Vietnam int’l integrated hospitality show

Hanoi is gearing up to host Vietnam's prime trade show for hotels, restaurants, caterers and providers of fine food.
The event includes the VietHotel, VietWine, and VietFineFood expos and is designed to offer the opportunity of meeting key decision makers and industry professionals in Vietnam’s booming hospitality market.
Officially endorsed by the Hotel Department of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the show is conveniently scheduled just before the millennium of Hanoi in 2010 so that restaurants and hotels can source for new technology and expertise to cater to the expected surge in the number of people visiting Hanoi and its surroundings during the period.
Highlights
Celebrity Chefs Parade: A panel of top international and Viet- namese chefs will be invited to demonstrate their food preparation and presentation skills using quality ingredients. It will be an excellent opportunity for up-and-coming chefs to pick up new skills and ideas.
Plans are being made to bring in Michelin star rated chefs from France, Germany, Hong Kong and Japan for the event, which will be a must-attend for all food and beverage staff in not just Vietnam but also the region.
National Barista Championship: The nation's best baristas will gather at the National Convention Center on September 25 to compete in the first Vietnam National Barista Championship in front of a live audience.
The contest, which strives to create a greater focus on the quality of coffee making, is in line with the fast-paced growth of coffee appreciation in Vietnam.
The top six competitors from the preliminary round will advance to the final, and the 2009 Barista Champion will be announced at an award ceremony immediately afterwards.
National Culinary Competition: Chefs across Vietnam will compete in the first Vietnam National Culinary Competition organized by the Hanoi Professional Chefs' Club. Teams and individuals will compete in a number of categories including Vietnamese and Western Cooking. Day 1 will be the fruit and ice-carving competitions. Day 2 will see the Hot Cooking Competition, where two traditional and two modern Vietnamese dishes must be prepared within three hours. Day 3 will be the 'Black Box' challenge, where each team will prepare Western food in a thirty-minute session with only a limited number of ingredients supplied to them in a black box. Applications are still open! For more information on how to participate, visit www.viethotelexpo.com/ culinarycompetition.
Vietnam Bartender Competition: The nation's best bartenders will gather to contest for the competition in front of a live audience of spectators.
Participating competitors can look forward to a chance to display their talents in mixing their drinks in this inaugural bartending competition event in Hanoi.
A panel of judges will subsequently evaluate the performance of each individual according to criteria which include taste of the cocktails served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill and overall presentation. A total of US$2,000 in cash prizes will be given out for the top three male and female competitors at this event.
Vietnam International Wine Competition: Run in partnership with Tan Khoa and The Warehouse, the Vietnam International Wine Competition has been created specifically for the Asian market by those who know and are involved in the region.
Held in conjunction with VietWine ’09, it will be the first truly Vietnamese wine competition in the world and will include an award for Wine Knowledge and another for Best Wine produced in the world. Judging will be conducted by Asia’s most esteemed wine judges, including Jean Philippe Guillot and Baldwin Jehanno.
Time: September 24-26, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Venue: National Convention Center, Hanoi
For more information, go to www.viethotelexpo.com.