MEDIA INFORMATION

March 2010

The grand ‘masters’….. meet in Melbourne

Celebrity MasterChef stand aside....because the real master chefs have taken on Melbourne.

General Manager of The Sebel & Citigate Albert Park Melbourne, Craig Bond pulled off a culinary coup by securing the World Association of Chef’s Societies (WACS) Board Meeting for Melbourne, which was held from 22-24 March 2010.

The Board Meeting, which was held in Melbourne for the first time, was attended by 10 international members including the World President Gissur Gudmundsson from Iceland, Vice President Hilmar Jonsson from the USA, Continental Director for Africa and the Middle East, Arnold Tanzer and Continental Director for Europe South, Srecko Koklic to name just a few.

The WACS Board, which represents over 10 million professional chefs worldwide, meets just twice a year in a location, generally to coincide with a major culinary event. On this occasion the Executive Committee made an exception to these strict criteria and selected Melbourne on the base of Craig’s successful pitch and invitation to meet at the newly renovated Sebel & Citigate Albert Park Melbourne.

The WACS Board 3-day agenda included, but was not limited to, discussions on the organisation’s future, the education and training required by their members and the professional development of their large international membership.

“The Melbourne Board Meeting was a major turning point for our association in terms of setting clear and precise direction for our three sub-committees - Marketing and Communication, Education and Culinary,” said WACS Pacific Director Glenn Austin.

“It was also decided to introduce a world-wide certification program for chefs based on international standards of education and training and, in the wake of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, we will also be expanding our global humanitarian programme and disaster support,” said Glenn.

In approving the Melbourne bid, the Executive Committee acknowledged Craig Bond’s commitment to hospitality, tourism and chef associations’ world-wide including his long involvement with the Australian Culinary Federation and the Nestle Golden Chef's Hat Awards.

Always a team player by endeavouring to achieve the best for his hotel and team, Craig deflected his accolade by adding that it was the support of his long-time colleague and WACS Pacific Director Glenn Austin that helped to secure the meeting.

A Melburnian himself and the first Australian to be voted to the World Board of Chefs, Glenn was very keen to have the Board meet in his home town.

“It was 12 years ago that the World Association of Chef’s Societies celebrated their 70th anniversary at their bi-annual congress in Melbourne – the only time the Congress has been held in Australia - and I am delighted that the Executive Committee chose Melbourne again for their Board Meeting,” he said.

“Craig lobbied tirelessly to bring the meeting here and it was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the extraordinary depth of talent within our local hospitality industry,” said Glenn.