DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The International Coffee & Tea Festival came to a successful close on November 9th, 2013 with exhibitors and participants commending the strategic importance of the event for the Middle East coffee and tea industry.
The show reinforced its position as the only dedicated trade event for the coffee and tea industry in the Arab world by drawing over 6,500 visitors to its fifth edition held at the Meydan Grandstand & Convention Centre in Dubai.
The festival, which commenced on November 9th 2013, has been instrumental to the growth of the industry over the years and provides a platform for professionals and coffee/tea businesses to promote their products and explore new business channels.
The four-day event also resonated well with international exhibitors from across the world who are increasingly viewing the Middle East market as a very promising arena for investment and business prospects. Several of these participating businesses showcased new products & concepts at the show, delighting attendees with their unusual and tasteful beverages.
Ryan Godinho, UAE’s National Coordinator for World Coffee Events and Event Director of the International Coffee & Tea Festival, commented: “The overwhelming response from participants and the tremendous footfall at this year’s event signifies the growing relevancy of this platform in the region, which was introduced only five years back.
We feel the success of the event will also serve as a boost for the industry, further encouraging investor confidence and presenting a more positive industry outlook globally.”
“There was not a dull moment at the festival. The number of visitors kept growing throughout the four days. This has resulted in great exposure for our product line.
With the wide array of items that we had showcased, our exhibition area was like a festival within a festival.
This platform definitely helped us to have a positive impact on the visitors and performed beyond our expectations,” added Khalid Al Mulla, Director, Easternmen & Co.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of our participation at the International Coffee & Tea Festival. Synesso was successfully launched within the Middle East region at this show which truly showcased excellence in an industry-relevant format.
Our sponsorship at this event proved to be a worthy investment in our eyes, with our espresso machines attracting the attention of many who seek to advance their coffee services above all else currently available in the market.
We have established various business leads through the event and we look forward to being involved once again in the 2014 edition,” commented Mark Barnett, Owner & Designer of Synesso espresso coffee machines.
Tea traders and distributors at the International Coffee & Tea Festival also spoke highly of the event’s role in promoting specialty tea businesses and noted that more and more people in the Middle East are now willing to spend money on varied tea blends & products.
Speaking about its significance for tea businesses, Ranjith Abeykoon, Director-Tea Promotion, Ceylon Tea, said: “With 310 million kilos of tea exported to the Middle East every year, it is very important for us to have a presence at the International Coffee & Tea Festival.
Besides, over the last few years, customers here are becoming more discerning and have developed a preference for specialty tea. As we offer some of the choicest teas directly obtained from Sri Lankan tea plantations, we feel that this show is the best platform to showcase our products to the world.”
Another highlight of the 2013 edition was the crowning of the champions of the UAE Barista and Latte Art Championships, which form a key component of the Festival.
Kushal Balami, from Coffee Raw won the Barista Champion title and he will now represent the UAE at the World Barista Championships in Italy next year.
A close runner-up and a first time participant at the Barista Championships was Armiel Alkuino, from La Marquise who delivered an excellent performance.
The winning title of the UAE Latte Art Championship 2013 went to Nouman Qureshi from Icons Coffee who consistently created and served outstanding Latte Art designs to the judges during the contest.
“If you are in the coffee and tea business, participating at this event is very essential. It was a good opportunity to meet people in the industry, both locals and UAE residents,” concluded Orit Mohammed, General Manager of Boon Coffee.
