A series of educational tracks and skill building workshops that will address issues pertinent to coffee and tea as a commodity, a business and a profession will be featured at an upcoming coffee and tea convention in Dubai.

The Middle East Coffee & Tea Convention, the only dedicated trade event for the coffee and tea industry in the Arab World, will be held from October 12 to 14 at the Jumeirah The Meydan Hotel at The Meydan City.

Organised by the International Conferences & Exhibitions (IC & E) and the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the 2010 Middle East Coffee & Tea Convention will also host the second UAE Barista Championship, where 22 of the UAE’s top baristas will vie for the second UAE Barista Champion title.

'The Middle East Coffee & Tea Convention again promises to be a deeply enriching, informative and meaningful experience for all participants,” said Anselm Godinho, managing director, IC&E.

“Renowned industry professionals and leading technical experts will host and conduct different educational tracks and skill-building workshops within the convention.”

“For those who want to pursue a successful career or business enterprise in the coffee and tea industry, the convention is certainly the definitive venue to expand their knowledge and boost their expertise in the tea and coffee business,” he added.

The educational tracks of the convention will discuss topics that include current and future trends of the coffee and tea industry; coffee shop trends around the world, tea-inspired cuisine, branding principles for business and retail, issues related to opening and setting up a café, staff development, strategies to be successful at selling tea, and unique value propositions (UVP) for roasters.

All SCAA skill building workshops will offer certified courses from the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the leading authority in specialty coffee.

Taught by SCAA Credentialed Lead Instructors, these skill building workshops provide participants an opportunity to advance their careers, and connect with like-minded professionals in the industry.

Skill building workshops topics include introduction to customer service, profile craft roasting, a two-part series on introduction to espresso and comparative cupping. – TradeArabia News Service