The IFSA Global Leadership Conference – Asia Pacific held June 6 - 8 was a remarkable networking event for industry professionals to explore the many opportunities in the region and participate in noteworthy education sessions.

150 delegates were in attendance
representing 20 countries
and 57 companies!


"IFSA's 2007 Asia Pacific Conference was very successful. My main interest was in the Galley Theme discussion - how to decrease weight and security-related measures - this was good information to the catering industry. Thank you."
  Tomio Ikeuchi, Vice Chairman
TFK Corporation, Inc.
Japan

Conference Highlights

Keynote Address
During his address, Khun Sakthip Krairiksh, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Sport, projected that 14.8 million tourists will visit Thailand this year. 2007 marks the 80th birthday of the country's ruler King Bhumibol Abulyadej. According to Krairiksh, the country's new airport is emerging as an important gateway to the region and Thailand has launched a new marketing campaign, "Amazing Thailand."

Pictured left to right are:
Mr. Hideo Miyabe; TFK Corporation; Mr. Sakthip Krairiksh, Ministry of Tourism and Sport; and Ms. Sandra Pineau, Continental Airlines.

Special IFSA/ITCA Announcement

ITCA President David Young joined IFSA President Sandra Pineau and Vice President Ken Samara on stage to announce the 2008 IFSA/ITCA Asia Pacific Conference and Tradeshow to be held in Singapore April 22 – 25.

The Conference will combine the strength of the two Associations to offer the region a single, comprehensive event, and will prove invaluable to all participants including airlines, rail and shipping companies, caterers and suppliers within the transportation-related services industry. Details of the Conference and Tradeshow Program will be available later in the year on the IFSA (www.ifsanet.com) and ITCA (www.itcanet.com) websites.

Chef's Competition
At the Chef's Competition, four finalists put their talents to work and competed for the winning position. Chef Paul Mok, Gate Gourmet Australia, took top honors with his recipe for a selection of Australian seafood with native herbs and wild lime sauce. Chef Mok was announced as the winner on the final evening of the Conference, at the Thai Airways International-hosted reception and dinner. Chef Mok received two business class tickets on Thai Airways International and a crystal award. He will also be given a customized chef's coat of his choice.

Pictured left to right are:
Sumapa Warit, Thai Airways International; Chef Paul Mok, Gate Gourmet Australia; Kawin Asawachatroj, Thai Airways International.

"As a team member of Gate Gourmet Sydney, Australia, I would like to say a huge ‘Thank You' to the team in our unit for their great support in preparing for the IFSA Chef's Competition," said Chef Paul Mok. "And as a Chef, it was an incredible experience to work with other top chefs from around Asia during the event. Winning first place in the IFSA competition on behalf of Gate Gourmet is a great achievement and means a lot to me."
  Chef Paul Mok
Gate Gourmet
Chef's Contest Winner
Australia

IFSA/AEA World Food Safety Guidelines Update

Ms. Mary Ann Dowd, Continental Airlines, presented a summary of the modifications to the IFSA and AEA (Association for European Airlines) World Food Safety Guidelines. The document  in English and Spanish is available for download at www.ifsanet.com.

 

 

Other Speaker Highlights

Pictured to the left is:
Mr. Ki Hyun Kwak, General Manager, Korean Air Catering, Busan, spoke of the Airline's comprehensive internet-based catering operation system called Korean Air e-Catering.

Candid comments were given by the panel regarding the future of long-haul air travel by the region's low cost carriers.

Pictured to the right: Mr. David Young, General Manager Inflight Services, Qantas Airways Limited; Mr. Udom Tantiprasongchai, Chairman, Orient Thai Airlines Company Limited; Mr. Nick Robinson, Manager Inflight Services, AirAsia Bhd.

 

All presentations are now available on IFSA's Members-Only Web site. Just click here to access them.

Relaxation
Attendees enjoyed an afternoon of leisure and sightseeing that, for some, included a safari elephant trek. Other activities offered were tours of the new Thai Airways unit at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok and the Phuket Air Catering Company Operation (PACCO) near the Phuket airport.

Pictured to the right is:
Mr. Jaime "Chinky" Viola, Philippine Airlines; and Yang Fan, Beijing Xinhua Airport Catering.


Golf Tournament
The IFSA golf tournament took place at Blue Canyon Club on the pristine canyon course. The event allowed for excellent networking and friendly competition. The winning team consisted of David Lau, Do Food Co.; Chumpot Mintarkhin, Thai Airways International; and Phairoj Kachornvachara, Thai Airways International. The longest drive was awarded to Hideo Miyabe of TFK Corporation, Inc. and Phairoj Kachornvachara, Thai Airways International. Closest to the Pin went to Take Tsuchihashi, Jamco Corp and David Lau, Do Food Co. Congratulations to David Lau who also got a hole-in-one!!

Pictured to the left is:
Mr. Take Tsuchihashi (Jamco Corp.)

Dinners and Entertainment
Conference attendees enjoyed an opening dinner feast at the "industrial chic" Indigo Pearl Hotel, which is on the Condé Nast Traveler's 2007 Hot List of the World's Best Hotels.

The farewell banquet, held at the Le Méridien Hotel, provided an evening of fun, entertainment with traditional Thai music and dance. Attendees also participated in karaoke and dancing well into the night. IFSA thanks Thai Airways International for their generosity in sponsoring this quality event.

 




"All the topics touched on were relevant to the industry today. Some very interesting views were shared by panelists and the audience. The talk on Thai Herbs was a great addition to the program line-up."
  Nicholas Wong, Marketing Manager
SATS
Singapore

The Asia Pacific Conference Planning Committee combined talent and expertise to develop and execute the most dynamic conference the region has seen:

  • Hideo Miyabe, TFK Corporation (Chair)
  • Kawin Asawachatroj, Thai Airways International
  • Doug Bressler, Continental Airlines
  • Pismai Chandrubeksa, Thai Airways International
  • Joseph Chew, Temasek Holdings Private, Ltd.
  • Eiichi Ishii, Japan Flight Catering Association
  • H.W. Jo, Asiana Airlines
  • Josephine Kim, Korean Air
  • Ki Hyun Kwak, Korean Air
  • David Lau, Do Food Co.
  • Belinda May, Birch & Waite
  • Dilip Nijhawan, Sri Lankan Catering (Private), Ltd.
  • Kriengsakdi Phatharacharukul, Thai Airways International
  • Chinkyung Rhee, Korean Air
  • Ken Samara, AMI Inflight, Inc. (Board Liaison)
  • Bob Sun, Flying Food Group
  • Jaime Arturo Viola, Philippine Airlines (Board Liaison)
  • Tim Zandbergen, TFK Corporation

IFSA EXTENDS A VERY SPECIAL "THANK YOU" TO OUR MANY GENEROUS CONFERENCE SPONSORS