20/03/2026
As the International Gastronomy Forum, Macao 2026 unfolds, our breakout sessions offer a choice of deep-dive industry insights. This year, the forum hosts three concurrent dialogues.
First, an investigation into how creative-led community tourism harnesses to revitalise urban identity.
Second, a technical exploration of how culinary leadership is redefined by digital mentorship for a new generation of visionaries.
Last but not least, a digital-focused masterclass decoding the strategies behind viral content and the authentic storytelling that connects millions of global viewers to the human side of gastronomy.
Panelists of Breakout Session 1:
Creative Cities in Dialogue: Blueprints for Creative-led Community Tourism
โ Claudio Cecchinelli, Coordinator of the Cities of Gastronomy Subnetwork of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and Focal Point of Bergamo, Italy
โ Joana Miranda, Coordinator of the Cities of Media Arts Subnetwork of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and Focal Point of Braga, Portugal
โ Nitthakan Khunwatcharakit, Director of Suphanburi Provincial Cultural Office, Focal Point of Suphanburi, Thailand (Creative City of Music)
โ Tao Li, Representative of Wuhan, China (Creative City of Design), Founder & Lead Architect of UAO Design, Lecturer in Wuhan University
โ Cat Nelson (Moderator), Editorial Director, Specialist Publications, South China Morning Post
Panelists of Breakout Session 2:
Tradition to Innovation: Cultivating the Future of Culinary Leadership
โ Dr. Yen Nee Ng, (Christy), Assistant Professor & Coordinator for the Culinary Arts Management Programme, Macao University of Tourism
โ Flora Igoe, Head of Youth Culture and Food Heritage Programme in the Office of Youth and Women at Josh Carrott & Ollie Kendalthe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
โ Daniel Chio, Young Chefs Programme - 2026 Cohort (Macao), Sous Chef at Galaxy Macau
โ Safa Rodas, Young Chefs Programme - 2026 Cohort (Philippines), Head Chef at L'attitude, Morpheus, City of Dreams Macau
โ Lihle Mahambehlala, Young Chefs Programme - 2026 Cohort (South Africa), Chef at Ox Table
โ Douglas Parkes (Moderator), Editor of 100 Top Tables, South China Morning Post
Panelists of Breakout Session 3:
Culinary Content Creation in Practice: Strategies behind Million Views
โ Josh Carrott & Ollie Kendal, Creators of YouTube Channels โKorean Englishmanโ & โJollyโ with combined total subscriptions around 11 million
โ Jess Menezes, Instagram Content Creator with approximately 440K followers
โ Jen Balisi, Founder of Indulgent Eats and Co-founder of Barkada with approximately 370K followers
โ Vivek Mahbubani (Moderator), Stand-up Comedian