KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 2017: A thousand chefs from around the world will be descending upon Kuala Lumpur next year for the Worldchefs Congress & Expo from July 11 to 14, following a successful bid by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).

The biannual event is a hallmark tradition of Worldchefs – a global network of chefs associations founded in Paris in 1928 – organised in over 34 cities across the world throughout its illustrious 86-year history. The last Congress was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2016.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the hosting of the event recently, Datuk Zulkefli Sharif, CEO of MyCEB, described the congress as the ideal platform for Malaysia to showcase its unique cuisine and gastronomic expertise to the world.

“We are proud to bring the Worldchefs Congress & Expo back to Asia, as it has been hosted by European and Nordic regions in the recent past. Asia boasts the fastest growing number of members in Worldchefs, and is a very dynamic area.

“Asia is a rising economy, and we see today more appreciation for Asian culture. It is complex, and there is much to learn, as no two Asian countries are the same,” he said in a press statement.

On the business side, the event is expected to generate an estimated RM11 million in economic impact to the country. Hosting a Worldchefs Congress is expected to boost a member country’s status – the Chefs Association of Malaysia (CAM) is a member of Worldchefs – within the international community, increases awareness of the country’s cuisine and has the potential for increased tourism in the form of pre- and post-event tours.

The four-day event will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in downtown KL. Apart from holding the Congress’ general assembly, there will be a Global Chefs Challenge, a Global Pastry Chef Challenge, a trade exhibition, educational programmes, as well as the prospect of highly meaningful networking among chefs.

For Malaysia, it is a chance to captivate professional chefs from around the world with our brilliant flavours, and hopefully, see the experience translated on menus around the world.