The three-day event, which is held in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association, will feature coffee companies and brands from countries, including the US, Germany, Canada, Slovakia, Portugal, Ireland, Kuwait, Norway, Taiwan, Thailand, Pakistan, Iran, and Australia, among many others. There are seven national pavilions participating, which is double the number from the previous edition, with a strong presence from India, Myanmar, Rwanda, Uganda, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and El Salvador.

Khalid Al Hammadi, senior vice president of DXB LIVE, commented, “We take great pride in gathering numerous nations, businesses, brands, experts, and specialists in the coffee industry at this exhibition. We are confident that this event will serve as a significant opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their innovative products, services, and pioneering projects in this dynamic industry. Additionally, it will also provide a productive forum for interaction between exhibitors and visitors from various parts of the globe to exchange valuable insights, expertise, and innovations in the coffee sector. By bringing together industry players, pioneers, influencers, and senior employees under one roof, we are committed to developing the exhibition and strengthening its reputation. We are on constant pursuits to enhance its key role as an active and influential player in the development of the coffee sector locally, regionally, and globally.” 

The World of Coffee 2024 has signed a strategic partnership agreement with DMCC – Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, the world’s flagship free zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise – which, through its world-class facilities at DMCC Coffee Centre, provides a wide range of services for the entire coffee value chain, including temperature-controlled storage, value-add and commercial space, inbound/outbound logistics support, warehousing, roasting, packaging and distribution services. DMCC Coffee Centre will set up a dedicated Farmers Pavilion at the exhibition to provide farmers from different coffee-producing nations and regions with the opportunity to showcase and sell green coffee beans. The pavilion will serve to assist farmers in enhancing their presence in the global coffee market, in addition to allowing visitors to taste, choose and learn about coffee beans and their sources. Farmers and organisations from Rwanda, Colombia, Honduras, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Ethiopia will represent millions of farmers in the world’s coffee belt. DMCC Coffee Centre will be in charge of promoting the ‘Farmers Pavilion’ on all marketing channels through the Centre’s database. In addition, it will also host an informational campaign for visitors and exhibitors as well as invite experts and dignitaries to participate in this event. 

Saeed Al Suwaidi, director of Agri Commodities at DMCC, said, “We are confident that all of our key stakeholders across the coffee value chain will benefit from our strategic partnership with the World of Coffee. The Farmers Pavilion will further consolidate Dubai’s position as a major international hub for coffee trading and will serve as a platform to connect all relevant players in the coffee community, from farmers to traders and consumers, in line with our vision and objective to grow the local and global coffee business from Dubai. In particular, the pavilion will facilitate the exchange of skills and knowledge among individuals in the roasting field, help drive new business prospects, and improve the experience of both visitors and farmers by providing them with opportunities to sample and choose from the best kinds of green coffee beans. We believe that coffee is a universal language that connects people from around the world, and we look forward to enhancing global coffee trade by supporting the farmers’ pavilion.” 

The World of Coffee features a variety of events and activities. This includes the ‘UAE National Barista Championship’, the ‘National Latte Art Championship’, and the ‘Coffee Design Awards’ and ‘Best New Product competitions’, in addition to the main pavilions such as the Roasters Village and the Cabining Room and Brew Bar. The event will further entail a set of lectures and workshops. This will feature the presence of a group of associations specialised in the coffee industry, including the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association, the Saudi Coffee Company, the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama, and the Uganda Coffee Development Authority.  

The presence of these associations holds significance owing to their role in enhancing quality and standards in coffee production, increasing trade and consumption of coffee, as well as representing and supporting the interests and rights of farmers, roasters, manufacturers, distributors, and consumers. Additionally, it would also foster cooperation and exchange of experiences between countries and regions producing and consuming coffee, as well as enhance awareness of its culture, history, benefits, types, and methods in preparing coffee. It will further promote innovation, development, and adoption of advanced technologies within the ever-evolving coffee industry. 

Over 1,650 global, regional, and local companies and brands will be participating in this exhibition to display their range of products and services related to the coffee industry, such as green and roasted coffee beans. Participating businesses will include those who provide roasting, packaging, and processing services in addition to those that supply coffee-manufacturing equipment, water, milk, and flavourings. These participants include 60 companies and brands from the UAE, like Three Coffee, Q Coffee, and Coffee Planet. Further, a total of 17 firms participating in the event, including Colombini Srl, Mazzer Luigi Spa, and Lelit Italy, are Italian brands and enterprises that will also be participating in the exhibition. Additionally, around nine firms and brands from the United States and eight companies from China will be participating in the exhibition.

The World of Coffee 2024 exhibition invites visitors to Zabeel Halls 4, 5, and 6 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, from 21 to 23 January 2024. Those who wish to participate and visit the exhibition can register via the following link: dubai.worldofcoffee.org/visitor-registration. 

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The Sustainability Awards were created in 2004 to promote, encourage and honour the efforts of those serving as role models through sustainable projects in the specialty coffee sector. Each year, aligned with our Sustainable Coffee Agenda, an ad hoc SCA Sustainability Committee reviews dozens of applications from around the globe. The deadline to submit an application is 31 January 2024. The 2024 Sustainability Awards will recognise for-profit and non-profit organisations that advance sustainability in the coffee sector while inspiring others to design and initiate similar endeavors innovations.

Nominations for each category below can be submitted at sca.coffee/sustainabilityawards.

Sustainability Award: For-Profit

This award recognises the role that for-profit companies play in the sustainability of the coffee sector. Please note that this award is for businesses that have been operating for at least three years. Products, projects, and ideas do not qualify for the award.

Sustainability Award: Non-Profit

This award celebrates a non-profit organisation (or one of its projects) that advances the coffee sector’s pursuit of sustainability. Please note that this award is only for organisations/projects that have been operating for at least three years. Products, companies, business models, and ideas do not qualify for the award.

A note on the previous category of the Individual Award: The SCA is reevaluating how to best identify and celebrate individuals from across the value chain who have contributed to advancing sustainability in the coffee industry and will pause the Individual Award until further notice.

Finalists will be announced in February of 2024.

The Sustainability Committee of the SCA Sustainability Center will review all applications and consider a wide range of applicants, reflecting the depth and breadth of sustainable work being done in all areas across the specialty coffee industry.

If you have any questions on how to complete your application, contact
sustainability@sca.coffee.

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Having collaborated on numerous initiatives over the years, the SCA and ICO, bound by this MoU, aim to harness their combined outreach and expertise. This dynamic partnership sets out to design and implement interventions that will benefit coffee stakeholders worldwide through knowledge-sharing, education, and capacity building. Under the MoU, both organizations pledge to create training programs and foster skill development across diverse segments of the coffee value chain — from production and trade to roasting, brewing, and preparation methods.

Notably, the MoU outlines a joint commitment to expanding market promotion and encouraging the consumption of high-quality coffee. The SCA and ICO are united in their mission to facilitate constructive dialogue, linking ICO Members, industry experts, and coffee professionals. This collaboration and the programs to follow will actively promote sustainable practices and will provide increased visibility in specialty markets, with an emphasis on attributes, consuming markets, communication, and skill building. This program aims to empower producer organizations to access specialty coffee and embrace higher value trading models through the use of the SCA Coffee Value Assessment and its tools.

This agreement reflects the dedication of the Specialty Coffee Association to make coffee a thriving equitable and sustainable activity for the entire value chain, in tandem with the International Coffee Organization.

On this partnership, Vanúsia Nogueira, executive director of the ICO stated, “Promoting comprehensive training is not just a necessity; it is one of the most important elements to fuel the future of the coffee sector. Education and skills development are the keys to unlocking the full potential of our industry, ensuring a robust foundation for sustainable growth, fostering innovation, and empowering every actor in the value chain, from bean to cup. The specialty coffee segment is synonymous with quality and excellence, and I am confident that many stakeholders, especially in coffee producing countries, will benefit from this important partnership with SCA.”

Yannis Apostolopoulos, chief executive officer of the SCA added, “[This] signature marks a significant stride towards sustainability by creating new opportunities for knowledge transfer across the coffee sector. The SCA is committed to supporting institutions, organizations, and platforms in the coffee sector who are dedicated to building an equitable and sustainable industry, and the association believes that collaborative and diverse approaches, like this partnership with the ICO, will play a crucial role in making the rewards of the specialty coffee segment accessible worldwide.”

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The event was solidified at an inaugural signing in Panama City, attended by the SCA board members and chief executive officer, Yannis Apostolopoulos with SCA board president, Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos, alongside The Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP) board members and president, James Hunter Tedman, and The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama president, Adolfo Fabrega.

World of Coffee Panama will take place at the Panama Convention Center in October 2026. This inaugural World of Coffee in Central America will run in addition to the SCA’s annual World of Coffee trade shows in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

World of Coffee Panama 2026 marks the first World of Coffee trade show in Central America and focuses on a deep-rooted connection to coffee producing regions. This growth highlights the thriving specialty coffee industry in Central America and establishes Panama as an easy-to-reach hub for coffee producers and traders alike. Renowned for its excellence in coffee varietals, agriculture, specialty coffee trade and consumption, Central America stands as an ideal host for World of Coffee, showcasing the region’s significant role in the global coffee landscape.

On the expansion of World of Coffee into Central America in 2026, SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos said, “We are thrilled to bring World of Coffee, our premier coffee trade show, to Central America for the very first time. World of Coffee Panama 2026 is our first-ever trade show in a coffee-producing country and this marks a significant step in our commitment to promoting coffee consumption within producing countries, a key element for the sustainability of coffee and in alignment with the Specialty Coffee Association’s sustainability agenda.

“World of Coffee Panama is the ideal platform for coffee professionals, producers, and traders worldwide to connect, network, and foster innovation in the specialty coffee sector. We are proud to collaborate with The Specialty Coffee Association of Panama and The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama on this project. As our official licensed partners, we are excited for them to produce a World of Coffee tailored to the unique coffee culture in this region, highlighting Central America’s important role in the global coffee industry.”

Adolfo Fábrega, president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP), stated, “This is an excellent opportunity, our country has been selected for the first edition of the World of Coffee in Latin America. Panamanians will be able to show the world the great potential of the exportable offer that we have and promote our high-altitude coffee, which is a source of pride, particularly in recent years, when it has had positive behaviour with the Geisha,” he added.

In addition, he thanked the Specialty Coffee Association, as well as the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama for the “trust placed in the CCIAP that for 40 years has organised international great events such as the famous Expocomer, Expo Logistica Panama and Expo Turismo Internacional, among others.”

James Hunter Tedman, president of the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama added, “In SCAP we are very proud that the Specialty Coffee Association has chosen our country for the first Latin American World of Coffee. We see it as a recognition of the hard work Panama has done positioning our coffees as one of the best in the world, as the best expression of ‘Specialty Coffee’. The World of Coffee Panama will highly impact many industries in our country, tourism, commerce and the service sectors will benefit tremendously. Our partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Panama will strengthen our Association and secure the success of this project.”

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Coffee Planet was recognised as a “UAE Superbrand” at the 19th Annual Superbrands Tribute at Dubai Festival City. The Superbrand title is given to brands that offer consumers significant emotional and/or physical advantages over their competitors.  

The company was also recognised by the Asian Business Review, receiving two awards in the Food and Beverage category. Team Coffee Planet won “Team of the Year – Food & Beverage” at the Middle East Management Excellence Awards in recognition of its passion for investing in people through training, development, employee engagement, and ensuring that Coffee Planet is ultimately an employer of choice. The judges acknowledged Coffee Planet’s collective focus on delivering to customers and working strategically with partners, which led to a record-breaking commercial performance in 2022 with 2023 likely to surpass those levels.

Coffee Planet also took home the “National Business Award for Food and Beverage” in recognition of its development of new products and propositions, including the revamped brand identity and packaging, Campus by Coffee Planet, and the introduction of aluminium capsules and instant coffee. Both Asian Business Review awards acknowledged the strong commercial growth of the business.  

The growth story of Coffee Planet has been wedded to a strategy of making specialty coffee inclusive whilst constantly reinventing the brand to be more people-centric and customer-focused. The winning spree was completed with CEO Jamie Brown’s recognition as a “Food Service Icon” at the Retail Middle East Magazine Food Service Icons Awards.   

Coffee Planet started a new chapter in May 2023 with a resolution to make specialty coffee accessible to all customers, channels, and markets globally. This strategy propelled the company to new heights, and it expanded its offerings locally, regionally, and globally. The SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) – accredited educational facility, Campus by Coffee Planet continues to attract aspiring and practising talents from the world of coffee to turn their passions into vocations or enhance their coffee careers with a diverse range of brewing, barista, latte art end expert training courses.  

The rewards come as the company celebrates its best year in its 18-year history. Jamie Brown said about the year’s successes, “We attribute this phenomenal year to the efforts of our wonderful team, our strategic investments in the business and people, and the unique proposition of striving to make specialty coffee accessible to all.” 

Furthermore, Coffee Planet has reinforced its leadership team with three strong additions to keep the growth momentum going into the new year. Rob Saunders, who has operated as non-executive director for several years, joins as the chief finance officer, Wesley Morrissey as sales director, and Matthew Yorke Smith, a founding member of Coffee Planet, moving into his new role as chief operating officer.

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Green Coffee Summit is a virtual platform that offers insights into the world of coffee production, trade, and value discovery. In an ever-evolving landscape, staying ahead of the curve with current developments in the industry is essential, and attendees can look forward to expert discussions on production forecasts, market trends, and the ever-changing legislative landscape. Discover answers to critical questions such as: What are the emerging consumer preferences? Which flavour profiles dominate key producing regions? Where do the strongest markets lie? These insights are essential for anyone involved in the buying and selling of coffee, whether you’re a seasoned industry professional or just starting out.

With its mission to create a space for producers, traders, and green coffee buyers to access reliable, actionable knowledge about specialty coffee markets, the Green Coffee Summit has proffered information since its programme and resource library launch in August 2021. All content from the December live event will be recorded and added to the Green Coffee Summit library alongside past sessions.

SCA sustainability director and content lead on this year’s event, Andrés Montenegro, said, “In recent years, our perception of green coffee’s value has shifted significantly, with a growing emphasis on extrinsic qualities.

The research on understanding flavour attributes in coffee is evolving rapidly due to market changes, scientific progress, and shifting consumer preferences in the specialty coffee sector. Green Coffee Summit 2023 is a unique chance to get the pulse on these innovations and learn from the leading experts and coffee professionals that are shaping the strategies to advance the specialty coffee sector to make coffee better, for all.”

The upcoming Green Coffee Summit promises to be an even more immersive and enlightening experience, offering attendees the opportunity to connect with industry experts, network with like-minded individuals, and uncover the latest trends and innovations in the world of green coffee.

Save the date for the Green Coffee Summit and join us in advancing the specialty coffee industry’s knowledge, transparency, and growth.

Learn more about the Green Coffee Summit at green.sca.coffee.

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The SCA Skills Diplomas comprises four diplomas that give learners in-depth knowledge and practical experience that can be immediately applied in an industry setting. Each diploma requires a combination of advanced level learning and foundational coursework from all three of the SCA Certificate Programs; Coffee Skills Program, Coffee Sustainability Program, and Coffee Technicians Program.

SCA Skills Diplomas are:

• Café Diploma – Hands-on learning to help you create, prepare, communicate, and
  promote specialty coffee experiences.
• Coffee Trade Diploma – Learn about handling, evaluation, sensory analysis, and trade of green
  coffee.
• Roastery Diploma – Deep dive into the development, production, quality assurance, and
  communication of roasted coffee.
• Sustainable Coffee Diploma – Expand your knowledge about the development and implementation of
  best practices and projects that promote a more sustainable coffee industry.

Speaking about the development of the SCA Skills Diplomas, Dorit Lessard, education officer at Specialty Coffee Association, said, “Our aim with the introduction of the SCA Skills Diplomas is to offer a recognition that clearly connects to specific jobs on the market. Each diploma’s prescribed set of courses were specifically chosen so holders of the diplomas are ready for success in several predominate roles in the consumer sector of the specialty coffee industry. If you are new to coffee, or want to grow your career in coffee, pursuing one or more of the SCA Skills Diplomas is a great next step.”

Image: SCA

Diploma holders will have two ways to share their accomplishments with the world. In addition to printable certificates, learners will also be awarded a digital badge. These highly shareable icons can be embedded into social media bios, email signatures, websites and more. Viewers will be able to click on the badge to learn about the skills and courses they represent, to communicate the earner’s accomplishments to employers, clients, and peers.

Explore each diploma and learn about their specific focus and required courses at education.sca.coffee/sca-skills-diploma

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Presentations delivered at these small events will then be curated and presented to the SCA’s global audience during a digital broadcast on retail.sca.coffee, scheduled for 26 October 2023. To facilitate viewership across most time zones, two sessions will be held on October 26th at the following times:

Coffee Retail Summit 2023 | Session 1 – 09:00 GMT / 17:00 KST
Coffee Retail Summit 2023 | Session 2 – 17:00 GMT / 09:00 PST

As with other presentations and resources from previous Coffee Retail Summit events, each presentation will be catalogued and made available through the free resource library, available to the audience for continued reference and support.

Originally designed and created in 2021 to support specialty coffee retail businesses of all sizes during the international COVID-19 pandemic, Coffee Retail Summit has since evolved to provide continued support to the global coffee retail community. The Specialty Coffee Association recognises the key place that specialty coffee retail companies have in their cities, communities, and within the wider specialty coffee global ecosystem.

On Coffee Retail Summit 2023, Yannis Apostolopoulos, chief executive officer of SCA said: “The SCA is proud to continue its support of coffee retail with another installment of Coffee Retail Summit in 2023. This free-to-attend event provides guidance, insights, and knowledge to coffee retail professionals from all backgrounds and regions.

“Running a coffee retail business takes more than just serving high quality coffee; it involves continued attention to all aspects of your business, including marketing, staffing, product development and refinement, and knowledge of relevant and emerging trends and technologies within the hospitality, café, and retail zeitgeist.

“The coffee retail industry is met with constant and ever evolving challenges and it is our goal to arm retail professionals with vital skills and knowledge by providing a varied and topical event each year. With the help of select coffee retailers in three key global cities, we are proud to present the 2023 programme to our global audience with resources that are both locally impactful and globally relevant. We look forward to welcoming you all on October 26th!”

Coffee Retail Summit 2023 is proudly supported by title sponsor Barista Attitude. Speaking about their support of this event, Cinzia Pietrobon – Barista Attitude Brand Manager says: “Barista Attitude is a young brand, but a brand born from a long and established history. We began as a collaborative project between internal and external stakeholders striving to be better by sharing knowledge and experience.
With that model in mind, we want to support the entire value chain with inclusive and accessible events such as the Coffee Retail Summit. We can’t wait for this year’s event!”

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2023 Retreat attendees can look forward to lectures, workshops, cuppings, gain exclusive access to the
industry’s leading machines in the Roasting Tent, experience collaborative networking during the Team
Challenge, and get a first-hand look at the Coffee Value Assessment and its tools. For those looking to
compete in a future US Roaster Championship, Retreat also offers a US Roasting Championship
preparation workshop!

Past attendees at CRG Retreat have described the event as “summer camp for coffee professionals” and “the most down-to-earth, diverse, and fun overall industry event I’ve attended.” Baylee Engberg, Pacific Northwest account manager at Ally and managing director at #shestheroaster shared, “Coffee Roasters Guild Retreat is returning! Not only is Retreat my favorite coffee event, but arguably the most beneficial for roasters and tasters alike. Whether you’re looking to learn to roast from scratch, form stronger community connections, taste the coffee lexicon, try your hand at a new machine, or simply just win the Team Challenge — this event is for you.”

The Coffee Roasters Guild and Diedrich Roasters are pleased to offer the 2023 Diedrich Roasters
Scholarship Program for CRG Retreat. The Diedrich Roasters Scholarship Program will be awarded to five scholars and is designed to offer financial assistance to members of the coffee community to help further their knowledge and take advantage of the opportunity to develop and advance their skills in roasting.

Applications are open through to 18 August 2023. Learn more about the Diedrich Roasters Scholarship
Program here.

In addition, this event is supported by 2023 Diamond Sponsors, Barista Attitude and Sanremo Coffee
Machines, whose contributions help make this event possible.

Registration is now open with early bird pricing available through 31 August 2023. More information
available at CRG Retreat.

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As the world’s foremost hub for culture, quality of life, sustainability, and the arts, Copenhagen’s distinguished reputation extends to its specialty coffee culture. The city’s progressive approach to business, technology, design, and trade further amplifies its standing as a global leader, making it an ideal destination for coffee enthusiasts and professionals to gather at Europe’s premier coffee trade show.

Speaking about bringing World of Coffee to Denmark in 2024, SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos says: “The destination for Europe’s premier coffee trade show in 2024 is the dynamic capital city of Copenhagen, Denmark. A global leader in culture, quality of life, sustainability, and the arts, the Danish capital is also renowned for its refined specialty coffee culture and approach to business, technology, design and trade.” He adds; “World of Coffee Copenhagen joins two other recently announced destinations in the World of Coffee 2024 portfolio: Dubai, United Arab Emirates in January, 2024 and Busan, Korea in May, 2024 and contributing to World of Coffee’s global reach and accessibility.”

Speaking on behalf of the city of Copenhagen, Denmark, Bettina Reventlow-Mourier, deputy convention director, Copenhagen Convention Bureau says: “As one of the most coffee consuming capitals in the world, we are very excited about welcoming World of Coffee and the World Coffee Championships to Copenhagen next year. Coffee has long been an integral part of life in Denmark, and just like our gastro experiences, there is a strong focus on sustainable innovation amongst the many world-class coffee shops, baristas, and roasts that constitute Copenhagen’s flourishing coffee scene. We can’t wait for the many delegates to get a taste of our city and hopefully be inspired during their stay.”

And on behalf of the venue, Bella Center Copenhagen, Gemma Strutt, director of congress & large events adds “At Bella Center Copenhagen, we pride ourselves on Hosting Moments That Matter, so we are delighted to welcome World of Coffee in 2024, bringing the Specialty Coffee industry together. Coffee is a core part of our Responsible Hospitality culture, and Copenhagen will provide the perfect inspirational destination to meet and network.”

Prospective exhibitors are encouraged to register their interest in booking a booth on the World of Coffee Copenhagen show floor by submitting the contact form located at worldofcoffee.org/contact.

Attendee registration is set to open in early 2024.

BWT water+more Official Host Sponsor of World of Coffee 2024 in Copenhagen

SCA is also proud to announce the official Host Sponsor of World of Coffee 2024 Copenhagen: BWT water+more. Marking the continued partnership between SCA, World of Coffee, and BWT water+more, Dr. Frank Neuhausen, general manager of BWT water+more states:

“World of Coffee Copenhagen 2024: a fantastic city with a great coffee community! As Host Sponsor for World of Coffee 2024, we proudly continue our support for the Specialty Coffee Association and all people working within the coffee community.

We will once again provide the best water on site for all exhibitors.As a water optimisation specialist operating internationally, we at BWT water+more have an overview of water quality and supply worldwide and we gladly support the global coffee community with knowledge and practice proven solutions.”

Show Features: Copenhagen World Coffee Championships

The World Coffee Championships (WCCs) are annual events that are the culmination of local and regional qualifiers, hosted by sanctioned Competition Bodies around the globe. An expected 96competitors will be vying for the title of world champion across three skills-based competitions.

World Latte Art Championship.

This competition highlights artistic expression while challenging the barista in an on-demand performance. Baristas are judged based on visual attributes, creativity, identical patterns in the pairs, contrast in patterns, and overall performance.

World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship

This competition promotes innovative beverage recipes that showcase coffee and spirits, and highlights the barista/barkeeper’s mixology skills.

World Coffee Roasting Championship

Competitors are evaluated on their performance developing a roasting profile that best accentuates the desirable characteristics of that coffee,matching that profile,and on the ultimate cup quality of coffees roasted.

Join in person or on the live stream and learn more at wcc.coffee.

To learn more and enquire about available sponsorship positions and booth availability, email the team on sponsorship@sca.coffee

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The newest training center, which was classified as an SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) Premier Training Campus on 19 May, houses Lavazza’s premiere coffee making equipment. These state-of-the-art coffee equipment and tools are helping to inform the future of coffee making and support new and emerging trends in the space. Led by director of training, Frank LaRusso, the location will serve to educate Lavazza staff, baristas, sales representatives, restaurant and hotel partners, and office coffee and away from home distributors on the art of using Lavazza products. This center will also serve as a hub and gathering space for the coffee industry in Chicago. Lavazza’s trainers are qualified to the highest level of certification within the industry, as SCA Authorized Specialty Coffee Trainers (AST), and will be onsite to train and certify others with the wide range of equipment available to them at this facility.   

“We are so excited to be opening a new training facility and further the expansion of our brand and its experts. We look forward to continuing our dedication to training and leading within the industry through our master classes and shared passion for all things coffee,” said LaRusso.  

The center will also offer master classes for those looking to accelerate their coffee business. With both “Barista Training” and “Coffee Menu Management,” participants will receive hands-on training and professional tips. Led by some of the brand’s expert trainers, these classes will teach the art of various brewing methods and management of coffee menus as a way to increase appeal and profitability.    

“With the opening of our new Chicago training center, we are showing our dedication to perfecting coffee and commitment to training professionals who can deliver the Lavazza experience we are globally renowned for worldwide,” shared Camille Vareille, VP – head of marketing Americas at Lavazza Group. “We hope that our new training facility serves the community of Chicago and fosters an environment for creativity, learning and a shared passion for coffee.”  

To celebrate the training center opening, the brand hosted master classes, taught by expert baristas, and a grand opening happy hour. For the happy hour, Lavazza paired espresso martinis and specialty drinks with assorted appetisers and desserts from James Beard’s restaurant, The Purple Pig. Guests were able to try the latest on-trend drink recipes, cocktails and latte art alongside gourmet appetizer and dessert pairings. Lavazza’s expert trainers were available to answer any coffee-related questions and offer tours of the new state-of-the-art facility.   

For more information about the Lavazza brand and training centers, please visit lavazzausa.com.  

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Following the success of World of Coffee Milan 2022, World of Coffee Athens 2023 is predicted to be the biggest World of Coffee event yet with over 300 exhibitors and 10,000 attendees from over 80 countries around the world. The SCA will be bringing World of Coffee’s popular show features to Athens, including:

• Best New Product Competition
• Coffee Design Awards
• SCA Lectures and Workshops
• Cupping Rooms
• Roaster Villages
• Green Coffee Buyers & Sellers Program
• Four World Coffee Championships:
  – World Barista Championship
  – World Brewers Cup
  – World Cup Tasters Championship
  – Cezve/Ibrik Championship

In the lead up to the upcoming event, SCA chief executive officer, Yannis Apostolopoulos said:

“This year, the Specialty Coffee Association is preparing for the largest World of Coffee trade show ever with more attendees, show features, and exhibitors than ever before. As one of the world’s oldest cities, Athens, Greece is a city where the classical era meets modernity with unparalleled hospitality. It is a city with an established tradition of coffee culture and a capital for the modern specialty coffee industry, making it a natural host city for World of Coffee in 2023.”

Dr Frank Neuhausen, general manager of long-time Host Sponsor and exhibitor, BWT water+more stated:

“We are looking forward to meeting all partners along the coffee chain at the World of Coffee in Athens, supporting all exhibitors on site with our water solutions for coffee and showing all visitors how individually treated water supports their efforts to achieve the perfect cup of coffee. As an international specialist of water optimisation, we at BWT water+more have an overview of the global water situation and support the international barista scene with all our know-how. And a show like the World of Coffee is the perfect playground for this!”

Portrait Country: Guatemala

Each year, the SCA partners with a coffee producing country to highlight the work of its farmers and the unique characteristics of their coffees. In 2023, we welcome back Guatemala, represented by the brand, Guatemalan Coffees, as official Portrait Country of World of Coffee Athens. Attendees are invited to discover the diversity and complexity of coffees produced in this vibrant Central American nation.

Regarding this partnership, José Tulio González, president of Anacafé (Guatemalan National Coffee Association) commented:

“As this year´s Portrait Country, we are thrilled to bring the enthusiasm and excitement of Guatemalan Coffees to the coffee scene in Greece and of course Europe, being able to showcase what makes Guatemalan Coffees so special and what we are doing to lead the coffee industry with a dynamic and innovative approach. We look forward to seeing you on the show floor and join us for Guat´s Next!”

Roaster Villages at World of Coffee

Due to demand and exceptional popularity, World of Coffee Athens will host two Roaster Villages for the very first time – Roaster Village West and Roaster Village East – both centrally located on the show floor to celebrate Europe and the world’s best small and medium-sized coffee roasting companies and wholesalers. The Roaster Villages at World of Coffee 2023 are supported by Rocket Espresso Milano and La Marzocco.

Educational Opportunities at World of Coffee

World of Coffee Athens will also feature an extensive offering of educational opportunities, including hands-on Workshops for advancing practical skills and knowledge, refining sensory acuity, tactics for business development, sourcing, and sustainability. World of Coffee will also host informative, live Lectures by experienced industry professionals, academics, and trusted authorities on subjects including organic sciences, emerging technologies, management and marketing, human resources and staff management, company culture, sustainability, and climate change.

For more information, visit: worldofcoffee.org.

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Perhaps more than decaf coffee, instant coffee has the most stigma associated with it as consumers in many global markets perceive the quality to be low. And yet, instant coffee accounts for 25 percent of the coffee consumed in the world, with consumption growing at about 2 percent annually. In Brazil, instant coffee accounts for 5 percent of the total coffee consumed in the country, with consumption growing at an average of 3.5 percent per year since 2016.

The International Coffee Organization (ICO) stated in its March 2023 report that total exports of soluble coffee increased by 5.8 percent in February 2023 to 0.92 million bags from 0.87 million bags in February 2022. In the first five months of coffee year 2022/23, a total of 4.59 million bags of soluble coffee were exported, representing a decrease of 11.2 percent from the 5.09 million bags exported in the prior-year period. Soluble coffee’s share in the total exports of all forms of coffee was 10.2 percent (measured on a moving 12-month average) in February 2023, up from 10.1 percent in February 2022.

Aside from being the largest coffee producer, Brazil is also the largest exporter of soluble coffee, shipping 0.3 million bags in February 2023, per the ICO. Brazil’s instant coffee sector has incorporated new technologies and expanded its industrial capacity to help maintain its leading global position. Brazil exports soluble coffee to 100 countries, exceeding four million bags every year.

Nonetheless, the opinion of instant coffee in many major coffee-consuming markets remains low. The Brazilian Soluble Coffee Industry Association, or ABICS, is working to alter the perception of instant coffee. In November 2022, during Brazil International Coffee Week (SIC – Semana Internacional do Café), ABICS, in cooperation with the Institute of Food Technology (ITAL), announced the launch of a new methodology for quality assessment that proposes a sensory lexicon and quality grades for instant coffees.

The development of this new methodology for soluble, which uses contemporary sensory science, began in 2019 with the participation of experts from all instant coffee companies operating in Brazil as well as domestic and international consultants, using the main instant brands in the Brazilian market and abroad. The methodology, the first of its kind, assesses quality by its attributes and intensity — not by scores. This concept enables consumers to select coffees according to their preferences, including the methods of consumption. That is, consumers may choose which instant coffees are best suited for black coffee, with milk/dairy alternatives, cappuccinos, beverages or gastronomy (cooking, baking, etc.).

The need for instant coffee quality assessment

Any coffee may be turned into instant coffee, yet the soluble process itself, noted ABICS researchers, may add another layer of quality as it modifies to a certain extent the raw material flavour — that is, sometimes a strong over-extracted coffee flavour may be imparted, while other times, the flavour of the raw material may be preserved. Thus, the range of qualities for instant coffee is quite wide, and ABICS believes that the value and price of these products should vary accordingly.

However, as ABICS states in its recently released white paper, Quality Assessment of Instant Coffee: A Sensory Science Development, while roasted whole bean and ground coffee count with globally recognised grading systems, such as the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Cupping Protocol, instant coffee products have lacked a system to assess their quality and display it to consumers transparently. Per the report, “for that reason, consumers struggle to understand why they should pay price premiums for certain types of instant coffee. The instant coffee category has not effectively communicated to consumers about the quality diversity of instant coffees, how quality ties to the flavour they should expect and why it is fair to pay premiums for high quality.”

Coffee quality has long been assessed by expert, well-trained tasters – coffee cuppers – who grade coffee based on their appreciation of quality. However, assessment can vary greatly because there is no consensus about the level desirability or undesirability of an attribute. For example, a ‘citrus’ flavour may be positive to some, but could be negative to others, which directly impacts the coffee they purchase.

The reasoning behind the new methodology, according to ABICS, is that if consensus is achieved around the desirability or undesirability of a given attribute, it is possible to bypass the need for affective judgement by a taster and grade the quality of instant coffee based on intensity of several desirable or undesirable attributes. Therefore, grading would now be the objective of assessment, as the quality score is no longer the product of an effective assessment, rather, it is the result of the presence and intensity of several desirable or undesirable attributes in the coffee. ABICS researchers said this would allow coffee tasters to act as descriptive tasters, rating the intensity of several flavour attributes, and the score or the grade of the coffee given because of the ‘desirability weights’ of such attributes.

Furthermore, the researchers explained that applying the ‘descriptive based’ quality grading to instant has multiple advantages:

• it shows there is consensus among the instant coffee industry about what attributes are more desirable than others;
• it shows modern sensory science tools may be applied to the instant coffee category to stimulate transparent product differentiation, and
• it endows the instant coffee category with a language to speak to consumers about flavour and quality in a way they will understand.

Eliana Relvas, of ABICS, who was one of the lead developers of the methodology, said that the levels are not about quality, rather, how you apply it. “This is all for consumers — we want to communicate the descriptors to consumers to help remove the prejudice of instant coffee,” she said at the unveiling of the new methodology, adding, the attributes apply to everyone — some may like chocolatey, some nutty, some fruity, etc. It’s not about the quality, it is about the descriptors.”

The first step towards creating a descriptive-based system for instant coffee was to identify key flavour attributes in instant coffee. The second step was to identify the links between each of the key flavour attributes and perceived quality to create a ‘desirability’ weight of each attribute. The third step is to propose a testing and grading method for instant coffees, based on the intensity of key flavour attributes.

There are three category descriptors: Excelence, Premium and Classic. “ABICS decided to rename the categories so as not to imply that one category is better than the other,” said Fábio Sato, president of ABICS. (At the launch of the methodology, the category descriptor names were excellent, differentiated and conventional.)

Dr Aline Garcia of the Institute of Food Technology (ITAL), who was the scientific researcher for the new methodology, reiterated that while the methodology has some relationship to qualities, “it is really about the descriptors.”

Current and next steps

The new methodology is currently for the Brazilian market only but ABICS said it will be offered to other countries as the descriptive aspects of the system could be adapted by global organisations. There is room for growth with the methodology because the descriptors/attributes are terms that consumers understand,” said Relvas.

Six months after the launch of the new instant coffee quality assessment methodology, Sato said it is not yet fully rolled out in Brazil. ABICS is about to start training specialists in the varied Brazilian coffee industries (those who did not participate in the creation of the protocol). “We believe that it is very important that all specialists of Brazilian industries are aligned and trained on the methodology and adopt it in their respective companies.”

Sato said that ABICS together with its associates, who are present in the market with their respective brands, are now working on a project to communicate to consumers the main attributes and applications according to the methodology, by placing a quality seal on the packages.

If successful in Brazil, this new system for assessing instant coffee does have the potential to be a game changer for international soluble markets. Although ABICS has not yet defined which will be the first international market to be approached, Sato shared that the association is “in contact with some associations and entities to discuss opportunities to introduce the protocol.”

• Vanessa L Facenda joined T&CTJ in 2012 as editor. She was previously editor of Retail Merchandiser and has written for a variety of magazines including Consumer Reports, Brandweek, Adweek, Hollywood Reporter, and Specialty Food Magazine, among many others. She may be reached at: vanessa@bellpublishing.com.

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Across the three days, attendees gained hands-on practical skills and coffee knowledge during over 27 workshops and 64 lectures. 280 individuals participated in the Green Coffee Buyers and Sellers Program looking to begin long-term relationships.

The 2023 Best New Product Competition recognised six new products at the Expo in six different categories, judged on their quality and value to the specialty coffee and tea industry. The SCA awarded the following product and companies during the event:

• Coffee Accessories – Ion Beam by Acaia
• Commercial Coffee Preparation and Serving – Latte Art Factory Bar Pro by Latte Art Factory
• Consumer Coffee Preparation and Serving – The Barista Touch Impress by Breville
• Open Class – Redefined by Rarebird, Inc
• Specialty Coffee Beverage Additive – Puremade Toasted Black Sesame Syrup by Torani
• Specialty Non-Coffee Beverage Standalone – Ginger Spice Chai Concentrate by Art of Tea

The Coffee Design Awards, also awarded at Expo, recognised three companies for their ingenuity, style, and character in three categories:

• Branding – Dear Francis
• Packaging – Stereoscope
• Spaces – The Boy & The Bear

2023 US Coffee Championships
The 2023 US Coffee Championships featured six competitions across three days. The six new US Coffee Champions will represent the United States in the World Coffee Championships taking place in Athens, Greece and Taipei, Taiwan later this year:

• US Barista Champion: Isaiah Sheese, Archetype Coffee
• US Brewers Cup Champion: Wenbo Yang, Artly Coffee
• US Coffee in Good Spirits Champion: Sam Schroeder, Olympia Coffee
• US Cup Tasters Champion: Jake Donaghy, Olympia Coffee Roasting
• US Roasting Champion: Andrew Coe, Elevator Coffee
• US Latte Art Champion: Piyapat Lapteerawut, Coffee Project NY

The Specialty Coffee Expo will head to Chicago Illinois in 2024, taking place 12-14 April at McCormick Place. The SCA announced that 54% of the show floor for the 2024 Expo has already sold out.

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This year’s Expo was vibrant with exhibitors and attendees back to pre-Covid levels with all the activities and caffeine-induced excitement and frenzy to go along with it as people raced around the Oregon Convention Center from meetings to lectures to workshops to competitions to cuppings as well as to attend many other events that took place on and off the show floor (World of Coffee’s Think and Drink, the IWCA breakfast and Coffee Quality Institute lunch) and around the city.

The annual Re:co Symposium – also in Portland – was held just prior to the Expo and rather than its annual welcome reception, the SCA held a party for exhibitors on the eve (20 April) of the show. On opening day, before the doors officially opened just outside the show floor, the SCA held a reception with live music, coffee and treats.

During Re:co and the Expo, the SCA released the Beta version of the Coffee Value Assessment, an evolution of the association’s cupping protocol and form. The updated cupping protocol is part of a years’ long endeavour to evolve the way the industry captures information about valued attributes in coffee into a modern system underpinned by user research and sensory science best practices. The SCA cupping system was last updated in 2004.

Country pavilions returned with representation from origins such as Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Hawaii, Guatemala, Indonesia, Jamaica, Panama, Uganda, and of course, Brazil and Colombia, among many others. It was reassuring and refreshing to see so many producers back at the Expo. Sylvia Achebet, executive director of Masha Coffee, who made the trip from Uganda, excitedly commented how she was “out of samples” because there was much interest in Ugandan coffee. Several others at the booth, including Dr Emmanuel Niyibigira, managing director of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and James Muhangi, general manager of Rubanga Cooperative Society Limited (which represents several farms), echoed the sentiment, noting what a “good show it was for Ugandan coffee.”

Vinicius Estrela, the executive director of the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA), said the Expo was the ideal venue to introduce buyers (and coffee enthusiasts) to new Brazilian coffees (the US is the biggest buyer of Brazilian coffee, importing eight million bags in 2022). The BSCA presented some unique flavours and aromas such as floral, citrus, red fruits, chocolate and nuts, from varieties such as Arara, Catuaí, and MGS Paraíso among others at the show. He said that there is a new ‘flavour revolution’ taking place with Brazilian coffee.

“Because of new technologies and fermentation methods, there is a lot of experimentation going on so we are able to create new Brazilian profiles such as higher acidity and complexity, and different levels of sweetness,” Estrela explained. For example, a Natural, Catuaí 44 from Caparaó was one of the newer profiles being displayed. It was more acidic and had peppery notes. I tasted several coffees including a specialty Robusta from Rondonia, all of which were lovely. It was apparently a highly successful show for the world’s biggest coffee producer as the BSCA issued a release announcing that 29 producers secured USD $20 million in sales at the Expo.

This 2023 event also hosted several competitions – the first full competitions cycle since 2019 – including the US Coffee Championships (USCC), concurrently with the Expo. The winners were announced at the close of the show on 23 April. The 2023 US Coffee Champions are:

• US Cup Tasters Champion: Jake Donaghy, Olympia Coffee Roasting
• US Barista Champion: Isaiah Sheese, Archetype Coffee
• US Brewers Cup Champion: Wenbo Yang, Artly Coffee
• US Roaster Champion: Andrew Coe, Elevator Coffee
• US Latte Art Champion: Piyapat Lapteerawut, Coffee Project NY
• US Coffee in Good Spirits Champion: Sam Schroeder, Olympia Coffee

Next year’s SCA Expo will take place in Chicago, Illinois, 11-14 April — most attendees and exhibitors expressed excitement about the show taking place in the ‘Windy City’.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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The 2023 US Coffee Champions are:

1. US Cup Tasters Champion: Jake Donaghy, Olympia Coffee Roasting
2. Andrew Shelley, Brio Coffeeworks
3. Andy Sprenger, Sweet Bloom Coffee Co
4. Tom Bomford, Black Fox Coffee

1. US Barista Champion: Isaiah Sheese, Archetype Coffee
2. Morgan Eckroth, Onyx Coffee Lab
3. Juan Diaz, KWC
4. Dakota Graff, Onyx Coffee Lab
5. Reef Bessette, The Coffee Movement
6. Frank La, Be Bright Coffee

1. US Brewers Cup Champion: Wenbo Yang, Artly Coffee
2. Weihong Zhang, Blendin Coffee Club
3. Daniel Teplitz, Klatch Coffee
4. Jesus Iniquez, Archetype Coffee
5. Max Phills, Loveless Coffees
6. Elika Liftee, Onyx Coffee Lab

1. US Roaster Champion: Andrew Coe, Elevator Coffee
2. Steve Cuevas, Black Oak Coffee Roasters
3. Alex Huang, Aroma Craft Coffee
4. Eduardo Choza, Mayorga Coffee
5. Matthew Selivanow, Kafiex Roasters
6. Sam LaRobardiere, Theory Coffee Roasters

1. US Latte Art Champion: Piyapat Lapteerawut, Coffee Project NY
2. Wenbo Yang, Artly Coffee
3. Truc Ngo, IO Coffee
4. Julie Patadia, Coffee Project NY
5. Camilo Gomez, Nativus/Red House
6. Adbulqader Dali, Dali Coffee LLC

1. US Coffee in Good Spirits Champion: Sam Schroeder, Olympia Coffee
2. Kyle Hamlin, Jubala Coffee
3. Edwin Gorritz, Barista Squared
4. Linnea True, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
5. Natasha Solowoniuk, Caffe Vita
6. Mo Koolphanich, Slipstream Coffee

The US Barista, Cup Tasters, Roaster, Brewer’s Cup, and Coffee in Good Spirits Champions will go on to represent the US at the World Coffee Championships events in Athens, Greece, and Taipei, Taiwan later this year.

It’s been an exciting three days of fast-paced competitions, with over 70 competitors from around the US vying for the title of US Coffee Champion across six different skill-based competitions. After the cancellation of the 2020 cycle and postponement of the 2021 Championships, these events are the culmination of the first full competitions cycle since 2019, including competitors who participated in 13 local Preliminary events across the US that took place fall of 2022 and, those who ranked in the 2 Qualifying events in Baltimore, MD and Denver, CO earlier this year.

With the exception of Cup Tasters, each competition is judged based on a series of number of requirements:

For the US Barista Champion title, competitors must prepare and serve espressos, cappuccinos, and a personally designed signature beverage for four sensory judges; all while being assessed on their preparation abilities by two technical judges.

The US Brewers Cup is an exciting competition that highlights and celebrates the art of manual coffee brewing. All competitors will initially prepare the same coffee, before giving a prepared presentation with the coffee of their choice.

Coffee in Good Spirits competitors must prepare and serve coffee cocktails for taste judges; all while being assessed on their preparation abilities by a technical/visual judge.

Cup Tasters competitors perform a fast-paced display of sensory skills by discerning taste differences in a “triangulation.” The competitor with the ability to taste, smell, concentrate, and recall, those with the most correct answers in the shortest amount of time will take home the title of US Cup Tasters Champion.

Roaster competitors green grade a compulsory coffee, make a roast plan, and roast their compulsory coffee onsite.

The return of the Latte Art Championship allows competitors to present their original designs in a set of two identical lattes and two identical macchiatos, judged by two visual judges and one technical judge.

This year’s competitions were led by generous volunteer leadership from the SCA USA Chapter, and our event Sponsors, whose support makes the US Coffee Championships possible. USCC is supported by 2023 USCC Title and US Barista Championship Title Sponsor Pacific Foods; US Brewer’s Cup Championship Title Sponsor Origami; US Roaster Championship Title Sponsor Savor Brands as well as the official USCC Cleaning Product Sponsor Urnex Brands; Official USCC Water Sponsor Pentair; among many others listed at uscoffeechampionships.org.

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World of Coffee Busan will take place at the Busan Exhibition & Convention Center (BEXCO) 1-4 May 2024, and will feature the 2024 World Barista Championship. This inaugural World of Coffee in Asia will run in addition to the SCA’s annual World of Coffee trade shows in Dubai, scheduled for 21-23 January 2024, and Europe in June 2024.

World of Coffee Busan 2024 marks the first World of Coffee trade show on the Asian continent and is a testament to the strong growth of the specialty coffee industry in this region. South Korea, in particular, has long been recognised as a destination for specialty coffee craft, technology, retail, research, and culture. The city of Busan, the second-largest city and coffee trade hub of South Korea, a natural destination for a specialty coffee trade show.

Speaking about the expansion of World of Coffee into Asia in 2024, SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos said, “We are delighted to bring World of Coffee, our leading coffee trade show, to Asia for the very first time. The coffee market in Asia has been booming for many years, and World of Coffee in Busan will be the platform at which coffee companies across Asia and around the world will be able to connect, network, and drive innovation in the specialty coffee space. We are proud to be working with our long-time partners at Exporum on this project, who as our official licensed partner, will produce and deliver a World of Coffee that is tailored to the unique coffee culture in the region.”

Commenting on the new World of Coffee trade show in Asia, Exporum CEO Danny Shin said, “I’m excited to introduce Europe’s representative coffee event in Asia for the first time. The Korean coffee market is spotlighted globally for its own creativity and dynamics, especially Busan, the gateway to Asia’s coffee industry. We expect World of Coffee Asia to be a turning point for expanding connections in the Asian coffee market and the wider global coffee industry.”

Prospective exhibitors are encouraged to register their interest in booking a booth on the World of Coffee Busan show floor by submitting their information via this link.

The 2024 World Barista Championship (WBC) returns to Korea after last being hosted at Café Show Seoul in 2017. The WBC focuses on promoting excellence in coffee and advancing the barista profession. Competitors each prepare four espressos, four milk drinks, and four original signature drinks to exacting standards in a 15- minute performance set to music. Certified Judges from around the world evaluate each performance on a range of technical and sensory attributes. The top 15 highest-scoring competitors from the first round, plus the wild-card winner from the Team Competition, advance to a semi-final round. The top six competitors in the semi-final round advance to the finals round, from which one winner is named World Barista Champion. The World Barista Champion title can be a pathway to global coffee fame, with winners going on to run globally renowned coffee businesses and ventures.

Korea is one of the world’s most dynamic and exciting coffee markets, and great excitement is sure to build with local coffee fans and professionals over the coming months, with thousands of international visitors in Busan to root for their favorite competitors and experience the wonders of Korean coffee culture. Busan is known for its vibrant coffee community and excellence having two World Coffee Champions out of the city; 2019 World Barista Champion Jooyeon Jeon, and 2022 World Cup Tasters Champion Heongwan Moon.

Join in person or on the live stream and learn more at wcc.coffee and worldbaristachampionship.org.

To learn more and enquire about available sponsorship positions and booth availability, visit: sca.coffee/sca-news/announcing-world-of-coffee-busan-2024.

The post World of Coffee Trade Show Expands to Asia in 2024 appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

World of Coffee Busan will take place at the Busan Exhibition & Convention Center (BEXCO) 1-4 May 2024, and will feature the 2024 World Barista Championship. This inaugural World of Coffee in Asia will run in addition to the SCA’s annual World of Coffee trade shows in Dubai, scheduled for 21-23 January 2024, and Europe in June 2024.

World of Coffee Busan 2024 marks the first World of Coffee trade show on the Asian continent and is a testament to the strong growth of the specialty coffee industry in this region. South Korea, in particular, has long been recognised as a destination for specialty coffee craft, technology, retail, research, and culture. The city of Busan, the second-largest city and coffee trade hub of South Korea, a natural destination for a specialty coffee trade show.

Speaking about the expansion of World of Coffee into Asia in 2024, SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos said, “We are delighted to bring World of Coffee, our leading coffee trade show, to Asia for the very first time. The coffee market in Asia has been booming for many years, and World of Coffee in Busan will be the platform at which coffee companies across Asia and around the world will be able to connect, network, and drive innovation in the specialty coffee space. We are proud to be working with our long-time partners at Exporum on this project, who as our official licensed partner, will produce and deliver a World of Coffee that is tailored to the unique coffee culture in the region.”

Commenting on the new World of Coffee trade show in Asia, Exporum CEO Danny Shin said, “I’m excited to introduce Europe’s representative coffee event in Asia for the first time. The Korean coffee market is spotlighted globally for its own creativity and dynamics, especially Busan, the gateway to Asia’s coffee industry. We expect World of Coffee Asia to be a turning point for expanding connections in the Asian coffee market and the wider global coffee industry.”

Prospective exhibitors are encouraged to register their interest in booking a booth on the World of Coffee Busan show floor by submitting their information via this link.

The 2024 World Barista Championship (WBC) returns to Korea after last being hosted at Café Show Seoul in 2017. The WBC focuses on promoting excellence in coffee and advancing the barista profession. Competitors each prepare four espressos, four milk drinks, and four original signature drinks to exacting standards in a 15- minute performance set to music. Certified Judges from around the world evaluate each performance on a range of technical and sensory attributes. The top 15 highest-scoring competitors from the first round, plus the wild-card winner from the Team Competition, advance to a semi-final round. The top six competitors in the semi-final round advance to the finals round, from which one winner is named World Barista Champion. The World Barista Champion title can be a pathway to global coffee fame, with winners going on to run globally renowned coffee businesses and ventures.

Korea is one of the world’s most dynamic and exciting coffee markets, and great excitement is sure to build with local coffee fans and professionals over the coming months, with thousands of international visitors in Busan to root for their favorite competitors and experience the wonders of Korean coffee culture. Busan is known for its vibrant coffee community and excellence having two World Coffee Champions out of the city; 2019 World Barista Champion Jooyeon Jeon, and 2022 World Cup Tasters Champion Heongwan Moon.

Join in person or on the live stream and learn more at wcc.coffee and worldbaristachampionship.org.

To learn more and enquire about available sponsorship positions and booth availability, visit: sca.coffee/sca-news/announcing-world-of-coffee-busan-2024.

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The 2023 SCA Expo kicks off tonight with a welcome reception and runs through April 23rd (the show floor opens on the 21st). The annual event – the biggest specialty coffee show in the world – is ‘Disneyland’ for specialty coffee enthusiasts, connoisseurs and professionals, focusing on espresso, espresso-blended beverages, specialty ‘graded’ coffee, cold brew and nitro cold brew.

The specialty coffee industry has grown tremendously over the past 15 years. In her presentation, Specialty Coffee on the Rebound, at the NCA Convention in March, Megan Rankin of market research firm, Dig Insights, noted that in 2008, 34% of consumers (in the US) drank specialty coffee. In 2023, in the US alone, that number has grown to 52%. ‘Specialty coffee’ in 2008 included espresso, cappuccino, latte, café mocha, traditional specialty coffee and frozen blended coffee. Today, she pointed out that ‘specialty coffee’ also includes caffè Americano, macchiato, flat white, cold brew coffee and nitro cold brew.

The National Coffee Association (NCA) of the USA’s Spring 2023 NCDT Study reveals that younger Americans, non-Caucasians drive consumption of espresso-based beverages. The strength of the broader specialty coffee category is driven by those under 40 years with the 25 -39 demo driving espresso -based beverage consumption. According to the study, those under 40 also have a stronger propensity to consume cold coffee beverages, suggesting the category’s growth of cold coffee should target a younger demographic. Furthermore, consumers who identify as Hispanic-, African- and Asian-Americans are also more likely than Caucasian-Americans to be specialty drinkers. About 49% of Caucasian-Americans had a specialty coffee beverage in the past week — this percentage increases among the other three ethnic groups tracked in the NCDT.

So, despite the high inflationary environment, specialty coffee is showing resilience. According to the NCA’s Specialty Coffee Report, which is part of its Spring NCDT (National Coffee Data Trends) Study, although broader consumer trends suggest that many are and will be cutting back on discretionary expenses, the specialty coffee consumer is still happily buying specialty coffee. For example, in January 2023, just over four-in-ten Americans aged 18+ had at least one cup of specialty coffee yesterday. This is driven by espresso-based beverages, which are also sustaining at high levels.

In terms of purchasing behaviour, the NCA’s Specialty Coffee report reveals that there is evidence to suggest some specialty consumers are ‘buying in bulk’ to save money in the face of inflation, but not all are cutting back. In fact, per the findings, there are more specialty coffee drinkers agreeing to the statement ‘I’ve tried making the coffees I buy out-of-home but it doesn’t taste the same’ — an indication that while coffee preparation in-home provides cost savings, there are some coffee beverages that are better out-of-home.

Supporting this finding, in her presentation, Rankin explained that 40% of specialty coffee drinkers purchase coffee out-of-home versus 23% of traditional coffee drinkers, while 77% of specialty coffee drinkers prepare coffee at-home versus 89% of traditional coffee drinkers.

So, although the possibility of a recession still looms and personal financial situations may be gloomy, specialty coffee is proving to be quite resilient, hence, the outlook is positive.

For a ‘sneak peek’ at some of the companies exhibiting at the SCA Expo, see: SCA Expo, Interpack and PLMA’s World of Private Label exhibitor preview – Tea & Coffee Trade Journal (teaandcoffee.net).

Safe travels to Portland! Come visit T&CTJ at booth #1820 and grab a copy of our latest issue!

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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Background: evaluation and vision

In 2020, for the first time in its history, the SCA began a project to evaluate the performance of the SCA
cupping system, last updated in 2004. Results of a large user survey, including over 1,600 cuppers worldwide, made it clear that a revision was necessary. The 2004 cupping system, while a significant step forward in identifying a coffee’s valued sensory attributes at the time, unintentionally obscured key information about what makes a coffee valuable by reducing its description to a single score. The results of the user survey, in addition to a thorough literature review, guided the revision process and the creation of a holistic system to assess coffee’s value.

In 2021, driven by its sustainability agenda emphasising equitable value distribution throughout the supply chain, the SCA began work on a set of evolved and expanded tools that would create a way to measure and facilitate value assessment and distribution. Additionally, these tools would provide all market actors – including producers and processors – a more holistic and transparent assessment of a coffee, allowing them to find the best possible markets for their products. All of these elements have come together, forming a new way to assess a coffee’s value through the SCA Coffee Value Assessment.

The SCA Coffee Value Assessment

Currently in its Beta version, with some assessments still in research and development, the SCA Coffee Value Assessment allows coffee experts to inventory the valuable attributes of a coffee, according to the SCA’s definition of specialty coffee. Across four separate assessment types, users can record information about physical, sensory, and extrinsic attributes. The 2004 cupping system previously combined some of these different assessment types, but this new approach enables cuppers to evaluate and record a coffee’s sensorial attributes in the descriptive assessment and their “impression of quality” in the affective assessment. By separating these two assessments – the objective description of a coffee’s flavour profile from the taster’s impression of quality – the Coffee Value Assessment reflects best practice in sensory and consumer science, making it compatible with scientific research for the first time.

The physical and extrinsic assessments, outlined in the Coffee Value Assessment Protocol (in beta), are still in research and development. The physical assessment will be an evolution of the SCA’s Grading Protocol, which serves as the industry standard method for evaluating and grading green washed arabica coffee, based on integral research projects organised by the Coffee Science Foundation and supported through key partnerships. A user study, soliciting feedback on an alpha-version of the Extrinsic Assessment form is expected to launch mid-2023.

Upcoming activities

There are many opportunities to interact with the new assessment system at the upcoming 2023 Re:co Symposium,19-20 April, and the Specialty Coffee Expo, 21-23 April, both in Portland, Oregon. At Re:co Symposium, SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos will formally introduce the beta version of the SCA Coffee Value Assessment and an early adopter programme designed to help the SCA refine the system’s protocol and forms, through both community feedback and scientific research, before moving through its standards development procedure.

“We are excited to release the beta-version of the Coffee Value Assessment,” says Yannis Apostolopoulos, “and to take this opportunity to announce an early-adopter programme, a key feedback and support mechanism that will help us to achieve the vision we’ve outlined for the new system. This new holistic understanding of value, in addition to the assessments’ compatibility with scientific research, will create more robust, transparent records of what is valued and by whom, on a large scale, allowing us to create a more accessible value discovery tool.” Re:co participants will also have the opportunity to engage with the form in a series of seminars, which outline the development process, key elements, and the use of the new forms.

Attendees at Specialty Coffee Expo will have opportunities to learn more about the Coffee Value Assessment across five different lectures, three workshops, and a dedicated day in the cupping exchange. View the SCA Coffee Value Assessment activations taking place at Expo at coffeeexpo.org/value-assessment.

Additional opportunities to learn more, beta-test the forms, or take part in the forthcoming Early Adopter
program can be found at sca.coffee/value-assessment.

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