Speakers

Speakers

DISCOVER OUR SPEAKER LINEUP!

Get ready for an inspiring series of talks featuring tourism thought leaders, industry visionaries and experts from across the food tourism value chain.

From pioneering entrepreneurs to visionary thinkers, these hand-picked experts promise to share insights that will help you better understand how and why to develop the flavours of your destination.

More speakers will be announced soon!

Steve Dolinsky

Steve Dolinsky

Steve Dolinsky, a 13-time James Beard Award winner, is the Food Reporter at NBC 5 Chicago, where his “Food Guy” reports have earned two Emmy Awards. Previously the “Hungry Hound” at ABC 7 Chicago for 17 years, he has also contributed food and travel writing to the Chicago Tribune and Canada’s Globe and Mail. Steve produces and hosts the “Pizza City” podcast and co-created The Feed Podcast with Chef Rick Bayless, which won a Beard Award for Best Podcast in 2015. He is the author of Pizza City, U.S.A. and The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide, works that inspired “Pizza City U.S.A. Tours” and Pizza City Fest.

Steve runs Culinary Communications, a media training company for chefs, and curates food spaces for real estate clients. He also organizes virtual culinary experiences and has moderated at events like the James Beard Awards and Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Formerly an Academy Chair for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, his work continues to celebrate and elevate the culinary world. 

RenÉe Suen

Renée Suen is a Toronto-based culinary travel journalist who is known for her decade-plus coverage of the Canadian food scene.

Serving as the Mid-USA and Mid-Canada Academy Chair for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, her works can be found in The Toronto Star, SingTao’s eliteGen, Chatelaine, Food & Wine, re: Porter, GoCanada.com and more.

Formerly the food and lifestyle/travel editor at Zoomer Media, she’s best known for her 13 years of food and restaurant reporting at Toronto Life. She is the head Toronto judge for the Canadian Culinary Championship, a panellist for various restaurant ranking surveys and was a guest judge on Iron Chef Canada. 

Robert Belcham portrait

Robert Belcham

Robert Belcham, one of Vancouver’s most celebrated chefs, earned the title of Chef of the Year at the 2009 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. With over 30 years of experience, he has helmed acclaimed restaurants such as Fuel, Campagnolo, and Popina Canteen, and reintroduced Monarch Burger in 2024 to great acclaim. Known for his dedication to sourcing local ingredients, Robert has become a champion of British Columbia’s regional cuisine.

Beyond the kitchen, Robert is a driving force in the hospitality industry. As a member of the Chef’s Table Society of British Columbia, he supports initiatives like the Hospitality Centre and COOKSCAMP, Canada’s largest hospitality conference. A passionate mentor, he is committed to inspiring the next generation of culinary leaders.

Nancy Small

Nancy Small

As the CEO of Tourism Richmond, British Columbia’s 4th largest Destination Marketing & Management Organization, Nancy specializes in strategic planning, destination development, stakeholder engagement, business development and marketing strategy.

Nancy is very active in the tourism industry and in the Richmond community – and is the Co-chair of the Canadian Destinations Leadership Council (CDLC), past chair of the BC Destination Management Association (BCDMOA), a director on the board of Go2HR, a director on the board of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, a director of the Culinary Tourism Alliance, and a member of the fundraising group for the Richmond Cares Richmond Gives Foundation annual Christmas Bureau.

She is a passionate advocate for the tourism industry and loves Richmond’s diversity of food (especially the world-famous Dumpling Trail and Richmond Night Market), shopping and biking trails.

Patrick St-Vincent

An entrepreneur in the hospitality industry, Patrick brings 25 years of experience in the restaurant and wine sectors, where he played a key role in introducing the “wine bar” concept to Quebec. A graduate of the MBA program at HEC Montreal, he is widely recognized for his expertise in business startups, operations management, and innovation, with a strong emphasis on sustainable development and business growth. Since co-founding La Table Ronde in 2021, Patrick has successfully united key players in Quebec’s fine dining sector and developed innovative programs that elevate and promote the entire industry.

Domenic Padula

Born and raised in Montréal, food has been central to Domenic’s life for 35 years. With a French-Italian background, he has traveled extensively in Europe, learning traditional cooking methods. After culinary training in Vancouver, he worked across Canada as a chef, in restaurant management, and the nonprofit sector.

In 2020, Domenic launched Food Fantastique and later acquired Dining on the Ocean Floor, transforming it into a globally recognized event. It has been named among the 10 Best Dining Experiences in the World by The Guardian, a Must-Do in Canada by Lonely Planet, and one of Forbes’ Top 10 Bucket List Dining Experiences. Passionate about local food, he blends traditional Italian recipes with regional ingredients and seafood.

Beyond business, he founded three Free Soup programs to fight food insecurity, earning Volunteer of the Year in 2023. In winter, he teaches skiing at Ski Martock.

He shares a lifelong partnership with his biggest supporter, Kimm, and their son, Sebastian. For 17 years, they have called Nova Scotia home, living on an organic farm in the Municipality of West Hants.