Press information August 4th 2020 ECKART 2020
Munich. In times when almost all events are being cancelled, the ECKART Academy acts against this trend. The ECKART 2020 and the connected culinary symposium take place. On September 6th 2020, this year’s awards will be conferred in the location of the NOI Techpark in Bolzano. On September 7th 2020, the open format, which was already tested in Vienna last year, will take place.
A special concept
Thus, the ECKART 2020 is a special event with a new concept: Eckart Witzigmann: “We focus on what we missed most during the last months: personal encounter. Not as close as we would like to, but maybe even warmer. Thanks to the extraordinary commitment of the autonomous region of South Tyrol, first and foremost governor Arno Kompatscher, the event can take place. Agriculture, culinary experiences and tourism are the basis of South Tyrol’s existence. Ranging from haute cuisine to the traditional art of cooking, South Tyrol’s gastronomy unites Alpine and Mediterranean elements that make it so unique, whilst honoring the high quality of its regional products. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic massive drops in all areas were the result. Therefore, with this event the autonomous region of South Tyrol wants to set a signal, which marks the start of a new beginning and shows its direction by giving prominence to craftsmanship, highest quality, and sustainability.
An innovative location
This year’s location stands for that, too. Instead of choosing a rather historical location like the Versailles castle and Schönbrunn Castle in Vienna or the Spring Studios in New York, the ECKART 2020 will take place in the NOI Techpark in Bolzano. It is one of the most innovative techparks in Italy. NOI – an acronym for Nature of Innovation – stands for the combination of technological knowledge transfer, as well as the linking of entrepreneurship, research and science. Besides that, the close collaboration with the local food industry with a focus on sustainability and quality is essential. Eckart Witzigmann: “Without the outstanding commitment of the autonomous region of South Tyrol and the NOI we would not have been able to manage this act of strength. I sincerely want to thank both for supporting us.”
A glamorous Award Ceremony
This year on September 6th six awards will be conferred.
- CULINARY ART
- INNOVATION
- ART OF LIVING
- CREATIVE RESPONSIBILITY
Further there is a special award, which is dedicated to culinary sustainability and endowed with 50.000 €. In addition to this extraordinary year, the PRIX d’ECEPTION, which was only awarded once to HRH Prince Charles of Wales will be conferred. All awardees are informed and will attend the ECKART. They will be publicly presented within the coming days.
The Award
The International Eckart Witzigmann Award is based on the goal of promoting healthy nutrition, sustainable cuisine and the responsible use of resources. Previous award winners include Daniel Boulud, HRH Charles Prince of Wales, Elena Arzak, Anne-Sophie Pic, Harald Wohlfahrt, Dieter Kosslick, Ferran Adrià, Marc Haeberlin, Joël Robuchon, Alex Atala, Jon Rose, Mick Hucknall, Massimo Bottura, Dominique Crenn, Andreas Caminada, Reitbauer Family, Tiffany Persons, María Marte, Alain Ducasse, and many others.
The Culinary Symposium
Eckart Witzigmann describes the idea behind the culinary symposium as follows: “Sustainability, quality and responsibility in our nutrition have always been important to me. But what does that mean individually, especially in those days? Once again this year we want to establish a platform and gain more attention and widespread impact. To help leverage good, sustainably produced food is our goal.“ The symposium with its title „New concepts for a new era” will discuss the following questions: How do we deal with the current situation? What do we learn from the past? What concepts will be essential for this new reality? What issues may not be excluded in our thoughts? The second event of this kind will test theoretical and practical answers during discussions and guided tastings with top-notch contribution from science, high-end gastronomy and craftmanship.
© 2020 ECKART ACADEMY