Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Richard and Natasha O’Connor.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Melanie and Natasha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
We got our entrepreneurial start as the owners of Sweet Life Cake and Candy Supply, a store that we opened after realizing there was nowhere near our homes to purchase baking supplies. We met in high school and kept in touch over the years. Both of us started to have families and left our jobs to be stay at home moms. Somewhere along the way, we both became bakers and started to bond over the issue of not having somewhere in Kendall where we could get our baking supplies. In 2012 we opened Sweet Life Cake and Candy Supply to fill that void for not only us, but much of Miami’s budding baking community.
Once the shop was up and running, we started attending trade shows around the country. We were meeting tons of insanely talented cake artists and people in the baking industry. After a few years of going to the same trade shows and seeing the same groups of people travel to them, we decided South Florida needed an event its own. We spent hours and lots of late nights brainstorming and planning. In 2014 SoFlo Cake and Candy Expo was born.
This will be our fourth year of SoFlo Cake and Candy Expo and its South Florida largest and most interactive cake and candy expo. In its short existence, SoFlo Cake and Candy Expo has already proven to be one of the most dynamic and engaging events for cake and candy industry professionals, enthusiasts and hobby bakers. It’s been a crazy ride, but we’ve loved every moment of it.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As entrepreneurs, we have learned that it’s never a smooth road. But every bump is an opportunity to learn. Some lessons are definitely more expensive than others. Last year, we learned that if it’s too good to be true, it might be. We aren’t very tech savvy and we trusted the wrong people. From that we’ve learned to be less naive and to do more investigating into another businesses’ background. Let’s just say – we’ve got a new understanding and appreciation for contracts and good lawyers.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about SoFlo Cake and Candy Expo – what should we know?
SoFlo Cake and Candy Expo is one of the largest baking focused trade shows in the country. We have everything any baker or candy maker could possibly need to start or grow their business. Each year we have over 100 vendors on site selling the newest tools and supplies needed in the cake world. Picture everything from fondant, to edible glitter, to chocolates in every color and flavor, to cookie cutters in more shapes than you can imagine. If you need it to make dessert, SoFlo has it! We host over 80 classes ranging from beginner demos to 6 hour hands on master classes with some of the world’s most well-known cake artists.
We also have a themed cake competition with categories for amateurs and professionals. Entries include cakes and a new cookie category. This year we are also introducing an Author’s Corner where attendees will have the chance to meet some of their favorite authors in the baking world. Our expo is open to all ages, and even has a kid’s area with cookie and cake decorating just for them.
Over 4k attendees from all over the world come to South Florida for the expo. We are so proud to see many returning guests who tell us how much they look forward to our show and how they haven’t seen anything like it. We love hearing new guests tell us how they heard about us from a friend and that they just HAD to come.
We’re unlike any other baking trade show because we are very much consumer focused, and not just toward already established bakers. We have all the ingredients (pun intended) to help anyone starting out or who is even just a little bit curious about the cake and candy world.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
To be completely honest, we’re basically a two-woman show! We’re each other’s ying and yang, both equally involved with different strengths (and of course weaknesses.) It’s really the perfect partnership. We work so hard all year long and give the expo our all. We only dreamed it would get this far and now we’re so excited to see how much further we can take it.
With that being said — we couldn’t do this without our families and the girls at our store. They are our biggest cheerleaders and they’ve always pushed us to go harder and make it better. When the show comes around our husbands are the first ones to jump in and do the heavy lifting. Our families and close friends volunteer and work the doors and booths and help make sure the classes run smoothly. The girls that work with us at Sweet Life are at the show around the clock taking on whatever tasks we throw at them. We’ve got an amazing team and its part of the SoFlo experience. Every year we have returning attendees who remember that time one of our moms helped them figure out which class they were signed up for or when our store manager made sure they got their cake safely on the competition table.
We love to take on all the planning and behind the scenes ourselves, because we like the personal touch it adds for our vendors and teachers who come back year after year and know us and what to expect. If they call or send an email they know without a doubt that it’s Melanie answering questions about vendor booths and Natasha answering questions about class sizes. We think its part of what makes our show so successful. But then, once it’s ShowTime we know we’ve got the best team possible helping us make it happen!
Pricing:
- One Day Tickets to SoFlo are currently $25
- Weekend Passes to SoFlo are currently $40
Contact Info:
- Address: 12394 SW 127th Ave, Miami, FL 33186
However, SoFlo Cake and Candy Expo takes place at the Miami Airport Convention Center every year! - Website: www.soflocakeandcandyexpo.com
- Phone: 1-844-EXPOMIA
- Email: info@soflocakeandcandyexpo.com
- Instagram: @soflocakeandcandyexpo
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/soflocakeandcandyexpo/
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