Art Collection booth! There will be 29 wonderful instructors this year teaching a variety of techniques; all skill level classes will be offered, so there are classes for beginningers, experts, and everyone in between! Oh, and guess who will be teaching three 1-day flower classes at Cake Camp? That would be Chef Nicholas Lodge!