August 3, 2014
The sixth edition of the only internationally recognised trade event focusing exclusively on coffee and tea in the Middle East will be held in Dubai from November 12 to 14,2014 at the Meydan IMAX Gallery. The International Coffee & Tea Festival (ICTF) will spotlight the region’s popular café culture and showcase some of the best coffee, tea and related F&B products, equipment and services in the market today. As with each successive event, this year’s event will welcome many new international brands and companies offering innovative and quality-driven products and equipment which truly push the boundaries of this beverage sector.
The 2013 edition of the International Coffee & Tea Festival (ICTF) welcomed over 6,500 visitors from over 20 countries across the world, receiving positive feedback from exhibitors, which further reinforced its position as an instrumental event supporting the development of the region’s specialty coffee & tea market. Over the years, the Festival has facilitated the entry of countless local and international exhibitors into the Middle East’s lucrative hospitality sector which offers a traditional coffee culture and a thriving tea market.
Speaking about its Middle East launch at the International Coffee & Tea Festival (ICTF) last year, Mark Barnett, owner and product developer of Synesso Inc., commented: “We are very pleased with the outcome of our participation at the International Coffee & Tea Festival. Synesso was successfully launched within the Middle East at the show which truly showcased excellence in an industry-relevant format. Our sponsorship at this event proved to be a worthy investment, with our espresso machines attracting the attention of the hospitality sector which seeks to raise the bar of coffee service even above what is currently available in the market. We have established various business leads through the festival and we look forward to being involved once again in the 2014 edition.”
“We compliment the International Coffee & Tea Festival for giving a strong voice to the specialty segment of the hot beverage industry in the Middle East and for providing a business-intensive platform to coffee and tea distributors to promote themselves,” said Ranjith Abeykoon, from the Sri Lankan Tea Board. “We strongly support the Festival’s initiative to raise awareness of specialty tea in this region and by collaborating with the show, we have opened up pathways for increased trade opportunities that will enhance the standard of the industry here in the future.”
Statistics reveal that the intake of tea in the UAE has reached about 7 million kilograms per annum, while consumption of coffee is expected to reach AED 359 million by 2016 growing at a rate of 4 per cent. In a time when hospitality industry is skyrocketing in the region with more than 4,000 coffees and teahouses serving hot and cold beverages in the UAE, the International Coffee & Tea Festival (ICTF) will be a gateway for beverage industry professionals to launch pioneering concepts, promote innovative products, and seek new business partnerships.
“Coffee and tea have increasingly become an integral aspect of the UAE culture and have become the most consumed and widely appreciated beverages in the country. This development in the UAE has opened up the market for new, quality-driven varieties of products, latest brewing equipments, and unique methods of preparation. Over the last five years, the event has successfully contributed to the regional industry development and has served as the ideal platform for promoting excellence in specialty beverages.” concluded Ryan Godinho, UAE’s National Liaison for World Coffee Events and Special Events Coordinator at the International Coffee & Tea Festival (ICTF).
Supported by SCAA, the world’s largest trade organization dedicated to the recognition, development and promotion of specialty coffee, the International Coffee & Tea Festival (ICTF) focuses on both Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) elements and aims to advance café culture in the Arab World, by creating awareness of best industry practices and showcasing cutting-edge technologies governing the industry today. The show has evolved over the years to include a comprehensive set of attractions and industry-relevant features which are of interest to trade professionals, restaurateurs, hospitality staff, stakeholders connected to coffee and tea businesses, as well as the public at large. It attracts industry visitors from GCC territories, the Levant region, North and South Africa, the Caspian region, Iran, and the Indian sub-continent. For more information, log on to http://www.coffeeteafest.com