Faced to face with Jorge De La Torre Koch

Jorge De La Torre Koch, Managing Director of events Thailand and Internships Thailand, great initiatives for our industry, Jorge having been in the Food & Beverage industry for many years and a previous colleague from the Kata group days, we shall ask Khun Jorge to tell you his story to date.

Give us a brief history of your career and what made you decide to Move to Thailand?
I start my career in Medicine specialize in Osteopathic! During that time I was working part time in the Hospitality to pay my studies, working in Hotels, Restaurants and night Clubs. As soon as I finish my studies and start to practice, I realize that it was not really my place. I was enjoying more the Hospitality life. So, as I was living in Lausanne Switzerland, I decide to enter to start my career in the Hospitality Industry and I enter in “Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne” www.ehl.ch during my 2nd Internship I got the position as F&B Management trainee in Le Meridien Phuket 10 years ago. I spend 6 fantastic months and I falling in love with the country. Then back to Switzerland to finish my studies. And start to work in Nestle Nespresso Switzerland. After 3 years got a offer to back to the Island and I start to work as F&B Director for Kata Group.

Who has been the most influential person in your career?
Definitely my parents, my father is a Medical doctor pensioned for his profession… He shows me the right was to follow my career and become a professional in the files.
Also my mother with her permanently persistence, caring support and love to develop myself confident.

Gives us your vision of the Internships Thailand program and your future aim with this company?
INTERNSHIPS THAILAND was formed with the aim of providing a service for international interns looking to experience the wonders of Thailand while complementing their stays with a professional internship within the hospitality and Tourism industry.

INTERNSHIPS THAILAND is able to draw on its experience to ensure the internship experience for the Intern will be a unique one. Our strength is our ability to place interns into any area within the Hospitality and Tourism industry utilizing an established network of companies/Hotels (primarily international chains and 4/5 star hotels). Internships Thailand operates in the beautiful tropical island of Phuket but we are also able to place interns in other cities within Thailand on demand.

INTERNSHIPS THAILAND is pioneer in placing professional interns in Thailand, we developing already in the most important cities in Thailand and looking forward in the future and expand to other countries.

Events Thailand, has been created for what purpose and benefit, your aims and ambitions with the eventsthailand.com
Events Thailand is Phuket’s leading Management Consulting Company has been created to provide services to organizations primarily within the Hospitality and Travel & Tourism industry.

Throughout our huge network of contacts and experience in Business and Hospitality in Thailand and aboard, we are able to offer our clients assistance with just about all aspects of the organization.

Our services include tailored Marketing solutions, Concept design, management consulting, Executive recruitment services, Professional Interns recruitment, Hospitality staff training, events organization as well as corporate sponsorship of events.

Events Thailand also hosts the annual Asian Hospitality & Travel Show in Phuket, and 2011 also in Samui and 2012 Chiang Mai.

How would you evaluate, schooling against Aprentiship in today world, and compare this to your time?
I think all of that depends of the country and situation. In Europe few countries offer scholarships to the student but not much in these times. Most of the students need to have a support for their parents or need to effort by themselves and economize to focus in learning for their future career. I think during my time when I was student it was more accessible to get a scholarship as the Economy worldwide was more stable.

List the events for the past year with Events Thailand, and what we can see for the upcoming new year of 2011
For our first year Events Thailand had organize a few important big event and small attractive events for the local communities, such as:

• 1st Latin Party of the year at RPM with International real Latin Djs
• The Red & White Party at RPM with clamed DJs and Sexy Belly dance
• DJ Nakadia surprise party at Climax Absolute Bangla suites
• World Cup Spanish celebration 2010 party “Viva España” at Climax Bangla suites
• Phuket Latin Carnival with Brazilian dancers in collaboration between Club Lime & Stereo Lab
• The 1st Asian Hospitality and Travel Show Phuket.
• Coordination of the 15th Anniversary of Skal Phuket Thailand around the world at Movenpick Resort with the performance of the International illusionist Joe Conrad.
• The 1st North Phuket Culinary Festival 2010 comprised with North Phuket Resorts at JW Marriott Resort, Anantara Phuket Villas, Sala Phuket Resort and Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa
• Grand Opening of Famous night Club & Famous Beach Club Patong – Phuket with International Grammy Award claimed DJ Roger Sanchez
• Famous night Club & Famous Beach Club Patong – Bob Sinclair Clothing party

All our events are listed in our web page: http://www.eventsthailand.net/events_details.html

For 2011 we are under discussion to be involved in the organization for few international and National events and the official opening for the 1st Asian Hospitality and travel Show – Samui. And we will start on February with a special” Events Thailand monthly event” is an exclusive location.

Consider what has been your weakness that has proved to be guidance towards your strength in the course of your career?
Perfectionism maybe! during my studies and my living experience in Switzerland I had learn to do everything to reach the perfectionism, but unfortunately we are humans and the reality is other, we can never reach a perfect performance, there is and will be a small issue every time. But perfectionism has driven me and has been the guidance to achieve my goals during my career.

In the Hospitality circle what would you like to be known or remembered as or for?
As a pioneer in Internships in Phuket and in Thailand, and also to be remember as a reputed organizer of events and Management consulting.

In your life time has there been a particular food item, you would not consider eating or have had a second thought to try?
Actually I’m a easy person had learn to eat everything present you in a dish, as my parents teach me that way, considering in the world they are people cannot effort to have a proper meal every day. But, I can say there is one dish made me consider few years ago when I was in the Amazonia in Ecuador, local Amazonian Indians offer me “snake” I tried but it was not really a pleasant taste, knowing the animal.

We all have dreams and goals for the future, what ones would you say that you have yet to accomplish?
We are in process to extend Events Thailand in other cities in the country and we continue this effort, in the same time our future goal is also expand Internships Thailand to other countries and create brands around the world.

What has been your proudest moment in your career and why?
The proudest moment in my career is every time I receive a congratulation or felicitation for my family, friends, colleagues and others, for the work achieve and the quality of our services.