Coffee, the popular dark brew consumed daily by many is no longer just a ubiquitous beverage. Coffee is increasingly becoming a part of the lifestyle of many today, including in Singapore and in many cities of the Southeast Asian region. The coffee trade in the ASEAN region is charting a steady growth, with the dynamic coffee industry resulting in the emergence of some coffee export giants such as Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam. Following this, Singapore and other cities in the ASEAN region are witnessing the burgeoning of the vibrant cafés and coffee joints where coffee and tea regular consumers and connoisseurs alike would gather to enjoy their cuppa along with delicious pastries and cakes.
In order to respond to the needs of the growth of such the coffee, tea and the pastry scenes, business owners and key players from the coffee, tea and bakery industries will come together at Café Asia 2019, the 7th International Coffee & Tea (ICT) Industry Expo, as well as the 6th Sweets & Bakes Asia; to foster new collaborations, explore opportunities, and to present the latest trends and developments to trade professionals and members of the public. The three shows will offer a one-stop convenient sourcing hub for the F&B industry.
Cafe Asia 2019 will also showcase an array of coffee beans sourced from the coffee bean-growing countries around the globe, various equipment, machinery, accessories, supplies and products for the effective running of cafes and tea houses at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore Expo & Convention Centre (21 to 23 March 2019). Spanning a gross exhibition area of 7,000 square metres, the shows will be headlined by more than 250 exhibitors from 24 countries and are expected to attract over 10,000 restaurateurs, baristas, café and coffee purveyors, coffee roasters, tea and baking ingredients suppliers, equipment distributors, and members of the public over three days.
A key highlight of the show this year will be the inaugural ACF Specialty Coffee Auction which will make its debut at Café Asia 2019 on 22nd March 2019. A joint event by the ASEAN Coffee Federation (ACF) and CEMS, the auction will feature coffee of speciality grade from participating exhibitors of Café Asia and from ASEAN. All the beans on auction have been graded to meet ASEAN’s very own set of Coffee Standards which focuses on coffee beans cultivated in the ASEAN region. The set of ASEAN Coffee Federation Standards is an excellent tool to boost the growth of the coffee industry in ASEAN which features key differentiation from existing standards originating from the west. The auction is attractive because the speciality coffee beans offered to observe a dedicated process to acquire better quality beans.
This year the three shows will be joined by the inaugural Restaurant Asia 2019 (RA 2019). Organised by the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) in partnership with Conference and Exhibition Management Services (CEMS), the inaugural exhibition will present a dedicated showcase of the latest in cutting-edge restaurant, kitchen and culinary equipment, as well as solutions and supplies that will address the needs of restaurant owners, from front of house reception to the back of house operations.
In addition, the first ever Restaurant Asia Symposium 2019 will be held at the show, as well. The symposium theme, Futureproof F&B: The Next Lap, holds the promise that this knowledge platform will share invaluable insights on productivity, capability development and leveraging on relevant technologies to future-proof the F&B business.
Among the topics to be presented at the symposium is Menu Re-engineering ForProfit Maximisation on 21 March 2019, led by Mr Chen Xin Shi, Managing Director of the illustrious Han Yuan Academy, a Taiwan-based organisation which provides consultations and classes for restaurateurs and the food & beverage industry. Classes and consultations conducted by Mr Chen are known to have leaders and players of the local and international food & beverage industry flocking into Taiwan for his invaluable insights and knowledge. During the presentation at the symposium here, Mr Chen will be sharing knowledge on actionable steps to increase top-line through an understanding of customers and restaurants' value perceptions and needs. Through strategic menu design and mixed management, restaurant owners will be able to enhance customer satisfaction and maximise unrealised profits.
Visitors at the show will also be treated to a high-octane three national-level coffee championships. These competitions will see Singapore’s home-grown baristas, brewers, latte artists, coffee cocktail artists, and students contend in the Singapore Latte Art Championship, Singapore Cup Tasters Championship and the Singapore Coffee in Good Spirits Championship. Winners of the respective national titles will represent Singapore on the international stage at the world championships later this year.
Over three days, visitors and bread-lovers will be able to attend cooking studio workshops and demonstrations at the show. Activities will include hands-on sessions on baking the classic Ham Mayo Bread treat, workshops on baking the soft and fluffy Souffle Cheesecake, as well as demonstrations on how to bake the all-time favourite flourless Gateau au Chocolat. Cocktail lovers will also be feted with three daily demonstrations by coffee experts on how to concoct coffee cocktails using coffee liqueur. You and your camera crew are cordially invited to the official opening of Café Asia 2019, International Coffee & Tea Industry Expo 2019, Sweets & Bakes Asia 2019, and Restaurant Asia 2019 to celebrate the dynamic growth of the region’s spirited café culture, as well as the vibrant Food & Beverage and restaurant scene.
The multi-sensory event and the official opening ceremony will be held at:
Marina Bay Sands Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Hall B & C
Thursday, 21 March 2018 at 9am
Guest-of-Honour
Mr Chee Hong Tat
Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry
& Ministry of Education
Café Asia 2019, the International Coffee & Tea Industry Expo 2019, and Sweets & Bakes Asia 2019 are organised by Conference & Exhibition Management Services Pte Ltd (CEMS). Café Asia 2019 and International Coffee & Tea Industry Expo 2019 are hosted by Singapore Coffee Association. The inaugural Restaurant Asia 2019 is organised by the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) in partnership with CEMS.
