Chef Alain Ducasse to Be Inducted Into Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor

HOUSTON, Sept. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alain Ducasse, one of the world's most decorated chefs, will be inducted into the Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor this year at the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

The Hall of Honor, which is housed at Hilton College, was created in 1995 to recognize industry leaders who have made extraordinary contributions to American and international business and society.

Born in 1956 on a farm in the southwest region of France, Ducasse developed his culinary tastes at a very early age. He started working in restaurants at 16, and by the time he was 33, he'd already earned his first three-star Michelin rating. Currently, Ducasse holds 19 Michelin stars and runs more than 20 restaurants all over the world. In 2012, he celebrated the 25th anniversary of this signature restaurant Le Louis XV in Monaco.

Though no longer in the kitchen, Ducasse is the driving inspiration behind all of his ventures, providing the recipes, managing the talent and consulting on his restaurants' atmosphere, interior design, tableware and kitchen organization as the founder of Alain Ducasse Enterprise.

He also dedicates himself actively to the training of professionals through his Ducasse Education department, comprised of Ducasse Institutes in Paris and Manila, the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie in Yssingeaux (Haute Loire) and other educational partnerships throughout the world.

Ducasse's contributions to the industry will be recognized at the 19th Annual Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor reception, dinner and induction ceremony—planned and executed by a team of Hilton College student managers—on October 22, 2014, at the Hilton University of Houston. Wolf Hengst, director and chairman of the Strategic Board of Alain Ducasse Enterprise, will accept on Ducasse's behalf.

The student team will also plan and host a series of industry-related "Think Tanks" in the days leading up to the induction ceremony, featuring special guest panelists from a wide variety of hospitality fields, to give the entire student body a chance to network and learn from the experts.

Tickets are still available for the reception, dinner and ceremony. To purchase tickets or for more information on this important industry event, contact Alexis Hoey at [email protected]. For more information on the Conrad N. Hilton College, visit http://www.hrm.uh.edu.

SOURCE University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management