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WACS Congress Dubai 2008

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Glittering Dubai takes centre stage in culinary world!

*Chefs from around the world congregate for the WACS Congress Dubai at the Sheikh Maktoum hall, Dubai Convention Centre*

Dubai, May 10, 2008: The Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG), a non-profit association of professional chefs, in Dubai for the last 20 years, will play host to one of the biggest events in the culinary world, the WACS Congress 2008. The World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) will celebrate their 80th anniversary at the Congress being held at the Dubai Convention Centre from May 12th to the 15th.

The WACS Congress in Dubai will display traditions and modernity with flair. The opening address will be given by H.E. Mr. Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Executive Director, Dubai Convention Bureau. The Congress will kick off with a parade of nations, where a junior chef, holding his country flag proudly, will march out in front of the 1000+ audience that will include Dubai government officials, delegates and special invitees.

Emirati cuisine, traditions and culture along with Arabic music and Nasht dancers will take centre stage at the glittering opening ceremony planned on May 12th at the Sheikh Maktoum hall, Dubai Convention Centre.

Culinary seminars to several competitions redefining fine dining are major parts of the Congress. Also debuting at the Congress is the Global Chefs competition with only seven competitors. These seven are undoubtedly, the finest the culinary world has to show.

The Emirates Culinary Guild enjoys the association and support not only from its chef members but from food companies and corporates as well. A large part of the resounding success of large events that the ECG hosts can be attributed to the sponsorship support from its corporate members.

The main supporters of the WACS Congress in Dubai are the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and Unilever Foodsolutions. Also supporting the ECG are JohnsonDiversey Gulf, Fonterra Brands (Middle East) L.L.C, Electrolux, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Custom Culinary, Barakat, Churchill China, African & Eastern, Convotherm, Horeca Trade, Dick Knives, Paderno, Kenwood, Bragard and PAL. City 7 television has been appointed the official TV station for the event

Avers Chef Uwe Micheel, President, ECG & Director of Kitchens, Radisson SAS Hotel, Dubai:

“As much as it being the biggest challenge for the ECG to host the WACS World Congress, it is also a dream come true for us. At the beginning of my tenure as the ECG’s president, my colleagues and I dreamt of becoming a member of the WACS. Once that dream was fulfilled we returned from Norway – where the boys had gone to get membership – and we began dreaming when would we host the World Congress?”  At that time, we said to ourselves we must do it by the year 2010. Now we’re having it in 2008. It is indeed a proud moment for everyone at the ECG”.

Editors note:

The Emirates Culinary Guild

The Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG) is the UAE’s chefs association, a non-profit organisation established in 1988. Among its primary goals are to promote the interests of the culinary profession in the UAE, as well as to promote the country’s rich culture, through its cuisine, to the world. The ECG is behind the successful annual Middle East Junior Chef of the Year competitions, the mission of which runs parallel to its own – to encourage and develop junior chefs and to equip them with skills for senior positions. For the past several years, the ECG has also successfully held the Salon Culinaire, with this year seeing 70 hotels, over 1200 competitors and 7 countries compete, which has further proven the growing stature of the region, particularly of the UAE, in culinary excellence.

The World Association of Chefs Societies

The World Association of Chefs' Societies is a global network of chefs associations founded in October 1928 in Paris, France. Starting with a mere 65 delegates from 17 countries, representing 36 national and international associations, the WACS today has 72 official chefs associations as members. The WACS Congress is held every two years and has been organised in over 20 cities across the world throughout its illustrious 80 year history.

For further information please contact:

Chef Uwe Micheel

President, ECG & Director of Kitchens, Radisson SAS Hotel, Dubai

Tel: +971-4-205-7390

Email: uwe.micheel@radissonsas.com

Lisbon bids to host WACS 2012 - 6 May 2008

Dear Presidents,

As President of the Portuguese Chefs Association, ACPP, I hereby invite you to vote Lisboa 2012 for your WACS Congress.

ACPP is a 30 year old Chefs Society, pledged at working for our profession both nationally and internationally. We have been part of the WACS family for over 25 years and have been part of the international competition movement since 1992.

Why Lisboa for 2012? Because we are ready to welcome you.

Because we will be hosting you for the less than you will be paying at Dubai in four years time and will work hard to put up the best program for you.

Because you will have the opportunity to visit not only the city of Lisboa but also the renowned city of O`Porto and have the possibility to taste some of the best Porto wines and see where they are made and harvested.

We will make sure you will have a memorable time.

Vote Lisboa 2012, WACS Congress.

I send you a resume of our bid for you to examine and see why your best choice will be Lisboa 2012 for the WACS Congress - Click Here to Download the Resume

We will be in Dubai to answer any queries you have.

Hope to see you in Lisboa in 2012.

Best regards,

Fausto Airoldi
President ACPP
Portuguese Chefs Association

Sri Lanka bids to host WACS 2012 - 1 May 2008

The Chefs Guild of Lanka was initiated in 1988 and won an affiliation to WACS in Germany in 1992. The Chefs Guild of Lanka has always striven for creativity and innovation not only in the hospitality industry but in every sphere of Sri-Lankan life. We pride ourselves on reaching out to those with few opportunities to live their dreams by ensuring that through cuisine, we cross language barriers and communicate world trends to those that desperately need empowerment.

Humbly we accepted a Humanitarian Award presented by WACS for the island-wide cooking camps within tsunami-affected areas where we brought together chefs from all over the country to feed the displaced tsunami victims. 25,000 people were fed daily for four weeks in two huge camps.

The guild’s main objective is to focus on training and development for chefs; we achieve this through setting up our own training institutions in both developed and rural areas focusing on cookery, pastry and bakery training and thus, have created employment opportunities for retiring chefs from the industry.

The school offers a fully sponsored course by the Chefs Guild of Lanka and focuses on underprivileged youth, combined with an Eco-Tourism project where accommodation and food is provided to tourists and it is fully managed by the students and the board of the Chefs Guild of Lanka

We have always dreamed big and achieved bigger, thus hosting ambitious projects to unite the industry on a large scale is nothing new to us. Culinary Art; the biggest culinary competition in Sri Lanka bi-annually since 1988 has grown to become a competition of high repute in the Asia-Pacific region, now accommodates more than 1200 participants.

Sri Lanka is a land like no other. From the cool winds of little England to the sultry summers of the tropics, our versatile geography and amazingly diverse attractions have something to offer everyone; the cosmopolitan sophistication of the city, the soul inspiring simplicity of the South or the beauteous chill of the mountains. We are world renowned for our hospitality and our ‘service with a smile’ and our cultural, historical and wildlife attractions are unsurpassable.

Our work and pioneering contribution to the industry in Sri Lanka and the Asian region speaks for itself. A school fully owned and operated by us, a focus on the underprivileged, creation of cross exposure and employment opportunities and other commendable works that serve for the betterment of the world we operate in have always been the root of our work. Our groundbreaking innovation of combining hospitality and philanthropy to further the industry and indeed, society as a whole serves as our beacon and philosophy.

Your vote to host the World Congress in Sri Lanka could mean the start of a new era for the hospitality industry in Sri Lanka, and will immensely benefit the worthy cause of training and development of the industry showing the rest of the world our commitment to the chefs to innovate, transform and take over the industry in the years to come.

The Chef’s guild guarantees a full package during the congress where all attendees will be fully covered each day on food and beverage, inclusive of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

We invite you to be a part of the dream; The Chefs Guild of Lanka World Congress 2012 Sri Lankan Style!

India bids to host WACS 2012 - 28 April 2008

India is a land with a fascinating culinary culture. Beyond the immense variety of cuisines, beyond the myriad flavours, beyond the subtle regional variations in cooking methods and styles, lies a unique philosophy of food that is an integral part of the country’s history.

Since ancient times, India has always treated food as a lot more than just a source of nourishment. The Upanishads, known to be religious texts of great antiquity, place food on a hallowed pedestal, equating it with God. In India, there is even a Goddess dedicated to food… she is known as Annapurna.

There’s more. The world’s oldest cookbooks are known to have originated in India. In particular, there are two revered treatises that offer incredible insights into India’s gastronomic heritage: the Ksema Kutuhala dating back to the Second Century AD; and the Pak Shastra by the legendary Indian king Nal, dating back to the Fifth Century AD.

Indian Gastronomy has a unique philosophy of its own. It embraces both food as well its maker, the chef. The philosophy propounds the belief that food has a natural affinity for absorbing vibrations from its surroundings. It is, therefore, important for the Indian chef to be a person who exudes positivism at all times… one who is calm, cheerful and kind. He radiates a sense of joy and well-being, and all these emotions are absorbed by the food that he cooks and serves. In this way, the cuisine served by a master chef has a profound spiritual and emotional effect on the guests for whom it is cooked.

For this vital role played by him, the Chef has always held a very special place in the kingdom, in the royal kitchens… and in the hearts of the people. Down the centuries, he has been a person with a rare blend of qualities — a man of knowledge, a creative personality and a kindly soul with a spiritual disposition. This endeared him to all he came in contact with. Moreover, his task as one providing both nourishment and epicurean pleasure for the royals made him a trusted, revered figure.

Also, as a repository of knowledge on India’s cuisine, culture, customs and traditions, the Chef became a natural ambassador for the country — and continues to be so even today. He is a master of the fine art of winning hearts by inveigling the taste buds!

India is currently bidding to host the Congress of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) in 2012. The backdrop and the timing of this bid is perfect. In addition to having a rich culinary culture of great antiquity, India is a rapidly emerging force in the global business arena. As a free and open economy, India is a large growing market fuelled by the dreams and aspirations of a billion people. Capital markets and the industrial sectors are booming, powered by world-class infrastructure.

The infrastructure includes comprehensive resources and capabilities for hosting global events and conferences — venues, accommodation, transportation, connectivity, logistics and event management support. In fact, New Delhi, the Indian Capital city, is hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

We look forward to hosting the next WACS Congress in New Delhi, India. See you there.