* Afternoon session cater mainly on those involved in the Wine Trade and/or Hospitality Industry

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Sommelier Roderick Wong Profile:
His love & passion for wines started in 1993 when wine was still a relatively new industry in Malaysia. He has been involved in many sectors of the wine industry with experience as an importer, distributor, retailer, consultant, wine judge, wine educator & Sommelier.

He’s the founder & President of the first Sommelier Association of Malaysia (SOMLAY) since 2009. He was also the South East Asia Sommelier Alliance Chairman in 2011 & 2012.

Roderick was the Cluster Chief Sommelier of the Hilton Group for Malaysia & Vietnam and also a consultant to the Hilton properties in Thailand & Beijing. He also founded the Hilton Wine Academy in 2007 where he trained over 800 Team Members within the group as well as organized the first Hilton Sommelier Trophy in 2010.

He is in Macau attached to Galaxy Entertainment Group as their Group Cellar Master aka Director of Wine & Beverage overseeing the Wine & Beverage Program of the Group 7 Hotels & it’s restaurants & bars.

Awards Received:

• He’s the recipient of the inaugural Hospitality Asia Platinum Award (HAPA) “Wine Personality of the Year 2007 / 2008”.
• In 2011, he was officially awarded by the Spanish Economic & Commercial Office (ICEX) the award of Honorary Ambassador of Wines from Spain to Malaysia
• Awarded the South East Asia Wine Pioneer Award 2011
• Awarded the Honorary Sommelier Diploma and Membership with Associazione della Sommellerie Professionale Italiana (ASPI)
• Inducted Member of the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne
• Inducted Member of the Cavaleiro into the Confraria do Vinho do Porto (Port Brotherhood) Judging Experience at:
  • Wine Style Asia (Singapore)
  • Wine & Spirit Asia (Singapore)
  • National Sommelier Competition (Singapore, Indonesia & China)
  • Culinaire Malaysia
  • Mondial du Pinot Noir 2010 (Switzerland), he was privileged to be the only Asian judge that year & the first Malaysian to have ever judged at this competition.
  • Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2016,2017 & 2018
  • Bar Awards Hong Kong/ Macau 2018

On the local front, he regularly judges for numerous magazine or organization such as the Flavours Magazine, Hospitality Asia Platinum Award & was appointed the Chief Judge for the Prestige Magazine Wine Award in 2010. He was also invited to be featured in the Hot Chef series as a guest judge.