With over 25 years in business and the global hospitality industry, Eric Pateman is the nation’s leading ambassador for Canadian cuisine and one of the top international experts on culinary tourism, sharing his expertise with clients around the globe from the USA and the UK to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and beyond.

He is a storyteller for hundreds of artisan food companies, farmers, fishers, foragers and is known to bring together chefs and influencers from all aspects of the culinary world around the globe. With one of the most well-developed networks in the culinary world, Eric is constantly at the forefront of the global food movement.

With a background in content marketing, editing, copywriting, publishing and online sales, Lindsay Vermeulen has spent the last decade writing and editing content from around the world and across genres, with a focus on food, travel, lifestyle, real estate and the arts.

She has written and edited food, travel and lifestyle-focused materials for Penguin Random House, Herschel Supply Co., Quietly Media, the Green Party of Canada and Purdys Chocolatier, among many others.

A marketing communication strategist based in Warsaw, Poland, Anna Drozdowska has been creating and directing award-winning projects for the food & tourism industry and luxury consumer brands such as Porsche, Lexus and Bosch for over 20 years.

Running everything from fine dining festivals to bespoke travel itineraries, and cultural heritage education to cooking schools, Anna has extensive work experience in Europe, Asia and South America. She has organized numerous culinary art experience events in Poland and on a global scale, collaborating with celebrity Michelin-starred and Gault & Millau chefs, master sommeliers and baristas to create live cooking shows, culinary study tours, exclusive wine tastings and much more.

She has published numerous articles in top food & travel magazines, and speaks English, Polish, German, Spanish and basic Russian.

Raised in Seattle and based in Spain, Jane Connelly understands and respects food as a connector. She has spent more than a decade helping others appreciate food heritage, culinary experiences and sustainable economic development.

During an academic career spanning three continents, she found that her most meaningful lessons came from preparing and sharing meals with locals, learning about the traditions behind the food and how to best uphold them. Her remarkable strategic and analytical skills and her expertise in food tourism event management and marketing make her well positioned to help destinations preserve and share these traditions.

Whether it is bringing food to tourism, or tourism to food, Jane is a resource for anyone interested in a meaningful gastronomy tourism experience.

Based out of Mumbai and Dubai, Preet Sanghvi is an F&B brand conceptualizer, independent culinary tourism strategist and food curator for events, destinations and food courts. She has spent the past 8 years creating concepts and strategies for restaurants, bars, cafes and food retail businesses, and working with the tourism boards of Italy, India and Australia.

Her passion lies in helping destinations and governments build their economy and tourism through food, using effective storytelling strategies that unite hospitality, food movements, chefs, food festivals, agriculture and relevant media.

Preet founded Gourmet Tales Co, a food curation experience company with operations in both Dubai and India. She has built a community of more than 350 F&B brands across India and UAE, and curated the food at some of the biggest culinary and music events across India and Dubai.

Treve Ring is a wine writer and editor, judge and speaker and perpetual traveller. She is based on Vancouver Island, though is most often found on a plane or in a vineyard. She has been writing professionally since 2001 and her work has been published in World of Fine Wine, Meininger’s Wine Business International, Wine & Spirits, Sommelier Magazine, Wine Enthusiast and others.

In addition to her role as Correspondent Anorak at WineAnorak, she is the executive editor at Gismondi on Wine. Treve tastes thousands of wines each year, and is an established wine judge in Canada, the UK, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States.

Though her travels take her all over the wine world, Treve has spent the last few years concentrating and researching sparkling wine globally, with a focus on Champagne.

With over 35 years of experience as an executive chef, global award-winning product developer and culinary leader, Christine Couvelier is a sought-after consultant in the world of food.

Her exceptional ability to predict culinary trends, understand consumer thinking and translate these concepts into actionable business strategy has made her a respected advisor to many businesses. She has participated in many culinary industry conferences and conventions across the globe, both as a presenter and a keynote speaker.

Christine has worked with and developed products for everyone from big box grocery stores and large food producers to culinary schools and centres for innovation, including past roles as executive chef for President’s Choice, culinary director for Cara Operations, the chair of The Chef School at George Brown College (Canada’s largest culinary school) and director of culinary strategy at Maple Leaf Foods.

An experienced food & beverage, hospitality & tourism sector specialist, Wendy has been delivering positive organisational outcomes in New Zealand’s commercial and public sectors for over 20 years.

A growth economic advisor in food & tourism and PRINCE2 certified project manager, she provides considerable knowledge and expertise in marketing, business development, destination, sector development and research.

Wendy thrives on building enduring relationships and creating genuine connections with people at all levels. She excels in providing strong vision and strategy and developing high-quality partnerships to inspire action and create results.