Media Contact: Fred Tibbitts, Jr.

fredbev@fredtibbitts.com

17 June 2011

 

The Fourth Annual Fred Tibbitts & Associates

“A Summer Evening in Bangkok with Very Special Friends”

Plaza Athénée Bangkok, A Royal Méridien Hotel

Thursday 16 June 2011

 

Bangkok, Thailand.-The Fourth Annual Fred Tibbitts & Associates “A Summer Evening in Bangkok with Very Special Friends” proved to be another memorable event for the seventy-three guests, who included ceo’s, presidents,  regional vice presidents, general managers, hotel managers, directors of food & beverage and executive chefs, industry VIP’s, the press and valued sponsors.

 

The reception was hosted by Pernod Ricard China, Diageo Moet Hennessy, FIJI Water and Stoelzle glassware.  Phillips Foods Asia provided their finest crab meat for many of Executive Chef Martin Faist’s marvelous canapés and hors d’ouvres.  All guests were formally announced with style by Volkert Geertsen, Director of Sales + Marketing, Plaza Athénée Bangkok, A Royal Méridien Hotel; and gonged with distinction by Khun Nicknipha Santibuth, Banquet Associate, Plaza Athénée Bangkok, A Royal Méridien Hotel.

 

The four-course gala dinner brought Fred Tibbitts to the podium, who welcomed the guests and asked that they consider “Service as the Highest Calling”.  Tibbitts explained that the primary purposes of the FTA dinners are to recognize hospitality excellence, provide scholarships in the names of those whom are honored and to make charitable contributions to benefit those less fortunate.  Tibbitts promptly called for the evening’s nine “Loyalty Toasts” with Champagne Moet & Chandon Imperial by some of the dinner personalities, including Choo Leng Goh, General Manager, Plaza Athénée Bangkok, A Royal Méridien Hotel; Teddy Pharksuwan, Reserve Manager, Diageo Moet Hennessy Thailand; Cynthia Griffin, Commercial Counselor, Foreign Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy, Bangkok; Ben Hopkins, Senior Editor, Traversing The Orient; Stuart Lloyd, Vice President – Marketing, Media Transmedia (Thailand) Ltd.; Elena Broms, Corporate Director of Food & Beverage, Dusit International; Charles Jack, General Manager, The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok; Ramesh Khendry, General Manager, Bangkok Hotel Lotus Sukhumvit; and Kevin Murphy, CEO & Managing Partner, Asiawide Hospitality Solutions.

 

After the guests enjoyed their elegant First Course of Phillips Sea Crab Timbale with Avocado and Tomato Grainy Mustard-Mayonnaise and Micro Herbs paired with four delightful white wines from New Zealand, the South of France and Australia, Tibbitts announced a donation of $500.00 USD from a portion of the dinner proceeds to the Elephant Hospital at the National Elephant Conservation Center in Lamphang, which was gratefully accepted on behalf of the National Conservation Center by Brian Sinclair-Thompson, President, Skal International Thailand.

 

Tibbitts returned to the podium after the Main Course of Touredos Rossini Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras and Sauce Perigueux and three great red wines from Argentina, Chile and Australia to announce the Recipients of the 2011 FTA Hospitality Awards for Excellence, which will be presented at the 2011 FTA Fall Awards Dinners at the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin on 11 October and the Vanderbilt Suites in The MetLife Building at New York City on 15 November.

 

The Recipient of the 2011 FTA Hospitality Award for Excellence as an Operator-North America was announced as being Brian Abel, Vice President, Food & Beverage, North America, Starwood Hotels & Resorts.  The recognition was accepted on behalf of Abel by Wayne Buckingham, Regional Vice President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

 

The Recipient of the 2011 FTA Hospitality Award for Excellence as an Operator-Asia Pacific was announced as being Andreas Stalder, Senior Vice President, Product & Brand Development, Hyatt International-Asia Pacific.  The recognition was accepted on behalf of Stalder by Philippe Frey, Executive Assistant Manager-Food & Beverage, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok.

 

The Recipient of the 2011 FTA Hospitality Award for Lifetime Excellence was announced as being Eric Long, General Manager, The Waldorf=Astoria.  The recognition was accepted by on behalf of Long by Vincent Mercurio, General Manager, Conrad Bangkok.

 

The Recipient of the 2011 FTA Hospitality Award for Excellence as an IT Innovator was announced as being MICROS Systems, Inc.  Stefan Piringer, President, Micros-Fidelio Asia Pacific accepted the recognition.

 

The Recipient of the 2011 FTA Hospitality Award for Excellence as a Humanitarian was announced as being Robert Thurman, President, Tibet House US & Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Columbia University.  The recognition was accepted by Fred Tibbitts, Jr., President & CEO, Fred Tibbitts & Associates, Inc., a long time friend and admirer of Dr. Thurman.

 

The Cheese Course followed a selection of French Cheeses: Reblochon “Petit Coeur des Alpes”, Comte and Ste. Maure de Touraine, accompanied by two premium wines from the South of France and Chile.  As with the dinner wines from the first two courses, the wines for the Cheese Course were as well paired and ordered by Harriet Lembeck, CWE at New York City.

 

Following the Dessert Course of a Ronnefeldt Tea Pearls and Petit Sweet Bites, Tibbitts asked Choo Leng Goh to return to the podium to “Summon the Brigade”.  Goh’s summons was answered by a resplendent parade of the kitchen seniors who prepared the dinner, led by Executive Chef Martin Faist, followed by Executive Sous Chef Suthasaya Sa-ngasap as well as the service staff led by Assistant Banquet Manager, Poonsak Chodpeeratat, followed by Director of Banquet Songkarn Panaothaisong and the rest of their service team.  Executive Assistant Manager Giuseppe Fornillo and Food + Beverage Manager, Robert Wittebrood, who both attended the dinner, then joined Goh and the Brigade on stage.  Goh and her team of 35 associates then posed on stage for several group pictures to commemorate the occasion.

 

Fred Tibbitts & Associates is the leading global wine, spirits and foodservice products and services consulting agency for National Account chain hotels and restaurants with offices at Bangkok, Thailand and Menands, New York, the United States.

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Download high-resolutions versions of the photos below by
downloading the full set here: 11bangkoksummer_mediapics.zip

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