It sure smelt good at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre on Thursday morning as coffee, tea and confectionary exhibitors gathered under one roof.

Some 98 of them were there as part of three concurrent exhibitions for industry players that will run for three days before ending on Saturday.

During the event, participants from coffee, tea and confectionary industries will be able to network with suppliers and buyers, browse new machinery and learn about raw materials. They can also go for seminars and workshops conducted by industry experts. This include, for example, a symposium led by Mr Anthony Cottan, the head of Indonesia's Starbucks operations.

The exhibitions - the International Coffee and Tea Industry Expo 2014, Cafe Asia 2014 and the inaugural Sweets and Bakes Asia 2014 - are organised by the Conference and Exhibitions Management Services (CEMS) and supported by IE Singapore.

Organisations such as the Singapore Coffee Association and the Singapore Bakery and Confectionary Trade Association also helped host these events.

While largely a business event, the exhibitions will open their doors to the public on Mar 8, the third and last day of the event.

Caffeine lovers can expect coffee-tasting sessions, and the chance to watch baristas compete at competitions such as the Singapore Latte Art and the National Barista Championships.

They can also take part in the Singapore Coffee and Bake Friends Charity Drive, in which a minimum donation of $10 to the Association for Persons with Special Needs will entitle a donor to a coffee and pastry.

Speaking at the opening of the event, group managing director of CEMS Edward Liu said: "(The three exhibitions) will be the ideal, one-stop sourcing venues for cafes, F&B managers and entrepreneurs to source and explore business possibilities in the cafe, baking and confectionary industries in Singapore and beyond."