A caffeinated jolt to exploding coffee industry
A barista makes coffee at the coffee-making skill contest held in Minhang.
Baristas, coffee shop operators, industrial insiders, market analysts and coffee lovers gathered recently at an event in the Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trade Center to share their enthusiasm for coffee and optimism toward the industrial development of Shanghai.
The event included a barista competition with participants from well-known coffee shops in the city, such as Horizon Coffee, Manner, McCafe and Hinichijou, popularly known as "bear paw café."
There were also lectures delivered by industrial insiders and market analysts underscoring how the coffee industry is booming in Shanghai and across China.
Companies also exhibited their products on site, including coffee beans, coffee powder and coffee machines. Visitors were able to sample a wide range of coffee.
The Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trade Center, also known as Hongqiao Pinhui, is an important platform in Minhang that capitalizes on the spillover effect of the China International Import Expo.
As one of its efforts to promote the international trade of coffee, it launched the International Coffee Port in April, aiming to build a platform for coffee trade with tens of billions of yuan in volume each year.
More than 30 coffee-related businesses are part of the organization, with a combined business volume of around 500 million yuan (US$78.4 million).
