Live Talks Los Angeles launches Conversation Bar (it’s snacky)

Starting Thursday, people who attend Live Talks Los Angeles events will be able to nosh on a Conversation Bar. It’s a custom, branded energy bar that tastes a lot like cookie dough. It will be, as far as we’ve been able to determine, the first reading series energy bar.

Does a reading series really need a snack food? Founder Ted Habte-Gabr thinks so; he’s got dual purposes in mind.

The first is promotion: Rhe first 25 people at a Live Talks Los Angeles event who share something about it via Facebook or Twitter can have a bar for free.

The second is as a fundraiser. Those who aren’t tweeting, or who are slow to post, can buy a Conversation Bar for $3. Habte-Gabr hopes to expand the series, which currently features high-profile writers and entertainers, to include new authors who are just starting out.

“So much great work is coming out but with all the changes in book touring and promotions, we feel some great stories and voices get lost,” Habte-Gabr said in an email. “With the proceeds from the receptions at our events over the last year and into next, we are raising funds so we can feature newer voices in conversation with more recognized names.”

The snacks are made by the L.A.-based custom energy bar company YouBar. The ingredients sound almost healthy: organic dates, organic cashew butter, organic cashews, organic clover honey, organic semisweet chocolate chips and vanilla extract.

The Conversation Bar will debut at Live Talks Los Angeles’ Thursday discussion between Dave Barry and Matt Groening. As the event begins at 8 p.m. at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, attendees battling crosstown traffic may find another use for the Conversation Bar: needed sustenance.

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