A rising star in fine dining, Finnish chef Eric Räty is renowned for his refined simplicity, purity of craft and vibrant innovation that seamlessly blends Nordic and Asian cooking techniques and flavours. His culinary journey began in 2005 at Perho Culinary School in Helsinki where he spent his evenings as a kitchen helper at two Michelin-starred Chez Dominique. After graduation, Eric joined as a full-time commis chef, and in 2010, joined three-Michelin-starred restaurant Aqua at Ritz Carlton, Wolfsburg, as a pastry chef. After two and half years at Aqua, he returned to Chez Dominique as the restaurant’s head chef before moving to Hong Kong in 2014, where he was inspired to incorporate Asian ingredients and flavours into his menus. Now, as chef-owner of Arbor in Hong Kong, Eric brings his tasteful creativity to the city’s fine dining scene, earning his first Michelin star in 2018 and his second star in 2019. Eric’s menu is inspired by nature and a fundamental respect for the changing seasons. Every dish reflects the woods, the forest and the trees through flavour, fragrance, preparation technique or creative presentation. Combining refined Nordic and Japanese sensibilities and a blend of seasonal ingredients, his cuisine is creatively light but developed with sharp, bright flavours that come from rare, exotic ingredients to nourish and excite the palate.

The chef and director at Kong Hans Kælder Restaurant, located in the oldest building in Copenhagen. In Mark’s universe, food is not a gift sent down from heaven. In order to understand the taste and composition of a dish, it is essential to respect its origin and understand the craftsmanship in its preparation. With a distinctive mix of classic French cuisine and a new Nordic kitchen, Mark creates dishes that define palatability at its best.

Originally from Germany, Heiko Nieder completed his training as a chef at the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg. In 2003, he was awarded “Discovery of the Year” by Gault Millau for his culinary creations at the L’Orquivit in Bonn, which he ran for five years. In 2004, he was awarded one Michelin star, and in 2006 he garnered 17 Gault Millau points. Since its opening, he has been Chef Fine Dining at the Dolder Grand’s The Restaurant. In the first year alone, The Restaurant was awarded 17 Gault Millau points and one Michelin star. In November 2010, it received its second Michelin star, then in October 2012, it was awarded its 18th Gault Millau point, and Heiko was crowned “Most Improved Chef of the Year”. July 2013 saw him named “Hotel Chef of the Year” by Swiss magazine, Bilanz, as part of its annual hotel ratings. Gault Millau Germany presented him with the award for “Best German Chef Abroad” in November 2014, and he was crowned “Le Grand Chef du Guide Bleu” in the 2014/2015 Guide Bleu. In 2017, Nieder received the “Chef of the Year” award from Sonntagszeitung, then in October 2018 he received his 19th Gault Millau point, followed by the title “Gault Millau Chef of the Year 2019”.

Swiss-born chef Dietmar Sawyere comes from a family of restaurateurs and has been involved in running restaurants since the age of 14. Having since worked at some of the world’s most exclusive hotels and restaurants, Dietmar has honed his skills in incorporating local flavours and ingredients into his menus. His innovation and expertise have been internationally-recognised, garnering numerous awards, and he is one of only five European chefs worldwide to have earned a Michelin Star for a Japanese restaurant. In recent years, Dietmar’s focus has shifted to consultancy and management. In 2023, he and his wife Nicole took over the historic 500-year-old inn Gasthaus zum Kreuz in Dallenwil, Switzerland. Here, they created two unique concepts, Stübli and Bijou, both of which hold one Michelin Star each. Stübli offers a modern interpretation of Swiss cuisine, while Bijou seamlessly combines Swiss and Asian flavours and hospitality.

Former professional tennis player, Wayne Ferreira is renowned for his powerful serve and versatile playing style. His career spanned over two decades, during which he won 15 ATP singles titles and 11 doubles titles. Notably, Ferreira’s contributions to South African tennis were recognised when he was inducted into the South African Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. Off the court, Wayne’s commitment to the sport extended beyond playing serving as the South African Davis Cup team captain and contributing to the development of tennis in South Africa. Following retirement from professional tennis, he remains active in the tennis community, working as a coach and mentor to emerging talents, continuing to inspire future generations of players.

A highly accomplished maestro in the field of energy healing, meditation and martial arts, Master Sifu Aniket brings his unique expertise as an international yoga teacher from the Himalayan tradition, certified crystal-reiki master, hypnotherapist and a gold medal winner holding black belts in Hapkido, Taekwondo and Kung Fu.

Fara Williams is a former professional football player and now a renowned TV pundit and personality. In her time as a professional, she played for leading UK teams across Everton, Liverpool, Arsenal, Great Britain and England. With over 170 appearances she is the most capped player in the history of English football and widely regarded as one of England’s greatest players. Since retiring from the game, Fara has taken to the media and commercial world working for major broadcasters including the BBC, BT Sport, TalkSPORT and Sky Sports. Some of her notable media work includes coverage of the Women’s Super League, regular spots on FootballFocus & Final Score and being selected as one of the main pundits for both the 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championships and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.    

Igor Oleynik is ranked among the top 16 football freestylers in the world and is a four-time Russian national champion. He started playing football when he was six years old and switched to freestyling at 16. He went on to successfully participate in numerous international tournaments, including the prestigious Red Bull Street Style events. During his professional career, he has been a brand ambassador for Nike and Adidas and collaborated with Volkswagen and FC Lokomotiv. In 2018-2019 he played for Amkal, one of the most popular media football teams in Russia and also one of the biggest YouTube projects. In addition, he is the founder of iFreestyle, the largest freestyle and street football school in the world which united around 250 children. A talented coach, Igor never stops learning and polishing his skills. Passionate about inspiring others, he never sets limits for himself, constantly inventing new tricks.

Number 40 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023, Smoke & Bitters is a bar and smokehouse that offers Sri Lankan flavours with global influences, set in a coconut grove at Pehebiya Beach in Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka. Described as ‘a dash of tiki and a sprinkle of Sri Lanka,’  Smoke & Bitter’s cocktail ethos combines inspiration from Don The Beach & Trader Vic’s, an adoration for bitters and a fascination with smokey flavours. Expect an abundance of indigenous Sri Lankan ingredients to the fore and using old and current techniques of flavour creation, all combined to bring an inspiring cocktail menu. Joining us in the Maldives are Smoke & Bitter’s founder Don Ranasinghe and Himaru Sathsara who will be serving guests an inspired cocktail menu of their concepts and distinctive drinks programme. Guests can expect Sri Lankan flavours with housemade syrups and tinctures at the forefront of the menu.

Karan grew up in Mumbai and moved to England in 2005 to study law at the University of Cambridge. Even as a practicing solicitor, Karan’s passion for food and hospitality never faded and he spent time in professional kitchens in his spare time. In 2012, he left his legal career at a city law firm to pursue a career in hospitality, traveling across India and Sri Lanka to immerse himself in the food and culture of the countries. His restaurant Hoppers was founded in October 2015. The first Hoppers in Soho was inspired by the toddy-shops, home cooking and roadside stalls of Sri Lanka and South India, and served its namesake Hoppers alongside Dosas, Kothu, Short Eats, Rice and Roasts. The acclaim soon followed with reviews from London Evening Standard’s Fay Maschler and the late Sunday Times critic A.A. Gill who applauded Hoppers for its ‘seductive, come-hither menu’ and ‘spectacular, impressive, authentic, confident and swaggering kitchen.’ Over the years Karan has written travel features and recipes on Sri Lanka and southern India for major national and international publications including The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveller, The ES Magazine, Bloomberg, The Financial Times; and appeared on Sunday Brunch, Great British Chefs, Sorted Food’s YouTube channel and various food festivals across the UK.

Dr James Gilbert is a space engineer, astrophysicist and inventor. He is known for his work on multiple new technologies for some of the world’s most complex scientific machines, including planet-finding telescopes on Earth and wildfire-fighting cameras in space. He is currently leading the development of mission-critical electronics at Rocket Lab in New Zealand. Originally from the UK, Dr James emigrated to Australia in 2009 and – almost by accident – found the fascinating world of scientific instrumentation. Since then, his career has spanned multiple technical disciplines including optics, photonics, electronics and robotics. A passionate advocate of ‘blue sky’ research, Dr James has also led programs that take cutting-edge technologies out of the lab and apply them elsewhere to improve life on Earth. As a result, he is now an accomplished leader in academia and industry and loves to share stories that connect uncompromising technological achievements with the human condition. Dr James has a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Oxford and has authored over 50 peer-reviewed astronomy and space technology publications. He was recently named Engineer of the Year 2023 and Researcher of the Year 2022 at the Australian Space Awards. He is a trusted authority on space technology with multiple interviews on Australian national media, and his TV documentary appearances have been broadcast worldwide on networks including ABC, BBC and Discovery Channel.

Born into a legendary surfing family, Luke Stedman was destined to ride the waves from an early age. His father, Shane Stedman, was not only a renowned surfboard maker and surf report broadcaster on radio shows but also the inventor of the iconic UGG boot, an innovation that recently earned him the prestigious OAM award. With such a rich surfing heritage, it’s no surprise that Luke has been surfing his whole life. His passion and dedication to the sport propelled him to the highest levels of competitive surfing, where he competed on the World Championship Tour. Luke’s impressive career includes notable victories over surfing legends like Kelly Slater and earning the coveted Rookie of the Year title. His best end-of-year ranking was an outstanding 10th place, marking him as one of the top surfers in the world during his competitive years. Luke Stedman’s legacy in the surfing world is not only marked by his competitive successes but also by his ongoing contributions to the sport through coaching and mentorship, helping others achieve their dreams through his company, Blackball. Specialising in surf coaching and training, Blackball reflects Luke’s commitment to excellence and a desire to see his students succeed. His impact on the surfing community is profound, as he continues to inspire and guide the next generation of surfers with passion and expertise.