IFCA successfully completed the 6th IFCA International Chefs Conference 2015. The event turned out to be hugely successful and it surpassed all previous records in terms of number of participants, number of international speakers and number of partners. The 3-day extravaganza had 650+ delegates, 35 outstanding speakers (12 international and 23 national speakers) and 24 partners. We had the privilege of having the Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India and Karnataka Tourism as our partners in this conference.
6th INTERNATIONAL CHEFS CONFERENCE (BODY, MIND, AND SOUL OF THE CULINARY WORLD)
The conference served as a huge platform for learning and knowledge sharing for participants, speakers, and organizers.
The concept of Tree of Life ‘Kalpavriksha’ also known as Kalpataru or Kalpadruma, acclaimed to provide all that is required for a wholesome body & soul, draws a parallel with the Hospitality Industry, with culinary division in perspective. From the beginning of time, the core of Hospitality has been ‘Culinary’, from the first scoop of rice ladled out to a weary traveler. All other aspects of hospitality stemmed out from that core, just as the Tree forms the core of life, all other life forms, thus showcasing the diversity of Indian Culinary Art and unique culinary heritage that makes India truly ‘Incredible’.
The Culinary core of the Hospitality Industry replicated the theme in providing, replenishing & nourishing all who reach out to them, relentlessly and with no expectation of anything in return, passing on their immense knowledge, thriving passion and motivating attitude to the younger generation by setting exemplary examples in the way they work.
Highlights of the Conference
A battery of international speakers
A battery of international speakers from Singapore, Thailand, USA (3 speakers), Ireland (2 speakers), London, Dubai, Jeddah, Japan, Canada and Netherlands (2 speakers) attended the conference and shared their global culinary experience. Their scintillating speeches were well received and it turned out to be a great learning experience for students who participated in huge numbers.
Culinary Students Participated in Huge Numbers
The 3-day conference had 650+ delegates including 200+ students from leading hotel management institutions from various places such as Chennai, Trichy, Pondicherry, and Hyderabad. 83 students from the Culinary Academy of India and 50+ students from SRM Institute of Hotel Management participated in the conference. Students from several other catering colleges such as Jenny’s Academy, Trichy, Dr. MGR Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Chennai, Asian Institute of Hotel Management, Musiri, IHM Chennai and Mass Institute of Hotel Management, Pondicherry attended the conference enthusiastically.
Live Demonstrations
The conference had two live demonstrations.
Chef Hirotoshi Ogawa, flown in from Japan demonstrated the art of Sushi Making to the participants live. He explained in detail about the ways to make tasty Sushis. Sushi is a popular dish that is gaining worldwide acceptance. The demo turned out to be a very useful session for students and participated in chefs. It gave ample opportunities for students to learn and get knowledge from the master chef Ogawa, who is the director of the World Sushi Institute, Japan and one of the top 5 Sushi chefs in the world.
Chef Tarek Ibrahim demonstrated the ways to prepare Lamb. He demonstrated the proper ways to cut the lamb to ensure effective utilization of meat. The session helped students to gain knowledge about using Lamb to enhance Indian cuisines.
Culinary Tourism
On all 3 days, exclusive Indian dishes from various regions were served to guests. Even in few western and Chinese items, authentic Indian flavors and ingredients were used to give the guests taste the vibrant culinary heritage of India.
IFCA Grand Award Ceremony
The 6th IFCA International Chefs Conference 2015 ended successfully after the grand award ceremony. Not only chefs who made outstanding professional contributions were honored during the ceremony, but culinary educators and culinary institutions were also given awards for their relentless pursuit in spreading culinary education in India. Various awards such as Student Achiever Awards, Educational Excellence Award, and Smart Chefs award were presented to the achievers in respective categories. The conference ended on a high note and served as a platform for great learning and global exposure. Participants left the venue in total satisfaction and appreciated the organizing committee of IFCA for putting up a grand show.
6th ICC Glimpses
