Chef David Adjey, Peter Yesawich keynotes at Centrex

Chef David Adjey at Centrex 2009.

By Chris McGregor
Contributing editor

WINNIPEG—Chef David Adjey, Jeremy Gutsche, founder of Trendhunter.com, and Ypartnership chairman and CEO Peter Yesawich shared guest speaker duties at the 2009 Manitoba Tourism Conference.
 
The combined trade show and conference is part of Centrex, held in late April, and put on by the Manitoba Hotel Association and the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association.

More than 1800 owners, managers and staff from hotels and restaurants attended the event, with the theme, “Tourism—Be a part of it,” Centrex included an Iron Chef-style cooking competition, seminars on festival tourism, the youth market revealed, the growing business of meetings and conventions and maximizing your marketing effort.

Eight Winnipeg restaurants competed in a cooking competition where the chefs had just one hour to prepare as many dishes as possible in the time limit using a mystery ingredient.

Participating restaurants on the Garland stage included Assiniboia Downs, Bellissimo,   Bistro 7 ¼, Dandelion Eatery, The Fairmont Hotel, Mirlycourtois, Provence Bistro and the Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club.

The Dandelion Eatery placed second to staff from the Velvet Glove restaurant in the Fairmont Hotel.

Scott Jocelyn, executive director of the MRFA, said the number of attendees appeared to be on par with previous years, despite the downturn in the economy.

“Everyone I spoke to about the show was thrilled with who was there,” Jocelyn said.
Presentations for MRFA members included speakers from the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission and the provincial health ministry.
 
Jerry Weir, executive director of the Manitoba Hotel Association, said feedback from the exhibitors was positive.

“There was an increase in numbers that came through,” he said.

Changes to MHA’s board of directors

A new complement of directors took their place at the board table for the Manitoba Hotel Association.

Reid Kelner of the Beach Hotel in Winnipeg remains chair of the organization, with Derek Hay of the Falcon Lake Hotel and Larry Jocelyn Jr. from Gordon Hotels taking on the first and second vice-chair roles, respectively.

Directors for 2009-10 are: Angelo Paletta, Clarion Hotel; Jillian Cockbill, Central Hotel – Virden; David Carriere, Vivian Hotel; Brian Sparrow, Norwood Hotel; Henry Traa, Lakeview Properties; Toby Laviolette, Mystery Lake Motor Hotel; and Bob Young, Souris Motor Hotel.