When Ben Gregoire, chair of FCSI Asia Pacific took to the stage to welcome attendees from across the world to this summer’s conference in Hoi An, Vietnam, he highlighted the importance of bringing together professionals from across the industry.
“It was a real emotional high; we brought together over 200 professionals from across the region and beyond and you could feel the momentum from the start,” he says.
The event, at the New World Hoiana Beach Resort, gathered consultants, manufacturers, dealers, reps and operators from all three regions and the extended networking sessions allowed for interacting with colleagues and connecting with new friends.
According to Albin Chavy, regional director for strategic projects Asia Pacific and India, Compass Group who was among the speakers at Circle, this mix made the conference “incredibly energizing”.
“It was so inspiring to connect with a diverse group of professionals across hospitality, foodservice, and consulting, and to hear how others are tackling similar challenges from different angles. It really reinforced how much we can learn from each other,” he says.
Learning and sharing
The conference theme was Circle: Conversations on Resilience, Innovation, Collaboration, Leadership, and Evolution. The insightful program included keynote presentations on everything from AI in hospitality to hotel F&B trends; rapid-fire talks covering sustainability, bar development and the FCSI Educational Foundation; and panel sessions focused on challenges in foodservice design projects and collaborations between professional and allied FCSI members.
After an energizing opening night party, the first session on Friday morning set the bar for a brilliant program. Alburn William FCSI, Vant Tan FCSI and Prakash Alagu FCSI from CKP Hospitality Consultants outlined their work on Mega Projects in an impressive session, showcasing the brilliant work done by consultants in the region as well as offering a snapshot of the current project panorama they operate in.
What followed was two days of insightful presentations, moments of learning and sharing experiences. Networking lunches, coffee breaks, dinners and socialising took place across the impressive resort restaurants, bars and lounge areas.
In the conference hall, delegates enjoyed a wide-ranging program with a balance of serious insight and inspiring stories.
Virginia Entizne and Kevin Cherkas were among the highlights of the conference program as they shared their story of building an incredibly successful restaurant brand Cuca in Bali. “They brought a level of honesty and vulnerability that you rarely see on stage, and their story had real impact,” says Gregoire.
Having spoken on allergen management Chavy, meanwhile, appreciated the openness to difficult topics. “I appreciated the feedback from attendees. It was encouraging to see such openness to diving into operational risk, not just the shiny innovations, but also the ‘silent threats’ we need to manage to keep food safe, inclusive, and high performing,” he says.
Away from the conference hall, Gregoire says the hall-way chats and coffee catch-ups were just as valuable. “Those informal moments reminded me that these events aren’t just about content — they’re about connection and shared purpose,” he says.
As ever in the hospitality industry, the people made the event. “Everyone showed up with the right mindset. It wasn’t just about attending a conference, it was about contributing to something bigger,” says Gregoire. “The tone felt inclusive and open, and that mix of strong content with genuine hospitality memorable.”
Perfect venue
The choice of the venue for Circle 2025 was inspired – and relevant, as FCSI’s own Vant Tan developed the foodservice design side of the New World Hoiana Beach Resort. On Friday morning all delegates went on learning tours around the resort to explore the restaurants, bars and other foodservice outlets.
“The resort’s impeccable infrastructure, UNESCO-recognized cultural richness in Hoi An, and seamless connectivity to key Asia, Australia, Middle East hubs have created a unique environment for meaningful collaboration,” says Raoni Saade from RGB consultancy who travelled from Brazil to attend the conference. “Integration between FCSI consultants, manufacturers, and operators is essential and the venue was perfect for this.”
Circle 2025 represents a huge step forward for the FCSI Asia Pacific Division and the consensus was clear when the curtain came down as the end of the conference: the future is bright for FCSI and the region. As Gregoire reflects: “Asia Pacific is no longer in the background. We’re stepping up, finding our voice, and showing the rest of the world what we’re capable of. There’s a real sense of community now, and that energy is only growing.”
Tina Nielsen
