’Tis the Season to be Planning

By Michael Ty, CEC, AAC

Regional conference and national convention planning, that is. I realize that December is going to be a busy month for most of you professionally, but it’s time to start planning for the coming year’s educational and career-development offerings.

Jan. 24–29, 2010, we have an opportunity to meet our colleagues from other countries at the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) Congress in Santiago, Chile. Early registration is good through Dec. 31, 2009. Log on to www.worldchefs.org for information about the events, hotel accommodations and registration fees.

Back in 2006, a theme of one of the regional conferences was “Cooking Knows No Borders.” In that spirit, we have four regional conferences available for you to attend in four diverse areas of the U.S. It would be best if you attended the one in your region, but if the dates of your regional conference present an issue for you, we welcome you to join us in one of the other three venues.

Our regional conference season starts at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, Albuquerque, N.M., Feb. 6–8. We will be at Hershey Lodge, Hershey, Pa., March 13–15, and later in the month, March 26–28, at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, Indianapolis. Our final destination is the Sheraton Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala., April 24–26.

Most of you have heard about the tier registration fees that we are offering. There are three menus to choose from. The best price is a package that rewards ACF members for staying three or more nights at the conference hotel. ACF members in good standing who take advantage of this option by the respective conference deadlines could save as much as $175 in registration fees. A member in good standing is defined as a membership status that is current at the time of the event the member is attending. Check the conference Web page or call Events Management at (800) 624-9458 for more information.

Left to right—Michael Ty, CEC, AAC, ACF National President; Denise S. Graffeo, CEC, AAC, Epicurean Club of Boston President; Jeffrey D. Barr, 2009 Chapter Chef of the Year; James DiMarzio, CEC, Vice President and President Elect of Epicurean Club of Boston; and William Tillinghast, CEC, AAC, ACF Northeast Vice President.

Our 2010 Events Series will culminate at the national convention, which will be held at the Anaheim Marriott, Anaheim, Calif., Aug. 2–5. This, of course, is the “granddaddy” of our events for the year, and promises to be an extremely rewarding experience. We will start off in Anaheim with a community-involvement event July 31, with Chef & Child leading the way. We are asking any chef who would like to give back and help us make a difference in the Orange County (Calif.) community to come early and join us as we bring nutritional awareness to the area’s kitchens.

We will feature a golf tournament hosted by the American Academy of Chefs, with the proceeds split between the AAC and the ACF retirement plan that we hope to establish for our retired members. We will have this event at an area golf course, and Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, is planning a great tournament that will include wonderful prizes and the opportunity to network with many of your colleagues.

On Saturday and Sunday morning, for those of you who arrive early and are not able to check into your rooms, we will have a hospitality area where you can relax while you are waiting.

We plan to feature hands-on workshops that will require preregistration and a nominal fee to cover material costs. Pastry, garde manger, vegetable and fruit carving, ice carving and sugar pulling are just some of the workshops that will be offered. Seating will be limited, and preference will be given to ACF members with full registrations.

We want to make this a family event, and hope you will bring your spouse or significant other and your children on this summer vacation trip. One of the activities we are investigating is a spouse-and-children-only tour, offered to spouses with full registrations who can each bring two children on the tour.

Plan to stay for the entire week, because on our last day, we will have general session, the Chef Professionalism Award lunch and the President’s Grand Ball, with announcements of the winners of the various competitions.

We are offering ACF members three reward options for full registrations, with the greatest savings to those who stay a minimum of four nights at the Anaheim Marriott. And as a valued ACF member, you will receive a special gift of appreciation. This is our way of saying “thank you” to our members.

So, there you have it—a brief synopsis of what is planned for you in the coming year. Log on to www.acfchefs.org for updates as we finalize programs. Make an investment in your future by joining the largest organization of professional chefs in America at the ACF 2010 regional conferences and national convention.

On behalf of the board of directors and the national office staff, I wish you and your family a happy holiday season. Be safe, and I look forward to seeing you in February at our first regional conference.