KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Dominique PERSOONE – The Chocolate Line – www.thechocolateline.be
“The Shock-o-latier Show”
Known as the “Shock-o-latier” of Belgium, Dominique Persoone has made a name for himself throughout Europe for his singular brand of “pralines” and occasionally outrageous chocolate contraptions.
Persoone started his culinary career by training at Bruges’ Ter Groene Poorte culinary academy. He found his love for chocolate while working under legendary chocolatiers Pierre Hermé and Pascal Brunstein. A persistent innovator, nowadays Persoone pairs his chocolates with anything from tequila to chicken skins.
Persoone and Fabienne Destaercke founded The Chocolate Line in Bruges in 1992. Their old fashioned-style chocolate shop features Persoone’s carefully-crafted chocolates that marry flavors as traditional as hazelnut and as mind-bending as cauliflower, basil, and black olive. Persoone considers himself a chocolate revolutionary and believes that an open mind paired with top quality ingredients and a balance of flavor and aroma are the key to the next frontier of chocolate.
In addition to their flagship shop in Bruges, The Chocolate Line has a factory located outside of Bruges and a recently opened shop in the heart of Antwerp in the restored Palace on the Meir (previously owned by the Belgian Royal family, Leopold II, and Napoleon). Their chocolates are sold to top restaurants in Belgium and Holland, including Hof van Cleve and Oud Sluis.
Aside from his tradition-defying pralines, Persoone wrote The Roots of Chocolate, a book that shares his expedition through Mexico to discover the origins of chocolate and dozens of original recipes. In 2009, the book won a Gourmand Cookbook award for Best Chocolate Book in the World. He also invented the Chocolate Shooter, a small device that accentuates chocolate’s unique aroma and flavors by catapulting pulverized chocolate into the air to be sniffed.
Persoone has presented his chocolates at culinary shows across Europe, including the last two editions of the Flemish Primitives, a food summit in Belgium where tops chefs present their latest discoveries and innovations. He is also a member of Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck think tank.
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Bodo WANJURA – Die Kuh Die Lacht – www.diekuhdielacht.com
“What’s the Buzz about Gourmet Burger?”
Bodo Wanjura is managing director of Die Kuh die lacht GmbH. Since 2007, the company successfully operates two gourmet burger restaurants in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Prior to this time, Bodo held marketing and communication positions at leading news agencies, media companies and the financial industry.
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Frédéric LOEB – Loeb Innovation – www.loeb-innovation.com
“5 Mega Trends in Foodservice Industry”
Frédéric Loeb est né en mai 1968. Diplômé de l’Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris et d’un troisième cycle, il effectue toute sa carrière au sein de la profession marketing.
Avec plus de 15 ans d’expérience, il a participé à plus de 500 processus d’innovation en matière de produits et services, en évolution ou rupture.
Il conseille de nombreux dirigeants, présidents, directeur généraux en matière de prospective et d’innovation. Passionné par les idées et par le style, il est invité régulièrement dans les congrès professionnels internationaux à s’exprimer sur la prospective et l’innovation.
Il a partagé ses convictions dans plus de 200 articles de presse, émissions radio ou télévisées.
Il enseigne régulièrement la prospective et l’innovation à l’Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris et à la Creative Academy de Milan.
Frédéric Loeb a, entre autres, publié :
- “00, et si on remettait les compteurs à zéro?“, avec Gérard Laizié, Éditions de l’Imprimeur, 1998
- “2000“, Catalogue officiel du pavillon de la France à l’Exposition Universelle de Hanovre, 2000
- “La vie commence dans l’espace“, avec Pierre Brisson, Éditions Gallimard, 2001
- “Beyond Beauty, les nouveaux enjeux du marché de la beauté 2004/2024“, Éditions Itec, 2003
- “Domovision 1, les grands courants d’évolution du cadre de vie & leur mode d’emploi“, avec Gérard Laizié, Éditions Unifa, 2006
- “Domovision 2, les grands courants d’évolution du cadre de vie & leur mode d’emploi“, avec Gérard Laizié, Éditions Unifa, 2007
- “Domovision 3, les grands courants d’évolution du cadre de vie & leur mode d’emploi“, avec Gérard Laizié, Éditions Unifa, 2008
- “Domovision 4, les grands courants d’évolution du cadre de vie & leur mode d’emploi“, avec Gérard Laizié, Éditions Unifa, 2009
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Michael BIGGINS – Executive & Restaurant Operator
“Street Fighting Marketing”
Michael Biggins is a highly qualified top executive, consultant, entrepreneur, and author with extensive experience in business leadership, strategic and business planning, site development, operations, training, franchise management, change management, finance, and marketing.
His business experience started with his father’s printing company where he helped out on summers and weekends. He saw firsthand the diligence, determination, and range of skills it took to be a success. His love of food began on his grandparents’ farm, cooking side by side with his grandmother. He built on those experiences while in the US Army, stationed in Brussels, where, as a personal aide to a General Officer, he was part of a team responsible for meals and service at the numerous parties and functions.
Upon his return to the USA, he started his business career as a crew person for McDonald’s, cooking hamburgers on a Friday afternoon. It was love at first sight. In his native Midwest, Michael grew through the ranks; store manager, supervisor, and franchise business consultant.
As his career grew, Michael held leadership roles across Western Europe and the Americas. He provided human resources and labor relations expertise when opening the first location in Italy then expansion and operations support to Spain, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. As Director of the Caribbean business unit, he led a full cross-functional team managing the business throughout the islands and opened French Guiana, McDonald’s 103rd country.
As with many restaurant operators, he longed to own his own restaurant, which he achieved by moving to England and buying a McDonald’s in Exeter. In his three and a half years as a franchisee, he doubled top line sales, was a part of the Franchisee Association leadership, helped resurrect the local Chamber of Commerce, and was recognized for his achievements in ‘Street Fighting’ Marketing and operations improvements.
Michael left McDonald’s after 25 years and numerous promotions and rewards to join the Metromedia Restaurant Group. As Vice President, he led a team that supported the international franchisees for Bennigan’s, Ponderosa and Bonanza brands. He then went on to the top family-dining brand in the United States, IHOP, as Division Vice President, supporting more than 200 franchisees and 700 restaurants.
He formed The Urban Restaurant Group to bring his experience to restaurant owners and operators wherever they may be, whatever brand or concept they represent. He has most recently consulted with fine dining restaurants in Chicago and the California Napa Valley.
His recently published book, “The Journey To Being A Successful Franchisee”, describes in detail the step-by-step path that every franchisee needs to walk in order to realize their business dreams and ambitions. It is the distillation of his firsthand experiences, with many lessons learned from successful franchisees around the world.
