Chefs will attend educational classes, business seminars and learn about industry trends. Everything from organics and molecular gastronomy to chocolate and cheese are on the schedule.

Attendees also plan to "eat good food," said Utah chef and convention chairman David Prows.

Prows said there are many pressing issues facing the culinary industry that likely will be discussed by members including increasing fuel and food prices, immigration and the Hispanic workforce, food safety and the environment.

"We will be talking a lot about the industry and what we need to do and can do," he said.

Culinary competitions are a large part of the convention. Contests for the "Chef of the Year" and "Pastry Chef of the Year" will be held for professionals. While culinary students will compete in individual and team competitions as well as a Knowledge Bowl.

Bernhard Goetz, chef at Little America, will represent Utah and the ACF's Beehive Chapter in the professional chef competition. Winners from each of the four regional chef conferences will compete at the national competition.

This year, for the first time, there also will be a Freedom Chefs Challenge featuring teams from each of the five branches of the United States military. The two-person teams, who have honed their skills in mess halls, officers' clubs, naval ships and war zones around the world, will engage in culinary combat to see who can produce the best-tasting, most creative dishes within two hours.