APRIL 22-24, 2027
Workshops
Add-On Workshops
$95 per Class
Start the conference early on April 22 with Add-On Workshops! This year, workshops will take place at various locations within a short walking distance of the Conference Center.
Kickoff
Thursday, April 22
9:00–11:00AM
Holographic Chocolate Magic
Instructor: Brittany Bennett (Sprinkles & Sparkles)
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Conference Room
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Conference Room
In this hands on class, we will explore the magical world of holographic chocolate and learn how its beautiful rainbow shine is created. You will enjoy a guided demonstration and then have the chance to make your own holographic chocolate treat using the same shimmering techniques.
Everyone will leave with their finished creation and a fun goodie bag filled with class surprises to keep the inspiration going at home.
9:00–11:00AM
Content Creation + Managing Your Socials
Instructor: Christine Ibarra (Cakepopbox)
Location: Kent Police Station, Conference Room
Location: Kent Police Station, Conference Room
Learn how to create reels and videos that capture your audience’s attention and keep them engaged. We’ll cover simple video editing techniques, content ideas, and practical strategies for confidently managing your own social media pages—without needing a professional social media manager.
12:00–2:00PM
Simply Sweet Cake Pop & Drizzle Class
Instructor: Taniesha Nemley (Simply Sweet CLT)
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Conference Room
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Conference Room
Join Taniesha from Simply Sweet CLT for a fun, hands-on introduction to creating elegant cake pops! This beginner-friendly workshop covers the fundamentals of cake pop making, including proper dipping techniques, clean drizzle application, and finishing each cake pop with a beautifully hand-tied bow for a polished, professional look. Attendees will leave with the confidence and skills to create stunning cake pops that are as beautiful as they are delicious.
12:00–2:00PM
Sculpting and Painting with Audi
Instructor: Audelia Orellana (Canvas & Crumbs)
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Dining Room
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Dining Room
In this hands-on workshop, Audi from Canvas & Crumbs will teach sculpting techniques to help attendees create successful character shapes ready for dipping and decorating. Students will learn how to build dimension using simple sculpting methods, with most designs featuring beginner-friendly shapes and one or two intermediate elements. Whether you’re new to sculpting or looking to refine your skills, this class offers a fun opportunity to experiment, build confidence, and discover the creative possibilities of sculpted cake pops.
12:00–2:00PM
The Art of Poptions
Instructor: Rachel Laukala (Cakepops by Rachel) & Nicole McNamara (Main Street Sweets Frisco)
Location: Kent Police Station, Conference Room
Location: Kent Police Station, Conference Room
In this workshop, we’ll take one cake pop theme and create it two different ways! From a detailed, sculpted set to a simplified version that still clearly captures the same idea.
You’ll learn how to identify the key elements that make a theme recognizable, when it’s worth adding extra detail, and how to create options that work for a variety of budgets. We’ll also share tips for helping customers choose the approach that’s the best fit for both their vision and your business!
3:00–5:00PM
ABC’s and 123’s: Cookie Decorating Basics
Instructor: Kassy Gjere (Kassy's Cookies & Sweets)
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Conference Room
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Conference Room
A beginner cookie decorating workshop that will focus on easy teacher appreciation/school themed designs that anyone can execute. Together we will decorate five sugar cookies with royal icing using beginner friendly design techniques. You will take home all five cookies and a swag bag with items from some of my favorite baking supply shops!
3:00–5:00PM
Treat Making 101
Instructor: Ryder St. Amant (Dipped by Ryder)
Location: Kent Police Station, Conference Room
Location: Kent Police Station, Conference Room
Ready to expand your treat menu beyond cake pops? Whether you’re looking to offer more chocolate-covered treats to your customers or want to explore a new skill while mastering cake pops, this class is the perfect place to start!
Join Dipped By Ryder as he shares the fundamentals of creating three customer favorites: Chocolate-Covered Oreos, Pretzels, and Rice Krispie Treats. You’ll learn essential techniques for dipping, decorating, storing, and packaging your treats so they’re both beautiful and business-ready.
By the end of this hands-on workshop, you’ll have the confidence and knowledge to successfully add these profitable chocolate-covered treats to your menu.
3:00–5:00PM
The Bloom Bar Blueprint
Instructor: Kathleen Gaynor (Sugar House Sweets Idaho)
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Dining Room
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Dining Room
A creative framework for designing cake pop collections that sell!
Discover how to transform a handful of simple cake pop shapes into an entire Bloom Bar collection that clients will love. In this hands-on workshop, you'll decorate several guided pieces while learning how to recognize the design potential within simple starting shapes and use color, texture, and thoughtful design choices to create cohesive collections for holidays, weddings, baby showers, corporate events, and more.
Using the Bloom Bar as our foundation, we'll explore a repeatable creative framework that can be adapted to virtually any theme or season, giving you a practical process for developing fresh collections long after the workshop ends.
We'll also discuss planning, pricing, display ideas, and how to create a complete, sellable client experience—not just individual cake pops. Attendees will leave with finished projects, practical take-home reference materials, and the confidence and creative framework to develop their own signature collections.
3:00–5:00PM
Day 1
Friday, April 23
1:30–3:30PM
Make It Pop! Photography & Presentation for Cake Pops & Treats
Instructor: Precious Simons (Baked by Precious)
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Conference Room
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Conference Room
Learn how to turn your iPhone into a powerful tool for creating beautiful, mouthwatering food photos. In this hands-on workshop, Precious will share simple techniques for lighting, composition, styling, and camera settings that can instantly elevate your food photography. You’ll learn how to find the best light, create eye-catching shots, and make your food look as delicious on camera as it does in person. Perfect for foodies, bakers, creators, and small business owners who want to take better photos without expensive equipment.
1:30–3:30PM
Beyond the Bake:
Using Tiktok Live To Grow Your Brand
Instructor: Ashley O'Loughlin (Fancy Pops Bakery)
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Dining Room
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Dining Room
Your products are only part of your business—people buy from people they know, like, and trust. In this workshop, discover how TikTok Live can become one of the most powerful tools for growing your brand, building a loyal community, and increasing sales.
Ashley will share the strategies she’s used to grow an engaged audience through authentic live content. Learn how to confidently go live, keep viewers engaged, create content that encourages people to return, and turn live interactions into lasting customer relationships. Whether you’re brand new to TikTok Live or looking to improve your results, you’ll leave with practical tips and actionable strategies you can immediately implement in your own business.
1:30–3:30PM
From Invitation to a Cake Pop Set
Instructor: Christina Perdue (Chrissy's Pop Shop)
Location: Kent Police Station, Conference Room
Location: Kent Police Station, Conference Room
Ever wonder how to turn an invitation into a cohesive, custom cake pop set? In this workshop, we’ll walk through the creative process from start to finish- from pulling inspiration, choosing colors and details, planning designs, and bringing it all together to create a beautiful cake pop set. You’ll learn how to take a vision from paper to pops and create a set that feels intentional, cohesive, and uniquely yours.
Come ready to have some fun! From paper to pops, let’s bring a vision to life!
3:00–5:00PM
Day 2
Saturday, April 24
1:30–3:30PM
POPology: The Art of Hosting Cake Pop Events
Instructor: Janelle Smith (Nelly's Cake Pop Shop)
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Dining Room
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Dining Room
Learn how to turn cake pops into a fun, interactive experience that keeps guests engaged and creates new opportunities for your business. In this workshop, Janelle from Nelly’s Cake Pops will share her tips and strategies for creating successful dip-and-decorate events for birthdays, parties, corporate gatherings, and special occasions.
Attendees will learn how to plan and execute a memorable cake pop experience, including class setup, pricing strategies, supply preparation, event flow, and how to confidently work with both kids and adults. Whether you’re looking to add workshops to your existing business or create a new revenue stream, this session will help you build a beginner-friendly experience that is fun, stress-free, and POPfitable!
1:30–3:30PM
From Canva to Cake Pop: Design It, Print It & Pop It!
Instructors: Meghan Maurer (Simply Sweets by Meghan) & Laura Amoroso (Laura Pops)
Location: Kent Police Station, Conference Room
Location: Kent Police Station, Conference Room
Learn how to create professional-looking cake pops using custom edible images in this hands-on workshop taught by Meghan from Simply Sweets by Meghan and Laura from Laura Pops!
Attendees will learn how to design edible images in Canva, print them using an edible printer, and apply them seamlessly to cake pops for a polished finish. Meghan and Laura will also share helpful tips for simplifying Canva, getting the best print results, and troubleshooting common printer issues.
Whether you’re personalizing pops for fun or expanding your business offerings, this class will give you the skills and confidence to design, print, and POP your own custom creations!
1:30–3:30PM
Practice Before you Pipe: Template Techniques
Instructor: Megan Gillbert (Bayou Bakes)
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Conference Room
Location: KSU Hotel & Conference Center, Conference Room
This beginner-friendly workshop offers hands-on practice using a template under parchment paper to perfect chocolate line work on more challenging Daisy Makes poppers. Attendees will choose from a variety of designs, including flowers, sports themes, bows, graduation caps, and holiday shapes, to build confidence, improve chocolate control, and discover techniques that work best for their individual style. Mistakes are encouraged, as they are part of the learning process and help attendees build confidence while refining their skills—all without wasting cake pops or chocolate!
3:00–5:00PM
WHAT'S POPPING 2027 · REGISTRATION OPENS SEPT 1 ·WHAT'S POPPING 2027 · REGISTRATION OPENS SEPT 1 ·WHAT'S POPPING 2027 · REGISTRATION OPENS SEPT 1 ·WHAT'S POPPING 2027 · REGISTRATION OPENS SEPT 1 ·
Post-Conference Brunch
Keep the conference fun going for an extra day by joining us for brunch at Daisy Pops from 9–11AM on Sunday, April 25.
Enjoy a delicious catered brunch, and get a behind-the-scenes tour of Daisy Pops, a commercial cake pop bakery. You can also join us for an informal tour of Daisy Makes, which is a short drive away. Just be ready to coordinate your own transportation!
A conference for cake pop beginners, bakers, and everyone in between.
© 2026 What's Popping, LLC
Design + Development by Each+Every