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The 39th biennial Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2022 arrives in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi , 24 May 2022 – The 39th biennial Worldchefs Congress celebrates the association’s 94 year history with huge anticipation, with a stellar line-up of iconic speakers, intense culinary action with the world final of the Global Chefs Challenge, extensive Education sessions and a spectacular Expo (ExpoCulinaire) with exhibitors from around the world running alongside the 25th Emirates International Salon Culinaire plus the team based African Culinary Cup. Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri – Minister of Climate Change and Environment will attend as Keynote Speaker for the Conference.
Taking place from 30th May to 2nd June at ADNEC, Abu Dhabi, the event will finally take place after 4 long years – since the last Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after which the 2020 edition in Saint Petersburg, Russia was cancelled. The Emirates Culinary Guild and the Department of Culture and Tourism, represented by Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau have worked tirelessly with Worldchefs to ‘rise together’ and reignite the global culinary network of chefs and industry experts.
Thomas Gugler, President of Worldchefs, said “The Worldchefs Congress is about to happen, it’s a time when inspiration, innovation, networking and education become our main ingredients. The Congress committee has been more determined than ever to create a meaningful and comprehensive programme and a way to bring the world together”. The Worldchefs Association has a membership of 105 countries and is committed to uniting the global community and cross-industry innovators to explore the past, present, and future of the culinary trade.
Andy Cuthbert, Chairman of the WorldChefs Congress Committee shared, “We have themed the Congress RISE TOGETHER to honour the hospitality sector in 2022, which has been through so much. Our resilience has kept us going and our diverse mix of speakers and activities, who will inspire the chef of today, whether you have been in the industry for 30 years, or just two years. The wait is over – it is time to network, upskill and learn as a global community again.”
The Worldchefs Congress and Expo constitute a multitude of components, all of which will bring knowledge and excitement to Abdu Dhabi and the UAE. There is a world class Conference, a trio of international competitions that happening under one roof for the first time anywhere in the world, more than 25 certified free education sessions, and an Expo that is the only trade and education event dedicated to foodservice in the country. Market leaders such as Electrolux Professional, Nestle Professional, Iffco out of Home, Unilever Food Solutions and Violife have made significant sponsorship efforts as they support the future of restaurant equipment, food products and skills – all essential elements to keep Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a pioneer in Hospitality.
Majed Alsabagh, Vice President of the Emirates Culinary Guild and President of the Syrian Culinary Guild has been actively promoting the Worldchefs Congress for several years and commented “when Abu Dhabi won the bid to host Worldchefs Congress 2022, it was a thrilling moment for the UAE and the Emirates Culinary Guild. We carry great pride in welcoming the world to our nation’s capital city, celebrating the creativity, passion and talents of gastronomy from all corners of the world.”
Gastronomy and restaurants are a fundamental part of any tourist experience. Tourism continues to play a major role in the GDP of the country. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council the direct contribution of UAE Travel & Tourism in 2019 was AED180.4bn, 11.6% of the total economy with employment accounting for 1 in 10 jobs.
Joanne Cook, CEO of Purple Kitchen Events is the Organiser of Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2022. “Focusing on culinary art, competitions, skills, learning, training, products and equipment driven by the inspirational passion and creativity of chefs is certain to have a positive impact on the tourism industry. The tourism sector is crucial to the UAE, we must continue to lead and to capture the imagination of the hospitality industry.” said Cook.
Congress delegates will enjoy evening networking events at the renovated Erth Hotel and at ADNEC’s Al Maa’red Ballroom. The two venues have worked closely with the Worldchefs Organizing Committee to ensure unique dining experiences that both celebrate Emirati tradition but also give contemporary interpretations on modern local cuisine. It can be stated with confidence, that Abu Dhabi will have the world on it’s plate next week.
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About Worldchefs
The World Association of Chefs’ Societies, Worldchefs in short, is a dynamic global network of more than 100 chefs associations, representing culinary professionals at all levels and across all specialties. Worldchefs is committed to advancing the profession and leveraging the influence of the chef jacket for the betterment of the industry and humanity at large. Worldchefs is a non-political professional organization, dedicated to maintaining and improving the culinary standards of global cuisines. We accomplish these goals through education, training and professional development of our membership. www.worldchefs.org
About ExpoCulinaire
Now in its 3rd year, the annual exhibition is the host to the 25nd Emirates International Salon Culinaire. It moved from Sharjah to Abu Dhabi in 2022 to become the ‘Expo’ component of the Worldchefs Congress & Expo. Education/training, food, equipment and services for the catering industry are on display over 4 days for trade professionals and culinary students to see, touch, taste and try. www.expoculinaire.com
About Global Chefs Challenge
Selected through top performance at the Culinary World Cup and Global Chefs Challenge Regional Semi-Finals, qualifying teams will go to head to head at the Global Chef Challenge Final. Here, the best and brightest convene to show mastery in the culinary arts. Representing their respective countries, forty culinary teams comprising the most promising chefs from across the globe will compete for gold. Four days of intense competitions will see the World’s emerging culinary talent test their skills and give their best as they fight for the title. The Global Chefs Challenge Finals includes three specialized competition categories: the Global Chefs Challenge, the Global Pastry Chefs Challenge, and the Global Young Chefs Challenge. Register for free now, to see who will take home the prized trophy and title of Worlds Best Chef. www.globalchefschallenge.org/gcc_qualification
About The Emirates International Salon Culinaire
The Emirates International Salon Culinaire is the largest single-entry chefs’ competition in the world. Structured as a series of practical and display-based culinary challenges or ‘classes’, this globally renowned annual contest gauges the diversity of entrants cooking skills and pushes the boundaries of modern day food preparation and presentation. Evaluated by a panel of 30 international experts and mandated by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS), the Salon Culinaire provides credible industry recognition to more than a thousand master chefs, pastry chefs, cooks and bakers. The salon serves to inspire and encourage young chefs to continue striving for ever upward improvement in their daily work practice. Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and certificates are awarded to those competitors whose exhibits, in the opinion of the judges, have reached the commensurate international standard. In addition to the medal awards, there are special trophies awarded to individuals who have attained excellence at the competition in their particular field: gastronomy; bakery/pastry; artistic – and a new award designed to encourage the development of Arabic cuisine.
Website: www.emiratesculinaryguild.net
About the African Culinary Cup
6th African Culinary Cup 2022 – This prestigious competition, endorsed by Worldchefs, brings together African National Culinary Teams from Ghana, South Africa, Namibia, Qatar, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. These diverse young chefs will compete against each other in the culinary competition highlighting the ethnic cuisine from each country.
