LOCAL AND REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

POST DATE: Friday, January 28, 2010

1. The annual Beaver Creek Master Chef Classic -- known as Bon Appetit -- started today and runs through Saturday. The festival offers foodies the opportunity to share dinners, tastings and culinary workshops with internationally renowned chefs.

Some of the great names in attendance include:
Alain Allegretti, chef/owner of Allegretti (NYC)
Joe Campanaro, chef/owner of Little Owl (NYC)
Ming Tsai, chef/owner of Blue Ginger (Boston)
Francois Payard - pastry chef/owner of Payard (Las Vegas, Japan, Korea)
Hidekazu Tojo - chef/owner of Tojo (Vancouver)
For more information, visit www.beavercreek.com

2. Talk about a feather in your cap: after 37 years in Las Vegas, the world's largest snow sports retail show -- the SIA Snow Show -- has shifted its venue to DENVER. Not only that, the organizers have signed an unprecedented 11-year commitment to stay in Denver. The show is expected to attract about 17,000 people and translate into revenues of $30+ million annually.

"This is one of the most significant bookings in the city's history," said Rich Grant of Visit Denver while CEO, Richard Scharf, says it enables Denver and environs to "celebrate our position as the snow sports capital of the country."

The show started yesterday. I would not be surprised to see attendees take time to "head up the hill", as we say, and visit Vail's collection of world class resorts.