Yousef Al Serkal inaugurates 8th edition of International Coffee & Tea Festival

November 2, 2016 – Yousef Al Serkal, Group Managing Director, International Conferences & Exhibitions (IC&E), inaugurated today (Wednesday, November 2, 2016) the 8th edition of the International Coffee & Tea Festival (ICTF), the region’s only dedicated trade event for the specialty coffee and tea industry, amid overwhelming response from exhibitors and visitors. The highly popular event will run until November 4, 2016 at the Meydan Gallery in Dubai, UAE. 

All segments of the show engaged visitors with different interests. The UAE national-level coffee competitions was a crowd puller for Baristas, their respective fans, employers and sponsors. Skilled baristas from across the nation have come to compete for four coveted National Coffee Titles. Over the next two days, the Barista, Latte Art, Brewers Cup, and Cup Tasters Championships will continue to engage participants and enthral visitors with their skills, knowledge and determination to fare better than the rest.

In addition, many aspiring and professional baristas, business owners, roasters and coffee importers have registered for the many workshop modules on Coffee Preparation, Green Coffee Grading and Roasting. Certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the world’s largest trade organization for specialty coffee, and delivered by trained professionals, the specially designed training program has, over the years, help improve the skills and knowledge of those involved in the café and coffee business, much to the benefit of the consumer.

An added attraction, the Brew Bar Presentation and Seminars schedule proved to be ever so popular at the event. Buyers and enthusiasts have the opportunity to taste different types of coffee and tea as well as learn to appreciate the distinct aromas and flavours of coffee and tea from different regions. Alongside, they explored a variety of coffee bar products, equipment and accessories. 

Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, IC&E, organizers of the ICTF, said: “Dubai’s rising population, which is a unique blend of the east and the west, has a unique influence on its growing café culture. The International Tea and Coffee Festival opened amidst tremendous response from industry visitors, which is a testament of the huge interest in cafes, which is the fastest growing segment in the Arab World’s hospitality sector. We are confident that the 8th edition of the show will prove to be beneficial for all those who are on a look out to foray into the lucrative coffee and tea business in the UAE in particular and the Middle East in general.”  

ICTF is supported by the SCAA and World Coffee Events (WCE). The show is open to all visitors above the age of 18 from 11.00 am until 7.00 pm tomorrow (November 3) and from 3.00 pm until 10.00 pm on November 4, 2016.