Cupcake Camp OC: The Event

When I first heard about Cupcake Camp OC I was beyond excited. I've been to and judged several other cupcake competitions before, but none as close as this one. The event took place at the Atrium Hotel in Irvine. I felt honored to be chosen as one of the judges for this event.

Since this was the inaugural event, the planners had no idea how many people to expect. They found out that Orange County LOVES cupcakes. The place was already full to the brim by the time I arrived at 4:00. There was no parking available and a line outside of the hotel. I saw many people leaving the event with boxes full of cupcakes (very tacky)!




This is how it worked: with your $10 donation you received three tickets to exchange for cupcakes from the professional bakers booths. The cupcakes from the amateur bakers were free. This explains why people were loading up on cupcakes, which I thought was very rude. Because of it, most booths ran out of cupcakes before the event was even halfway over.




As I mentioned before, the event planners had no idea how many people to expect at Cupcake Camp OC. The room was not big enough to accommodate all of the people waiting to come in. There were many complaints from attendees such as no air conditioning, not enough seats, no plates, and no drinks. Interestingly, these are similar complaints that I've seen at other cupcake competitions.




The judges had their own table at the front of the room. Our table was covered with plates of cupcakes for us to try. When the cupcakes started running out in the rest of the room, people attempted to take our judges' cupcakes. I don't blame them. The event was supposed to last three hours, but by the time the judges had the results, most of the room had cleared out.




In the end, Cupcake Camp OC raised $9,100! And since everything was donated (including the venue), all of that money will go to benefit the non-profit organization El Pozo. Obviously, the event couldn't have been a success without the support of all of the donors. Thank you to them.




Although there were a couple of hitches (as there always will be), on the whole, I believe the event was a giant success! The event organizers have taken notes on what to change for next year. I'm happy to hear they are already looking to next year. I can't wait!

Stay tuned. More pictures of what you've been waiting for...the cupcakes!