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 Chefs representing the United States and Canada in the International Association of Conference Centers’ Global Copper Skillet competition on March 28, 2008 at Zermatt Resort & Spa in Midway, Utah were decided last week at separate run-up competitions held at the James L. Allen Center , in Evanston, Illinois for the U.S , and at the BMO Financial Group Institute for Learning in Toronto, Ontario, for Canada.

 Chefs representing the United States and Canada in the International Association of Conference Centers’ Global Copper Skillet competition on March 28, 2008 at Zermatt Resort & Spa in Midway, Utah were decided last week at separate run-up competitions held at the James L. Allen Center , in Evanston, Illinois for the U.S , and at the BMO Financial Group Institute for Learning in Toronto, Ontario, for Canada.

The two top chefs who won their respective competitions are Executive Chef Marc Suennemann of Chateau Elan Winery, Resort & Conference Center in Braselton, Georgia and Paul Dokmanovic, sous-chef at The Banff Centre, in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Suennemann beat other formidable American competitors with his winning Seared Red Snapper and Free Range Chicken Medallions with Orzo pasta, Ratatouille and a Provencal sauce. Dokmanovic won with a dish of Rosemary Lamb Chops with Chicken and King Oyster Mushroom-stuffed Basil Tortellini and a Salad of Baby Spinach, Teardrop Tomato, Potato, and Yellow Peppers.

However delectable, these winning dishes sound, this year’s Copper Skillet competition—to be sure, a main event of the 27th Annual Conference of the International Association of Conference Centers—may require a different skill set than competitions of years past.

Previously, competiting chefs had to create a dish on a culinary theme—such as,Asian Fusion, Moroccan, Provencal, and Thai. The 2008 Copper Skillet has adopted a set of new, and more challenging rules. Themes have been abandoned and replaced with more a free-wheeling competition—each competing chef will receive a "mystery basket" of ingredients at the start of the competition after which they will be free to create any style of dish.

"This creates a more even playing field by challenging their overall creativity," said Chef Paolo Stefani of the James L. Allen Center and Chair of the Global Copper Skillet Competition.

The popular Copper Skillet competition was introduced in 2004 to highlight the artistry and skill of the best chefs from IACC-member conference centers around the world and to honor their contributions to the shared goal of providing an outstanding conference center experience. Competing Chefs at the final 2008 cook-off will represent IACC Chapters in The Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, Denmark and Canada. Last year’s winner was Chef Assadang Langsub of Dolce International’s Spencer Leadership Centre in London, Ontari. Dokmanovic will be representing Canada to defend its championship title.

Other participants in the competition were (United States) Reinhard Warmuth, Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, Grapevine, Texas; Mark Moran, The Conference Center at NorthPointe , Lewis Center, Ohio; Joseph Elliot, The Founders Inn and Spa, Virginia Beach, Virginia; and (Canada) David Cottingham, White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa, Niagara on the Lake, Ontario; Alan Boden, Donald Gordon Conference Center in Kingston, Ontario; Mathew Bernat, Spencer Leadership Centre, London, Ontario; Barry Billingham, BMO Financial Group Institute for Learning, Toronto, Ontario.