Cooking up a recipe for success

Scotland’s national chef will be imparting his wisdom and experience to Glasgow’s tourism industry at the next Glasgow Welcomes Champions’ event.

Gary Maclean, Masterchef Professionals Champion in 2016, will be speaking to around 80 leaders from Glasgow’s tourism industry at the SEC’s Meeting Academy on Thursday 21 June, sharing his insights into the culture of the professional kitchen and his thoughts on successful leadership.

The multi-award winning Glasgow Chef, who is a Senior Lecturer at City of Glasgow College, will also discuss skill shortages in the tourism sector and the key to engaging and retaining rising talent in all areas of tourism and hospitality.

Attendees will also hear from Sallyann Tindall of Scottish Enterprise, who will provide an update on the Glasgow Tourism & Visitor Economy Plan, with tips on what Glasgow needs to consider to be China Ready.

The participants on the Aspiring Leaders’ Programme will be sharing their stories and progress at the event, highlighting the benefits they have experienced, both professionally and personally. Run by Glasgow Welcomes, the programme is a unique, experience-led opportunity aimed at developing the next generation of leaders in Glasgow’s tourism industry.

Hosted by Craig Martin, Chair of Glasgow Welcomes, this quarterly Champions’ event is a valuable development opportunity for like-minded people from all sectors of the Glasgow tourism and hospitality industry who are passionate about customer service excellence. Its informal nature allows all attendees to share their experiences and learn from each other.

Craig Martin, Chair of Glasgow Welcomes, said: “This Champions’ event is once again a chance for the leaders of Glasgow’s tourism industry to come together and share their ideas and experience with each other.

“We are delighted to welcome Gary, a fantastic example of the rich talent in Glasgow, and, with the increasing numbers of visitors from China, I am keen to hear Sallyann’s useful tips to ensure we are ready to give these Chinese visitors a warm welcome to our city.

“I am also very much looking forward to hearing from our Aspiring Leaders. Glasgow Welcomes inspires and develops our city’s people to deliver outstanding, vibrant and memorable visitor experiences. In doing so we deliver real results and return on investment that enhance the Glasgow visitor journey.”

Gary Maclean, Scotland’s National Chef, said: “I was very happy to accept Glasgow Welcomes’ invitation to speak at their Champions’ Event. Glasgow is an incredible city with a wonderful tourism offering and it’s great to see the industry coming together to share best practice. I hope sharing my experiences will be useful to everyone and I look forward to hearing from others.”

The Glasgow Welcomes Initiative is industry-led and supported principally by Scottish Enterprise, as well as Skills Development Scotland, VisitScotland and Glasgow Life. It works in partnership to raise standards of service across every touch point of the city's visitor experience. With a focus on leadership, skills and service excellence, it is an integral element of the Glasgow Tourism and Visitor Plan to 2023.

For more information about Glasgow Welcomes go to http://www.glasgowtourismandvisitorplan.com/support/glasgow-welcomes/

For more information about Gary Maclean go to garymacchef.com