Building Connections, Celebrating Talent: VIITE CEO at Fine Food Australia 2026
VIITE CEO Dr Daman Shrivastav visited Fine Food Australia 2026 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, connecting with culinary industry leaders, associations and rising chef talent shaping Australia's hospitality sector.
Education and industry rarely get enough opportunities to meet face-to-face — which is exactly why moments like this matter. VIITE CEO Dr Daman Shrivastav recently visited Fine Food Australia 2026, the country's leading food and hospitality trade show, held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, to connect with the leaders, innovators and rising stars shaping Australia's culinary landscape.
A Trade Show Built for the Industry's Future
Fine Food Australia brings together suppliers, buyers and industry leaders for four days of networking, insights and real business opportunities, making it one of the most significant gatherings on the Australian hospitality calendar. For an institution like VIITE, whose mission is rooted in preparing the next generation of culinary and hospitality professionals, the event offered a valuable vantage point on where the industry is headed — and the people driving it forward.
Walking the show floor and engaging directly with exhibitors, competitors and association leaders gave Dr Shrivastav firsthand insight into the trends and challenges currently shaping foodservice and hospitality in Australia — insight that feeds directly back into how VIITE designs its programs.
Meaningful Conversations with Industry Leaders
Among the highlights of the visit was a conversation with Karen Doyal, National President of the Australian Culinary Federation, whose leadership continues to shape standards and advocacy across the country's culinary profession. Dr Shrivastav also met with Sarah Maric, Ex-President of the Australian Institute of Technical Chefs, and Roy Palmer, CEO of the Seafood Consumers Association — conversations that offered valuable perspective spanning technical culinary standards and the seafood supply chain, both critical areas within Australia's evolving hospitality sector.
The visit also included an introduction to Chris Milligan, an award-winning young chef whose career reflects the kind of trajectory VIITE hopes to help its own students achieve. Meeting rising talent in person is a reminder of why industry-education partnerships matter — they create visible pathways from classroom to kitchen, and from training to recognition.
Rounding out the visit was a stop at the Yum Cha Competition, where Dr Shrivastav connected with Chef Leslie Chen. Culinary competitions like this one offer a window into technique, creativity and the standards of excellence that define the profession today.
Why These Connections Matter
At its core, VIITE's presence at Fine Food Australia reflects a deeper commitment to staying closely connected with a fast-evolving industry. Building relationships with figures like Karen Doyal, Chris Milligan and Chef Leslie Chen isn't just about visibility — it's about creating a collaborative ecosystem where education and industry work together to open doors for students: mentorship opportunities, exposure to competition-level standards, and insight into what employers are genuinely looking for in new talent.
Fine Food Australia, held annually and alternating between Sydney and Melbourne, offers this kind of access at scale. For VIITE, showing up in person is part of a broader strategy: keeping curriculum and student opportunities grounded in what the industry actually needs.
Connecting Education with Industry
VIITE's guiding philosophy is simple: connect education with the industry that shapes tomorrow. Visits like this one to Fine Food Australia 2026 put that philosophy into action — placing leadership in the room with the people setting standards and defining what's next for Australian hospitality, and laying the groundwork for stronger pathways for the next generation of hospitality professionals.
