Media Contact: Lori LaDu
June 12, 2005

Fred Tibbitts & Associates Annual

“A Summer Evening in Beijing with Very Special Friends”

KEMPINSKI HOTEL BEIJING LUFTHANSA CENTER, JUNE 10, 2005

Beijing, PRC – The Second Annual Fred Tibbitts & Associates (FTA) “A Summer Evening in Beijing with Very Special Friends” proved a memorable event for the fortunate fifty plus invited to this FTA spectacular.

All guests at the reception, held at the Kempinski Hotel Beijing, were formally introduced by a gentleman in Black Tie and enjoyed Moet Champagne courtesy of Moet Hennessy Asia Pacific. 

The guest list was a veritable “Who’s Who” of Beijing’s top hotel General Managers and Directors of Food & Beverage as well as several Ambassadors and the most prominent Beijing entertainment magazine Publishers and Editors, including Cameron Bai of LifeStyle, Ning Zhang of Target, Jacquelin Zhu of Beijing Tatler and Jean Ma of Metropolis.

The five-course dinner, prepared by Executive Chef Wolfgang Schmelcher and his team, was preceded by Loyalty Toasts by among others: Their Excellencies Ambassador Qiamuddin Rai Barlas of Afghanistan, and Mait Martinson of Estonia; Minister Counsellor Miguel H.E. Poklepovic, Embassy of Chile; Matthias Kann, Managing Director and Albert Rouwendal, Hotel Manager of the Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center; and Sophia M.T. Mang.

The wines with the dinner were artfully paired by Director of Food & Beverage, Alvaro Rautenberg and Oliver Becker, Banquet Manager.  The sponsors for the dinner included Geyser Peak Winery. The Hong Kong Wine Club, IBM China, Moet & Chandon, U.S. Meat Exportation Federation, Penfolds and Rosemount Estate.

Fred Tibbitts announced that the 2005 FTA Hospitality Award for Excellence as a Humanitarian will be presented at the FTA Fall Dinner in Shanghai on 22 September (in memoriam) to Reggie Shiu, (formerly) Senior Vice President, ACCOR Asia.  A scholarship in his name will be awarded to an exceptional student at the Shanghai College.  The crystal trophy and $5,000.00 US scholarship will be presented by FTA President & CEO, Michael Charlton to Sophia M.T. Mang, sister of Reggie Shiu and for ACCOR Asia, Brian Deeson, Senior Vice President and Richard Kaldor, Vice President.

In a living tribute to the memory of Reggie Shiu, every ACCOR hotel General Manager in the region personally attended the dinner and were collectively the escort of Sophia M.T. Mang; they arrived as a group and when Madame Mang was ready to depart, they left as a group in sharp, military fashion.

Fred Tibbitts & Associates – headed by President & CEO, Michael Charlton – is the pre-eminent global consultant and facilitator on wines and spirits to some of the leading hotel and restaurant groups.  The company is based in New York State.