HCM CITY (VNS)— Food&Hotel Viet Nam 2013 to be held on April 24-26 will provide local industry professionals with high-quality equipment, services and solutions available in the global marketplace.

With at least 70 per cent of the exhibitors from overseas, the sixth event is expected to become a premier platform for networking and building business partnerships. More than 380 companies from 30 countries will attend the event.

There will also be 18 international group pavilions, including Argentina, Australia, South Korea, Belgium, France, Germany, Turkey, Japan, the US and Singapore.

The event will also host the Viet Nam Barista Competition and Viet Nam Culinary Challenge.

The Viet Nam Barista Competition will be judged by coffee experts, with the winner of the competition going on to compete in the FHA Barista Challenge 2014 to be held in Singapore.

The Viet Nam Culinary Challenge will be organised by the Sai Gon Professional Chefs Association and will feature the participation of several Vietnamese chefs from well-known hotels and restaurants.

Barista training

To meet the burgeoning demand for specialty coffee in Viet Nam, there is an increasing need for professionally trained baristas.

At the event, the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe will offer a two-hour Basic Barista Course for the first time, taught by Danny Pang, a veteran coffee guru.

As the world's second-largest producer of coffee beans, the coffee culture is deeply entrenched in the daily lives of Vietnamese.

Rising incomes and an emerging middle class have increased the demand for more sophisticated lifestyle-oriented coffee flavours and products.

This growing trend has prompted international coffee chains, including the US's Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Australia's Gloria Jean's and American coffee giant Starbucks to establish presence in the market.

Participants of the basic barista course will be able to go on to the SCAE Level 1 Barista Certification examinations, and achieve the title of a SCAE-Certified Barista thereafter.

Viet Nam's leading biennial F&B trade event is co-organised at the Sai Gon Exhibition and Convention Centre by Singapore Exhibition Service Pte Ltd by VCCI Exhibition Service Ltd Co. — VNS