International Maitre Server Association

The world's most challenging and creative restaurant service competition will be held in Japan in 2026!

Human Services is the pinnacle of the art field
The first “Art de la Service” in Japan

3rd MAÎTRES DʻHÔTEL WORLD CUP
2026 in TOKYO

Hosted by WORLD CUP HEAD WAITER ASSOCIATION × International Maitre Server Association <IMSA>

What is the Maitre d'Hotel (Restaurant Service Professional)
World Cup?

It is the first ever competition that incorporates all the necessary ingredients for the food and beverage industry, and is run by more than 20 representatives from around the world, including the winner of the Service World Championship and the Service MOF (Member of the Best of the Best).

It is the world's premier and largest professional competition with members from 40 countries.

First ever Service World Cup in Asia

The World Head Waiters Association and the International Maitre Server Association have partnered to bring a prestigious global competition to Japan in October 2026.

Tournament Outline

The competition is not a classic style, but a high-level international competition with a modern twist.
The highest level of butler skills, from guest service, beverage knowledge, food knowledge to table coordination, will be competed by the representatives of each country.
The association is based on the trust of many service personnel who have won the world competition and have been awarded the title of MOF (Most Outstanding Professionals of France). The majority of them are involved in this project.

〜Host〜
WORLD CUP HEAD WAITER ASSOCIATION

〜Host of Japan Convention〜
International Maitre Server Association <IMSA>
Website click Here

Jury members of the World Competition

The judging panel is the world's most prestigious and authentic, consisting of the world's top judges, including the world champions and most of the M.O.F. (※1) award winners, as well as other professionals who have been selected to judge the competitions.

※１:　What is M.O.F.?

Stands for Meilleur Ouvrier de France, which translated into English the French National Order of the Best Workers.
Although the culinary arts are the most famous, the M.O.F. also covers jewelry, crafts, gardening, etc., and in keeping with the French spirit of Art de Vivre, there are about 180 different categories.

M.O.F. Official Website click HERE!

Organizers of this year's conference　
WORLD CUP HEAD WAITER ASSOCIATION

Member Profile

＜President：Serge Goulaieff ＞

From hotel chains to three-star gastronomy,He has extensive experience in room service due to his work experience in French and foreign hotel companies.
He later joined the French Ministry of Education, where he has also made achievements in education.
Always in pursuit of excellence, he was awarded the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2004.
After organizing further French selections, he held the World Championship of the Maitre d'Hotel in December 2019, World Masters of Hotel Championships.

His experience as a waiter includes a 4 star hotel in Kortrijk and a 1 Michelin star restaurant.
As a maitre d'hôtel/sommelier, he has worked for gastronomic caterers, restaurants and 4-star hotels, and as a teacher and trainer at hotel schools and wine schools.
He is also a member of various organizations and a member of the jury of the Belgian Young Sommelier competition.
1996 4th Belgian Georges Cyman Cup Junior Maitre d'Hôtel Prize, awarded by the Belgian Maitre d'Hôtel Association.
2017 Winner of the 1st Belgian Maitre d'Hôtel Prize of Bruges (awarded by Prosper Montagné)
2nd Prize of Europe for the Maitre d'Hotel Europe at the Tallinn “Georges Baptiste Cup” 2018
Winner of the World Champion at the Auxerre “World Waiter Championship” 2019
Passed the WSET Level 4 Diploma in 2023

＜Vice President：Ief Vanhonnacker ＞

＜Asia Representative / Secretary General：Maitre Syu Takamori ＞

Asia's No.1 hospitality coach and management consultant with 5 world awards and countless domestic awards.
He is also the first and youngest person ever to win the All-Japan and International Paris Competition in hospitality and F&B service.
A master of OMOTENASHI, a skill passed down through the generations of the samurai class.
Has served as a service manager at three-star restaurants around the world.
Served as a sommelier for the former Emperor and Empress at the Olympics.
Represented the country in service to the G7 and VIPs from around the world.
He has received awards and recognition in various fields such as Chef, Sommelier, Senior Service, Planner, Conseiller, etc. He has expressed OMOTENASHI in every field, and has been recognized worldwide as a “Gran Majordome” for service enlightenment.
He has expanded his activities from being a corporate advisor & company management to an advisor for hundreds of restaurants, hotels, inns, and bridal stores, outsourcing, recruiting, and support for qualification acquisition.

One of the most internationally representative figures in the world of hospitality, catering and hotel industry.
From 2000 to 2013 together with Chef Heinz Beck, he managed the famous restaurant “La Pergola” in the dining room of Hotel Roma Cavalieri for 13 years.
He contributed to the first three-star restaurant in Rome.
During his time at Pergola, he received the highest honors, including the Cavaliere Ordine La Merito della Repubblica Italiana for his contribution to the improvement of hotel tourism services in the capital.
Author of the book “The Art and Science of Service” in the world of catering and dining.
His unwavering commitment to hospitality culture earned him the 2012 Grand Prix d'Art awarded by the International Academy of Gastronomy. He was named “World's Best Master” in the gastronomy category.
He has once again put the spotlight on the importance of service, and has expanded his activities with the idea that the waiter, who has long been overshadowed by the chef, is a noble figure, and that without good service, it can only convey half the charm of good food,
He was selected as one of the 13 finalists for the 2020 edition of the Master of Arts and Crafts Award (Food and Wine category) promoted by the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte.

＜Secretary：Umberto Giraudo ＞

＜Accountant：Esteban Valle ＞

He has worked as a waiter at the Melia Costa Del Sol hotel in Spain and at the familiaux à Torremolinos restaurant in Málaga, and as a waiter in King's Hill, Meridien Piccadilly, and terrasse-gardin in London.
He has also worked as a head waiter at Méridien Piccadilly Londres, a Michelin star restaurant, and as a head waiter and room director at 3 and 2 star restaurants in London and Geneva.
In 2011, he became a shareholder and partner at Domaine de Châteauvieux in Geneva.
Swiss Room Director Award at Gault et Millau 2024
Best Swiss Room Manager Award at Gastronomie et Tourisme 2024
Best Room Director Award at Grande Table du Monde 2024
Winner of the Papillon Professional Trajectory Award at the Association des Maîtres d'Hôtels et Barmans d'Aragon 2024

M.O.F. in Service and Table Arts, Maitre d'hôtel 2011.
Teacher of Service and Marketing at Raymond Mondon Metz High School, C.F.A. Trainer at the Hotel Raymond Mondon Metz.
Trainer at Greta Lorraine Nord, trainer at the I.A.E. School of Management METZ
Awarded Maitre Sommelier 2007 by Union De la Sommellerie Française, French Sommelier Association.
Master II Innovation Management Thesis “Marketing and Development of Hotel Services”

＜3rd Vice-President：Thierry Millet ＞

＜2nd Vice-President：Frank Josserand ＞

After completing his professional education at the Hotel School of Thonon-les-Bains in 1975, he worked for about 10 years in the traditional catering industry. He worked as a clerk, head waiter, hotel maitre d'hôtel, catering manager, and hotel restaurant manager.
He joined the National Education in 1988, first in Blois in Loire-et-Cher, then in Thonon-les-Bains and Tahiti.
Trained future hotel teachers for 2 years at IUFM (French university attached teacher training center) in Antony, and worked in Russia, China, Romania, and Malta.
Vice President of the MOF Arts de la Table competition in 3 sections.
Vice President of MAF MOF 04/05 for 4 years
Order of the Academic Palm
MOF Arts de la Table.
He was the president for the MAF/MOF in the Alps (04/05) for 4 years.

He has worked as a head waiter in many starred restaurants, He has also worked as a maitre d'hôtel in a number of restaurants. In 1989, he was the first maître d'hôtel in the restaurant of the Hotel Sofitel in Bruges, He then was promoted to a Restaurant and Banquet Director. He then worked as an Assistant Director of Catering Services and as a practical instructor at the Hotel School of Koksijde. In 1996, he opened his own brasserie-restaurant “Moustache”. His interests are all centered around brewing, room work/service and gastronomy, He is the founding president of Fetam (Federation of Table Masters) to promote the service profession in Belgium. Since 2016, the first Belgian hotel master of
Organizer of the annual Excellence Competition “First Maître D’ of Belgium”. Chairman of the “Junior Table Master” service competition for final year students of Belgian hotel schools.

＜Organizer：Alain Thoon ＞

<Sponsor>
　　　　　　

The 3rd MAÎTRES DʻHÔTEL World Cup
Host Country

We are committed to sharing this wonderful work with the world at large and contributing to peace by connecting the world “for someone's smile” through our service culture,
In Japan, we provide training and consulting for companies, universities, government agencies, and other service certification organizations that are leading Japan's “OMOTENASHI” movement.

What IMSA
as a General Incorporated Association can do

A professional hospitality management and service instructor training institute with charismatic members recognized around the world.
We train professionals who work in hotels, bridal shops, restaurants, and other general hospitality jobs.

＜Business Description＞

・Certification of service instructor qualifications for the hospitality industry.
・Creation of manuals and teaching materials, and e-learning system construction services.
・Service staff education and training business
・Bridal production business
・Consulting business for new and existing restaurants and hotels
・Support for human resource introduction business specializing in the service industry
・Inspection business, such as survey of stores and facilities and formulation of evaluation standards
・Holding of Service Olympics or Service Academy Awards
・Supervision and casting of service personnel for movies, TV, videos, books, etc.

The service industry is one of the largest industries in terms of GDP.
As professionals, we continue our activities with the goal of making people happy and providing more kindness and peace of mind to society.

About the Previous Tournament

Date: December 2nd, 2019

Place: Auxerre Hospitality Vocational Training School, Auxerre, France

Participating countries: France, Italy, Belgium, Japan, Canada, Spain, Brazil, Morocco, Republic of Congo, etc.

Competition subject: French Cuisine, Contemporary Restaurant Service, General Positions

Medalists of previous competitions (results announced)

1st place［Belgium🇧🇪］
Le grand prix revient quant à lui au Belge de l'étape. Le gagnant du championnat du monde 2019 des maîtres d'hôtel se nomme Ief Vanhonnacker. Il est issu de l'école hôtelière de Bruges.

2nd place［France🇫🇷］
Sur la deuxième place du podium, deux candidats se classent ex-aequo... et ils sont tous deux français. Il s'agit d'Elsa Jeanvoine (auberge de La Poutre à Bonlieu, dans le Jura) et de Valentin Merot (relais Bernard-Loiseau à Saulieu, en Côte-d'Or).

3rd place［Japan🇯🇵］
La médaille de bronze de ce championnat du monde revient au Japon. Le maître d'hôtel Bunta Yamamoto décroche la troisième place. Il travaille dans un hôtel de luxe, le Hyatt Regency Seragaki, sur l'île volcanique d'Okinawa, de l'archipel des Ryukyu.

Maitre d'hôtel World Cup Japan Steering Committee Member

Katsunori Sato〈Paris〉
Kats Bridge Representative Sommelier Consultant
1.Shangri-La Paris Sommelier
2.Ritz Paris Sommelier
3.Restaurant La Pyramide Sommelier

Hidemasa Taga〈Japan〉
Senior Manager, Food and Beverage, Hilton Japan, Korea & Micronesia Region
1. Opening team member for Roppongi Hills Club and Conrad Tokyo
2. Managed all food and beverage services at Tokyo Disney Resort

Etsuro Kotani　〈Japan〉
President of Kotani Planning Co.
1.Manager of Hills Club
2."Owl Club" Sommelier

Daisuke Kawai〈Singapore〉

　　　　　　
1. Winner of the SOPEXA Sommelier Competition Asia
2. Judge of the Decanter World Wine Awards
3. Officer of the Confrerie Sommelier du Sabre d’Or

Maitre Syu Takamori〈IMSA〉
1.First-ever World's Best Maître d'Hôtel
2.Representative of IMSA General Incorporated Associationive
3.World Cup Head Waiter Association of Asia Representat
Majordome ／Grand Butler

Please stay tuned for further information！

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