Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre's Ambassadors Shine Bright at Culinaire Malaysia 2019

October 15, 2019

It was a sweet victory for the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) when their team bagged ‘The Most Outstanding Team in Culinary’ and ‘Most Outstanding Apprentice’ for the second consecutive time at Culinaire Malaysia 2019, where the crème-de-la-crème of the local and international culinary fraternity competed in a “Battle of the Chefs”.

Overall the team also won three gold, 14 silver and 17 bronze medals at the competition, which the Centre has now competed in six times, out of which, 10 medals were contributed by the young chefs and ambassadors. The gold medals were won in the ‘Crystal Ice Masterpiece Team Challenge’, ‘Plated Appetisers’ and ‘Hot Cooking - Western Cuisine’ categories.

Commenting on the fantastic effort, the Centre’s Executive Chef, Hisham bin Jaafar, shared, “We are thrilled and very proud of the performance of our young chefs and Ambassadors, most of whom had minimal culinary experience and really stepped up thanks to the guidance and coaching from our chefs. Our aim was to give these fresh and raw talents experience and exposure. Culinaire Malaysia was the perfect opportunity to impart real-world knowledge.”

Before the competition, under the guidance of the Centre’s Team Captain and Team Manager for Culinaire Malaysia 2019, Western Banqueting Chef, Nur Mohammad Zahar, and Garde Manger Chef, Fairus Raudzi, the juniors undertook two months of rigorous training to prepare them for the competition. This included staying back after working hours to practice creating their dishes, which involved many late nights, mock presentations with constructive comments by in-house judges and workshops with the Centre’s chefs on culinary skills and methods.

He continued, “These Ambassadors have been loyal and hard-working throughout their time with us and Culinaire Malaysia provided the perfect occasion for us to reward them with a new opportunity. We hope this experience will help them kick-start their culinary journey and inspire them to continue to grow their skills and techniques as they forge a career here at the Centre, or in Malaysia’s blossoming culinary scene.”

Speaking of his experience, winner of the Most Outstanding Apprentice, Muhammad Zulhelmi bin Ahmad Azam, said, “Being an apprentice here has been a fulfilling journey indeed. When you are surrounded by professionals and skilful chefs, who are always willing to help, it gives you the encouragement and confidence to join a competition like this. The past few months have been challenging, but thanks to Chef Hisham and his team's tough love, encouragement and support I was able to excel. Never did I imagine that I would win the ‘Most Outstanding Apprentice’, and I am truly happy and grateful for this.”

The Ambassadors will now be given the opportunity to be involved in cooking for selected events, as well as employment with the Centre whenever the opportunity arises.

This was the eighth consecutive time that the Centre has been the proud host of the biennial Culinaire Malaysia competition as part of its commitment to advance culinary excellence and distinction through the provision of a platform to develop and nurture young talent in Malaysia. This edition brought together over 1,000 culinary professionals to gain valuable experience, exposure, inspiration and showcase their skills and creative techniques in various disciplines and categories.

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? 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Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.