THE INTERVIEWS
Alfonso Benvenuto
For the Vice-President of The European Association of Hotel and Tourism Schools it was the first experience, as a participant of the European Christmas. It was only understandable that, as an Italian he was bound to complain about the freezing cold weather, yet he did not utter a word of criticism about the wonderful atmosphere permeating the whole event in Poznan. "We should continue with the events like this one, as such meetings are a great opportunity for bringing our students together. Christmas meetings have one more advantage over our annual meetings, namely that there is no competition and all participants can work together for the preparation of the European Buffet.
Coming to Poznan enabled us all to discover a different country: Poland, rich in tradition and history full of various experiences and sacrifices, and very catholic indeed. The organisation of this year's European Christmas is perfect and Mr Tauber used all his knowledge and experience to make it work. The event is both very professional and friendly. Due to his Academy, his professional experience as well as his students and co-workers the European Christmas 2001 in Poznan is a great success.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the participants form outside: the soldiers, the orchestra and the brilliant choir. Their warmth, kindness and friendliness eliminated the outside coldness of the winter snowy weather and made each and every participant feel at home.
I hope that the friendly atmosphere will be passed onto the organisers of the future European Christmases, enabling the hosts to share their human, cultural and culinary richness with the visitors. Let me say: " a huge thank you" to Mr Tauber, his whole team, to Poznan and Poland".
Since the meeting in Faro, Portugal in 1998, Roman Dawid Tauber has been convinced about the importance of AEHT activities and he talks about it in his Academy. At the age of 58 he is in a way a self-made man and he does not have to prove it, as apart from the whole range of titles and diplomas and certificates he is also an author of about 20 culinary books and he never stops.
Coming to Poznan enabled us all to discover a different country: Poland, rich in tradition and history full of various experiences and sacrifices, and very catholic indeed. The organisation of this year's European Christmas is perfect and Mr Tauber used all his knowledge and experience to make it work. The event is both very professional and friendly. Due to his Academy, his professional experience as well as his students and co-workers the European Christmas 2001 in Poznan is a great success.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the participants form outside: the soldiers, the orchestra and the brilliant choir. Their warmth, kindness and friendliness eliminated the outside coldness of the winter snowy weather and made each and every participant feel at home.
I hope that the friendly atmosphere will be passed onto the organisers of the future European Christmases, enabling the hosts to share their human, cultural and culinary richness with the visitors. Let me say: " a huge thank you" to Mr Tauber, his whole team, to Poznan and Poland".
Roman Dawid Tauber
Since the meeting in Faro, Portugal in 1998, Roman Dawid Tauber has been convinced about the importance of AEHT activities and he talks about it in his Academy. At the age of 58 he is in a way a self-made man and he does not have to prove it, as apart from the whole range of titles and diplomas and certificates he is also an author of about 20 culinary books and he never stops.Were you afraid of organising the European Christmas in Poznan?
"Not at all. The work with the youth for hospitality and gastronomy has been my life. For that reason I have invited so many schools and I was fully aware of the responsibility, but I am truly happy. Everything but the bonfires at the military training ground was a success and even this small misfortune was due to cold weather and not an organisational failure.
I very much regret that we were not granted permission to organise the parade in the City Centre. Yet the whole media was present and I have to admit that the television, the radio and the press kept informing the general public about the events really well.".
I very much regret that we were not granted permission to organise the parade in the City Centre. Yet the whole media was present and I have to admit that the television, the radio and the press kept informing the general public about the events really well.".
How did you organise the European Christmas 2001?
"Well it was not a difficult task, we, I mean me and my team, consisting of 6 people have been working since the 25th October 2001 and as you can see everything went really smoothly, didn't it?
For all of us it was a great pleasure to invite so many schools, and we would like to thank them for accepting our invitation. It was an honour for us...."
For all of us it was a great pleasure to invite so many schools, and we would like to thank them for accepting our invitation. It was an honour for us...."
