Page 34 - #47 English

Trade Show

Cafe Malaysia 2015

7-9 May 2015, MATRADE Exhibition & Convention Centre, Malaysia

The inaugural trade and consumer event in Malaysia sponsor, was a popular stop at the show for both trade
dedicated to the café and teahouse communities was a roar- visitors and members of the public.
ing success. The three-day event at MATRADE Exhibition Café Malaysia also saw the official launch of the
and Convention Centre was packed with visitors from the Café Owners Alliance. The newly formed alliance attracted
time it opened its doors on May 7, 2015 right up to when close to 100 café owners across East and West Malaysia.
it closed its doors at 5pm on May 9, 2015. The show which One of the key highlights Café Malaysia was the industry
played host to more than 8,000 visitors and 73 exhibitors dialogue and forum held in conjunction with the launch.
from 11 countries is one of the largest gatherings of the The panel discussion which took place on the morning of
tea and coffee industries in Southeast Asia. May 8 was moderated by Kelvin Ngow, Executive Direc-
The multi-sensory event was declared open by tor of Coffex Coffee. The distinguished panelists included
Guest-of-Honour, Yang Berbahagia Datuk Dr Rebecca Thayalan A/L Ramadas from the Compliance and Industrial
Fatima Sta Maria, Secretary General, Ministry of Interna- Development Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia and
tional Trade and Industry (MITI) Malaysia. So successful Pang Anak Nyukang from Malaysian Quarantine and In-
was the event that more than 70% of the exhibition booths spection Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro- Based
for Café Malaysia 2016, was snapped up by the industry Industry Malaysia.
players before the 2015 show closed its doors at 5pm today. Café Malaysia 2015 witnessed the national launch
The inaugural trade and consumer event brought of the Malaysian Brewer’s Cup Championships (MBCC)
together the café and teashop owners and managers, and the Malaysian National Latte Art Championships
importers and exporters, distributors and suppliers of (MNLAC). The top baristas brewed their way to repre-
machinery, equipment, and raw materials. It served as a sent Malaysia at the World Brewer’s Cup Championships
dynamic B2B platform for key decision makers to source 2015 and the World National Latte Art Championships.
for their café needs, and explore new collaborations and Visitors to the event were treated to an awe- inspiring seg-
opportunities in a country where the number of specialty ment where the masters brewed the perfect cup of coffee,
coffee drinkers has grown over the years. Malaysia, espe- distinguished a variety of coffee and decorated their latte.
cially in Kuala Lumpur, has also seen a significant increase The winner of Malaysian Brewer’s Cup Championships
in the number of cafés. (MBCC) was Ms Wai Yee Beng from Café In A Box. The
The 3-day exhibition saw numerous networking winner of Malaysian National Latte Art Championships
opportunities for the trade and fun-filled activities for the (MNLAC) was Mr Eng Boon Hong from Just Want Coffee.
public on everything coffee and tea. The exclusive work- The exhibition was organized by Conference and
shops, classes and demonstrations of the latest technolo- Exhibitions Management Services (CEMS) and was hosted
gies, trends and techniques pertaining to the industry were by the Malaysia Specialty Coffee Association (MSCA).
warmly received and attended by visitors. Gelato making MSCA is also a member of the ASEAN Coffee Federa-
classes by Carpigiani Gelato University and Italian trainer, tion (ACF). The event was supported by the Ministry
Marco Alfero was of interest to café owners who sought of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, Malaysia Convention
to expand their menus in order to serve a wider range of & Exhibition Bureau, ASEAN Coffee Federation, Barista
food in response to greater competition among cafes and Association of Thailand, Philippine Coffee Board, Lao
where differentiation is becoming a necessity in growth Coffee Association, Singapore Coffee Association and the
markets. The booth by Arissto, the exhibition’s platinum Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia.
34