Friday, May 31, 2024 Internationally acclaimed culinary innovator, author, educator, and humanitarian José Andrés has been announced as the keynote speaker for the second edition of The Hospitality Show, produced by Questex and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). Additional speakers and program updates will be revealed in the coming months. In a dynamic session titled “Changing the World Through the Power of Food” on Monday, October 28, Andrés will share his passion for driving positive change and his belief that “food is a basic human right.
” A staunch advocate for food and hunger issues, Andrés has significantly influenced the national debate on food policy. In 2010, he founded World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that provides food relief in the wake of natural and humanitarian disasters. The organization has delivered over 350 million meals worldwide.
In his culinary career, Andrés is celebrated for pioneering Spanish tapas in the United States and his avant-garde cuisine. He founded the José Andrés Group, which includes nearly three dozen award-winning restaurant concepts, such as the two-Michelin-starred minibar by José Andrés in Washington, DC, the acclaimed Mercado Little Spain in New York City, and multiple locations of the Bazaar by José Andrés. Named one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People” in both 2012 and 2018, Andrés received the 2015 National Humanities Medal and has been honored by the James Bea.
