Saeed Al Tayer inaugurates International Coffee and Tea Festival in Dubai

The event, which is open to trade professionals as well as the public until November 2, 2012, will be held from 11 am to 7 pm on October 30th and 31st, and from 3 pm to 10 pm on November 1st and 2nd, 2012.

"The Café Exchange", which is the show's inaugural B2C component, the TasteTEA Zone and Espresso and Brew Bar are among the new additions to the annual festival's features. The Café Exchange enhances the entertainment value of the International Coffee & Tea Festival by hosting performances by UAE's leading local talent and featuring a wide selection of Jazz, Blues, Acoustic and Contemporary music through three consecutive nights of café-inspired entertainment for all to enjoy.

The UAE Latte Art Championship will also debut this year, running alongside the fourth National UAE Barista Championship. The winners of both these competitions will have the honour to represent the UAE within their respective categories at the World Championships to be held in Australia in 2013. The SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) is also administering certified training programs through the festival's platform, featuring a series of workshops covering topics such as Espresso Bar Efficiency & Workflow, Customer Service, Latte Art, and Cupping. These would be the region's only internationally-recognised Coffee Certification programs conducted by SCAA.

Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E) organisers of the event, commented: "The International Coffee and Tea Festival is again off to a rousing start with practically all leading industry players attending this centrepiece event. We also expect a much bigger throng of visitors this year as we inaugurate The Café Exchange, which makes the show even more attractive to the consumer segment. The enthusiastic responses we have received from exhibitors and trade visitors this year strongly reflect the continuing growth of the coffee and tea industry and the exciting long-term business prospects that the show has helped unlock over the years. We are on course to set new benchmarks this year as the festival once again reaffirms its reputation as the premier business platform for the coffee and tea industry in the Arab world."

IC&E is licensed by World Coffee Events, the premier producer of events for the coffee community worldwide, to conduct all National Level Coffee Championships, including the UAE Barista Championships and the UAE Latte Art Championship.