Professor John Edwards at the ICCAS conference at Bournemouth University

Bournemouth University recently hosted the 2011 International Conference on Culinary Arts and Sciences (ICCAS), which this year attracted international participants from across 19 countries.

The seventh ICCAS conference, co-organised by Dr Heather Hartwell and Dr Peter Lugosi in BU’s School of Tourism, built on the success of past programmes by drawing together individuals and organisations from a variety of disciplines, where experts and practitioners exchanged ideas, presentations and themes of mutual interest and benefit regarding foodservice.

In 2011 the conference ‘came home’ to its place of origin, and Dr Hartwell expressed her ‘delight’ that delegates were invited back to BU on the South Coast, which is home to the Foodservice and Applied Nutrition Research Group, part of the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research.

The conference received the highest compliments from visiting delegates. Dr Edward Bottone of Drexel University, USA, said that “being in Bournemouth for the first time, I was intrigued and impressed and wished I could stay longer. Should we be so fortunate, we would feel privileged to present again in the future”.

Suzanna Bliss of AUT University, New Zealand also expressed ‘sincerest thanks for all the hard work and effort that contributed to a fantastic ICCAS’.

Dr Hartwell herself reflected that: “we are delighted with the response, not only did delegates praise the academic programme but they also welcomed the time networking with fellow research.”