Singapore exhibitions Café Asia and International Coffee & Tea to debut in March

Café Asia 2013 and International Coffee & Tea (ICT) Industry Expo 2013 is set to debut at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore from 14 – 16 March 2013. The event is supported by the Singapore Coffee Association, the ASEAN Coffee Federation and other regional coffee and tea associations. In a statement, organisers said that Café Asia 2013 and ICT Industry Expo 2013 are designed to bring a new perspective into the region's coffee, tea and café business. “The café industry in Singapore is rapidly booming as more local coffee shops, Western-style café chains and unique-themed cafés are catering to consumers’ diverse tastes in coffee and tea,” organisers said. The importing of coffee, tea and cocoa to Singapore has seen a stable rise from 2008 – 2011, according to the Department of Statistics. This was largely attributed to the increase in affluence and disposable income among local consumers, fueling consumption and demand for premium coffee and tea products. “We are delighted to be partnering with Exporum and the Singapore Coffee Association for the debut presentation of both Café Asia 2013 and International Coffee and Tea Industry Expo 2013,” said Edward Liu, Managing Director of Conference & Exhibition Management Services in a statement. “The outlook for Asia’s café, coffee and tea industry is positive and it is only apt that these two exhibitions are being organised to provide industry players with the hands-on knowledge and technical expertise to cater to the increasing demands and to remain at the forefront of their business.” Danny Shin, Chief Executive Officer, Exporum, echoed these sentiments.“There are indeed huge business opportunities in the market. Asia has been the springboard for industry players to tap into this booming tea and café industries,” said Shin. “Café Asia 2013 and ICT Industry Expo 2013 will be strategic platforms where alliances will be formed and businesses transacted.”  Victor Mah, President of the Singapore Coffee Association, said that Singapore’s good geographical location has helped the country stand out as a strategic business hub. “Coupled with a state-of-the-art transport system, Singapore provides easy access to some of the key markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and China to name a few,” said Mah. “Singapore has successfully set the stage and through our partnership with Café Asia 2013 as the host, we aim to bring this industry to greater heights.” During the event, the Singapore Coffee Association will be holding its series of championships at the venue. These championships include the seventh Singapore National Barista Championship, Singapore Latte Art Championship, Cup Tasters Championship and the Brewers Cup Championship.  The ASEAN Coffee Federation, hosted by the Singapore Coffee Association, will also be holding the inaugural Asia Coffee Summit, placing its focus on examining sustainable practices in the coffee industry. International experts speaking at the Summit include Willard Dub Hay, Founder of W. C. Hay Coffee Consulting LLC and Dr Dave D’ Haeze, Regional Manager of EDE Consulting. Organisers said that Café Asia 2013 and ICT Industry Expo 2013 aims to offer industry professionals the optimal platform to explore business opportunities and discover possible business collaborations with potential buyers and suppliers. For general consumers, Café Asia 2013 and ICT Industry Expo 2013 is designed to delve deeper into the coffee, tea and the café business through the extensive showcases and free sampling of products.  For more information, visit Café Asia 2013 at www.cafeasia.com.sg and International Coffee & Tea (ICT) Industry Expo 2013 at www.intlcoffeeteaexpo.com . For more information on the Asia Coffee Summit, please visit www.cafeasia.com.sg/event-highlights-conferences.asp For more information on the Singapore National Barista Championship, please visit http://www.cafeasia.com.sg/event-highlights-snbc.asp