Executive Sous Chefs, Executive Pastry Chef and Chef De Cuisine Announced

International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) is adding 52 years of culinary expertise to its industry leading food and beverage team, with four new chefs* appointed to deliver world class cuisine across the integrated convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct.

Supporting ICC Sydney Executive Chef, Tony Panetta, is Constantin Kautz, the former Head Chef of Sydney's InterContinental, who joins as Executive Sous Chef alongside former National Gallery of Victoria star, Jack Astin. Renowned Pastry Chef, Michael Belcher, and Chef De Cuisine, Dylan Sanding, bolster the team, which will scale to 1,000 people before ICC Sydney opens in December 2016.

Lynell Peck, ICC Sydney Director of Culinary Services, said the new hires are already creating meals and menus for the venue and will be responsible for delivering ICC Sydney's industry first Feeding Your Performance philosophy.

“ICC Sydney's award winning team will craft 'smart' menus comprising fresh, seasonal and ethically sourced ingredients, expertly combined to drive the physical and mental performance of visitors. At the heart of everything we do will be the principles of balance, quality, freshness and taste – the hallmarks of great food,” she said.

“From catering for international conventions and prestigious gala dinners, to creating bespoke menus for boutique banquets through to major events, our team will set a new culinary benchmark in the industry.”

CEO of ICC Sydney, Geoff Donaghy, said the stellar appointments reflect ICC Sydney's commitment to working with the best and brightest, and are part of a major recruitment push ahead of a series of test events commencing in early October and the opening in December.

“ICC Sydney is in the midst of one of the city's biggest talent drives for a decade. We are looking to fill 1,500 casual and 300 full time roles, building our performance-focussed team to deliver seamless operations across the venue, which comprises three theatres, a grand ballroom for 2,000 people plus a range of banqueting options, 35,000sqm of internal exhibition space, 8,000sqm of meeting room space and a 5,000sqm open air event deck.

“ICC Sydney will offer visitors and Sydneysiders alike the ultimate in quality, choice and flexibility. We will change the way events and entertainment are delivered in our city, so we are looking for people that can match this extraordinary vision. It's a truly exciting time at ICC Sydney, as we prepare to make history this summer,” he said.

*The Chefs
Executive Pastry Chef, Michael Belcher, has eight years' experience in convention centre catering and will create some of Sydney's most Instagramable desserts. Having worked in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, Belcher has created dishes for global leaders including a British Prime Minister and a United States President through a career that has spanned leading hotels and convention centres.

Executive Sous Chef, Constantin Kautz, formerly Head Chef at InterContinental Sydney, brings 15 years of Australian and UK experience with him, having worked for the majority of his career in renowned five star hotels including The Shangri-La and London's The Dorchester. His flair for classic French, modern European, Japanese and contemporary Australian cuisines will not fail to delight guests.

Executive Sous Chef, Jack Astin, has worked across a variety of establishments including the National Gallery of Victoria and The Botanical restaurant, giving him a unique insight into catering for an audience that is looking to enjoy food as part of a wider experience. Meanwhile his years at The Park Hyatt and Grosvenor Hotel show the talent needed to prepare food to our world class benchmark.

Chef de Cuisine, Dylan Sanding, has worked in a variety of corporate chef and hospitality roles. He was part of the AMMI Park (a Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust venue) pre-opening team, and has a strong background in catering for both small and large meetings and events.

Create an extraordinary career with ICC Sydney – visit careers.iccsydney.com.au to discover our latest roles and register for upcoming opportunities.

For more information, visit www.iccsydney.com and to join the conversation, visit Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. Also, preview the sumptuous culinary delights of the venue via Instagram.

For media enquiries, high resolution images or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Samantha Glass
Email: comms@iccsydney.com

ABOUT ICC SYDNEY

Opening in December 2016, ICC Sydney is Australia's premier convention, exhibition and entertainment destination. The showcase international venue underpins Sydney's place as one of the world's most desirable meeting and major events destinations. ICC Sydney is the epicentre of a 20-hectare transformation of Darling Harbour by the NSW Government to highlight Sydney as the first choice in Australia and the Asia Pacific region for the major events industry. ICC Sydney is being delivered by Darling Harbour Live, comprising Lendlease, Hostplus, Capella Capital, AEG Ogden and Spotless FM, in partnership with the NSW Government.

Infrastructure NSW is the NSW Government agency managing the 20-hectare transformation – Darling Harbour's most exciting renewal in 25 years. Darling Harbour and the new convention, exhibition and entertainment venue will continue to be publicly owned through Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which is presenting a dynamic calendar of events during the redevelopment to keep the precinct active and vibrant.

ICC Sydney is operated by globally acclaimed venue manager AEG Ogden.

ABOUT AEG OGDEN

AEG Ogden is a joint venture between Australia-based venue management interests and AEG Facilities of the United States.

AEG Ogden manages venues throughout the Asia Pacific region, including convention centres in Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Kuala Lumpur, Hyderabad (currently in design), the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (opening August 2016), International Convention Centre Sydney (opening December 2016), and the Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island; Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane; and arenas including the Brisbane Entertainment Centre and adjacent Sports Centre, Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena, the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, and Perth Arena. AEG Ogden is also the owner of National Basketball League (NBL) team, the Sydney Kings. aegogden.com 

In addition, AEG Facilities operates both the Los Angeles Convention Centre, and Hawaii Convention Centre. aegworldwide.com