Celebrity Chef Bobby Chinn to Cook Up a Storm at Mekong Tourism Forum

He's larger than life, highly engaging and has an unmatched passion for cooking. Celebrity chef Bobby Chinn will talk and cook at the Mekong Tourism Forum 2011 in the emerging destination of Pakse, Laos, 27-28 May 2011. Chinn's appearance at the Forum is an ideal fit for this year's theme, 'Destination Mekong: The Making of a Star'. Chinn himself grew to international stardom in the Greater Mekong Sub-region with Restaurant Bobby Chinn in Hanoi and his World Caf? Asia television series. "Food is a vital element in deciding where to go on holiday," said John Watson, CEO of Diethelm Travel Group. "Throughout the Mekong region we see culinary interest as a major attraction and passion for many of our guests." Chinn will appear on May 27 during the Forum in an engaging one-on-one interview on stage. In the Forum's food festival that evening he will give cooking demonstrations and exchange cooking tips with the Forum's guests. There will be plenty of food sampling going on. Chinn has an unconventional background. Born in New Zealand to a Chinese father and an Egyptian mother, he was schooled in England and for a time but calls San Francisco home. With a degree in Finance and Economics, he tried his hand as a trader on the floor on the New York Stock Exchange and even spent some time on the stage as a stand-up comic in LA before finding his true calling as a chef. Bobby learned his cooking skills at establishments in San Francisco, Bordeaux and Paris. He relocated to Vietnam in 1996, going on to run several highly acclaimed restaurants including Camargue and Saigon Joe's in Ho Chi Minh City, and Miro and the Red Onion Bistro in Hanoi. He then opened his own restaurant in Hanoi. Restaurant Bobby Chinn has won numerous awards including the 5 Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, the only restaurant in Vietnam to receive this honor. His restaurant also won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for seven consecutive years, the only restaurant in Vietnam to achieve this accolade. Bobby has hosted a number of VIPs including both US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton at various times and British Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott. Along the way Bobby has grown into a household name in Vietnam, across Asia and globally, with his restaurants, TV shows and books. Meet Bobby and find out about tourism in the Mekong region. A special Early Bird registration fee for the Mekong Tourism Forum of just US$200 applies up to 30 April. From 1 May the full fee of US$300 will be charged. The registration fee includes admission to the two-day conference sessions, proceedings, refreshment breaks, luncheons, dinners and receptions as indicated in the official programme. The Forum's venue hotel, the Champasak Grand Hotel, is offering a special rate of US$39 per room (single or double), including breakfast and free internet connectivity for MTF attendees who book here. For further information email to: [email protected] or call the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office. Tel: (+66) 2-612-4150. About the Mekong Tourism Forum The Mekong Tourism Forum provides a cooperative platform for stakeholders in the tourism industry to discuss the development, marketing and promotion of travel to, from and within the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). It is an inclusive, interactive and results-oriented opportunity aiming to encourage public and private sector participants to work together to represent the GMS as a single destination. The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) organized the first Mekong Tourism Forum in 1996 and led it for 10 consecutive years. The hosting of this influential annual event rotated among destinations within the GMS until 2005, and in the years following private sector initiated events continued to work towards the Forum's goals. The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office successfully revived the Forum in 2010. About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is an intergovernmental body uniting the national tourism organizations (NTOs) of the six–nation Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). It is tasked with fostering the sustainable development and promotion of travel within the region, and marketing the GMS as a single destination under the 'Mekong Tourism' brand. Visit www.MekongTourism.org. Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) 5th Floor, Office of Tourism Development, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 154 Rama 1 Rd., National Stadium, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand Tel: +66 2612 4150-1, +66 2612 4153 Fax: +66 2612 4152 Email: [email protected] Media queries Ken Scott ScottAsia Communications (Media relations on behalf of Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office) Email: [email protected] Mobile: (+66) 81 931 2753 Jutaporn 'Van' Kanokkangsadan Mobile: (+66) 86 337 9765 Email: [email protected] Click for photo release at www.thaipr.net

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