post show WRAP UP

post show WRAP UP
CONFERENCE BY NUMBERS
TOTAL NUMBER OF ATTENDEES:
nearly
SEVEN THOUSAND
Total number of
lab attendees:
nearly 6 HUNDRED
SYMPOSIUM SUMMARY
250
OVER
SYMPOSIUM
attendees
Total #
of exhibitors
by Tracy Ging
OUR INAUGURAL SYMPOSIUM
WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS
WITH MORE THAN 90% RATING
THEIR OVERALL EXPERIENCE AS
ABOVE AVERAGE OR EXCELLENT.
400
S USTAINABILITY IMPACT AT THE EXPO
ORGANIC T-SHIRTS
Total organic shirts
ordered: 1 , 2 9 7
VINYL BANNERS
Gallons of freshwater
Our vinyl banners will be converted to totes
through a partnership with E c o l o g i c D e s i g n s
(www.ecologicdesigns.com), who are also workin g o n a
pilot program to recycle burlap coffee bags.
P o u n d s o f pesticides,
Please check our online store in the next couple o f
weeks to purchase your limited-edition tote!
saved:
155,640
herbicides
fungicides saved:
and
Pounds of vinyl saved from landfill: roughly
300
# of recycled totes to sell: 1 2 0 +
432
CONVERTING TO E L E C T R O NI C O P T I O N S | We saved almost
2 MILLION
p a g e s o f p a p e r by p r i n t i n g l e s s a n d u s i n g m o r e d i g i t a l o p t i ons.
*STAY TUNED ON SCAA.ORG FOR HOW MEMBERS CAN BECOME GREEN ER .
Outcomes include a task force working directly
with the Ethiopian coffee sector to find a feasible
solution for specialty coffees and an update to
the green coffee standard that better addresses
Sumatran coffees. There is also the beginning of
a structural approach to address climate change
and forward-motion on unraveling the coffee
genome. In addition, there are dozens of
untraceable seeds, I’m sure several of which
include strategies to maintain the relationship
between price and quality.
Keep in mind, these aren’t easy issues,
but through ongoing and respectful discourse,
we will uncover new directions. As a start,
we’ve launched the Symposium Forum and
invite you to join the conversation:
http://forums.scaasymposium.org/forum/
Over 360 volunteers worked
a total of 2,700 hours from
Wednesday, April 15th thru Sunday,
April 19th. Volunteers could be found
helping in the labs, lectures, World
Barista Championship, U.S. Cup
Tasters Championship, and Coffee
of the Year Competition, as well as
passing out goodie bags on the show
floor, helping at the volunteer kiosk,
setting up the sponsor reception,
and a number of other tasks to help
make the show run smoothly.
Much of our success can be
accredited to our wonderful and
dedicated volunteers.
Thank you for another great year!
The W
ond
er
urrola
by Theresa Maguire
fu
f Lecture
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THE POWER OF
VOLUNTEERS
rld o
o
lW
This year’s Expo had several fantastic lectures
on a variety of topics. There were classes for
the new retail business owner, barista, roaster,
producers and importers/exporters.
On any given day at Expo, one could have
stopped in on any of the classes and found
that most of them were standing room only.
Many of the speakers also stayed to answer
audience questions and give advice well
after the lecture had ended. These lectures
are definitely a great place to get your
questions answered by experienced
professionals in the industry.
LABS (not the dog, but the skill-building workshops)
by Melissa Bula
During the four days of this year’s 21st Annual Exposition over 30 hands-on labs were offered,
including brewing, roasting, cupping, sensory and aroma, and espresso. Kicking off in high gear on
Friday morning, the labs were bigger and better than ever before. Passionate volunteer instructors
shared their knowledge spanning from beginning concepts and techniques with new industry
apprentices to providing in-depth analysis to experienced coffee professionals. With the
dedication and cooperation of our volunteer porters, station instructors and lead instructors,
providing their unique experiences in this ever growing industry, these labs have been and will
continue to be an annual haven where even seasoned professionals can listen, practice,
be challenged and learn something new.
U.S. Cup Tasting Championship
by Marcus Boni
THE 2009 ATLANTA EXPOSITION WAS THE SITE OF THE
FIRST EVER UNITED STATES CUP TASTING CHAMPIONSHIP!
This exciting event, hosted by Technivorm and Boyd’s Coffee, is similar
to a triangulation test where each competitor must identify the odd
WBC
by Marcus Boni
The World Barista Championship hosted by DaVinci Gourmet® in Atlanta was truly
a level setting event in the realm of Barista competitions. 51 National Champions
came together supported by over 100 volunteers and 51 WBC Certified Judges for
this years competition. The introduction of the WBC café provided the opportunity
for baristas to demonstrate how competition skills can easily translate into the
everyday café environment. With the crowning of the new World Barista
Champion, Gwilym Davies from the United Kingdom, the WBC and USBC
programs have a renewed focus on connecting the role of the educated barista
with the mission of the international specialty coffee community.
cup in the group and complete 8 groups within 8 minutes. Accuracy
remains the most important followed closely by speed. All coffees
this year were donated by Counter Culture Coffee and proved to be
perfect examples of the subtle nuances inherent to coffee. The 2009
Exposition also provided the venue for the Canadian Cup Tasting
Championship where Barrett Jones of 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters
cupped his way past 8 other competitors to be crowned the 2009
Canadian Cup Tasting Champion. After defeating 24 U.S. competitors,
Ben Kaminsky of Barismo Coffee took home the title of the first ever
United States Cup Tasting Champion! Both winners will attend the
World Cup Tasting Championship in Cologne Germany, June 26-28.
With the success of this first time event, the 2010 2nd Annual USCTC
will certainly draw a crowd in Anaheim.
get your
MEMBERSHIP ON
by Mansi Chokshi
SCAA’s Membership Booth and Lounge were the happening places to be at
Expo- who can resist hanging out with our very cool board of directors, getting
tips from our committee members and meeting old and new members- not
to mention the “happy hour” specials!
The membership booth was ideally located near the main entrance and
registration, and members were able to get assistance, learn about their benefits,
update their status and become new members before entering the show floor.
The Lounge on the show floor became the spot to hang out, have business
meetings, and meet with other members. This year, SCAA invited its benefits
partners to surround the Lounge so members had an opportunity to not only
mix and mingle but also sign up for huge $$$ savings. And a popular booth in
the SCAA circle was the Sustainability Committee’s booth featuring the award
winner, the Zeri Foundation (www.zeri.org).
Overall, members and Expo attendees that visited our SCAA Membership Booth
or Lounge walked away with more knowledge about the SCAA and
continued to develop relationships with both SCAA staff and members.
Coffee Quality Institute’s 11TH ANNUAL LUNCHEON
by Lily Kubota
On Saturday April 18, the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) hosted nearly 400 coffee professionals for
its 11th Annual Luncheon. The 2009 Leadership Medal of Merit was awarded to BJ’s Wholesale
Club for their commitment to quality and the advancement of CQI’s programs, which is one
of just many exciting things on the horizon for the Q Coffee System. The Q Grader Program is
expanding rapidly, giving coffee professionals the tools to evaluate coffee quality. Q Grading services
are available in the U.S. and at origin to ensure that producers – and everyone along the supply
chain – have access to this important tool.
For more information about how CQI is improving quality and the lives of those who produce it,
please visit www.coffeeinstitute.org
So FRESH and So CLEAN by Alexandra Katona
SCAA’s Store received a massive facelift this year.
With new merchandise and a new look, the
store was a huge success. Every minute of the
day was full of hungry customers looking to score
a nice gift, training materials or some new gear
to bring back home. Be sure to check out our new
and improved online store soon, including new
merchandise, training materials and limitededition 2009 Exposition recycled vinyl totes!
Tricks of the Trade
HOT HAPPENINGS:
ROASTER’S GUILD
Competitions
by Tina Landavazo
At this year’s 2009 Coffee of the Year competition,
we received 134 samples from SCAA members from
all the coffee growing regions in the world. Out of
these 134 samples, 57 were blindly selected by teams
of expert cuppers to move on to the rounds in Atlanta,
Georgia. The coffees were divided into 6 growing
regions and cupped by Q-Graders. The top two
coffees from each region moved on to the final
round. Colombia’s C.I. Virmax Colombia S.A. took the
title of best coffee. They submitted a coffee from Los
Naranjos, San Agustin, Huila.
In conjunction with the Coffee of the Year we held
the Roaster’s Choice competition. This competition is a
contest to judge the craft of roasting. All Roasters Guild
members were invited to submit their best roasts.
We received 30 coffees that were then vetted by
expert cuppers. The top ten were selected to be in the
competition. All the Expo attendees were invited to
stop by and blindly taste the brewed coffees and vote
for their favorite. The winner by popular vote was
Equator Estate Coffees and Teas, which submitted an
Ethiopian IMV roasted by David Pohl.
by Cindy Cohn
PARTY
ON
by Alexandra Katona
People love to have a good time, especially in
the coffee industry, and the SCAA recognizes
the need for parties… I mean, networking
events. This year, SCAA hosted some excellent
parties (yes, let’s just call them what they
really are). The show kicked off with our
opening ceremonies and was followed by a
rocking welcome reception, which featured
traditional Nicaraguan dancing and fabulous
company. On Saturday, the Roasters Guild
party went down at Stats and had a plethora
of Roasters Guild members, along with many
non-members, who were able to network with
fellow colleagues and catch up with friends.
The show ended on top with the Barista Guild
Party at the dynamic spot Ten Pin Alley. Baristas
and fellow coffee lovers had a great time
bowling, meeting new people, and getting
down with their bad selves. And since you
couldn’t possibly wait another year for the
next SCAA show, check our website for events
coming to a city near you!
SCAA introduced a new show floor feature in
Atlanta, Tricks of the Trade, geared toward
educating attendees on unique innovations and
techniques that could be applied to improve their
specialty coffee businesses. The short sessions
focused on quick tips and knowledge takeaways. Tricks of the Trade, presented in two prominent
afternoon sessions, featured a wide range of
exhibitors who spoke on subjects as diverse as the
“ice factor” in beverages to troubleshooting ducting
problems, all need-to-know subjects for those in
the coffee biz. there’s a first time for
EVERYTHING by Tracy Ging
After nine years of attending the SCAA Conference,
now known as Exposition, I spent my tenth year
as a staffer...whole different world, let me tell ya.
Over the years, I’ve developed my own little show-routine
and sort of forgot, or stopped noticing, how much goes on.
Holy crap. So, I have a new appreciation for what it
must feel like to be a first-timer and as such, am so
thankful we brought back the First-Time Attendee
Receptions. Each session was filled with 40-50 new
people--all excited to get into coffee, all armed with
lots of questions. New people are signals of growth
and bearers of fresh perspective. It can only be a good
thing, so I say welcome and we’ll see you next year!
EL
EVENTO
by Irma Ramirez
Nuestro primer Simposio como evento inaugural de la XXI Exposición Anual SCAA fué todo un éxito. No lo decimos
nosotros, sino los asistentes quienes calificaron éste evento como una experiencia por encima del promedio y / o
excelente.
Este evento no fué dirigido sólo para ejecutivos, de hecho fué una mezcla representada tanto por la nueva
generación de jóvenes baristas así como por una multitud un poco más, digamos de experiencia. Empresas
grandes, pequeñas, gerentes, dueños, etc. Fué un evento más que nada dirigido a la gente que busca y que
piensa en grande.
Durante el Simposio se encendió un interesante diálogo acerca del futuro del café especial, examinando algunos
de los retos más importantes hoy en día como lo son el cambio climatico, la compleja relación con Ethiopía y en
general de cómo nosotros como industria podemos seguir creciendo a pesar de la incertidumbre que nos rodea.
La Exposición en Atlanta trajo por primera vez a los Estados Unidos el Campeonato de Catadores de los Estados
Unidos, éste interesante evento es una prueba de triangulación donde el concursante debe de identificar la taza
diferente en el menor tiempo posible. El ganador; Ben Kaminsky de la empresa Barismo Coffee, quien junto con el
ganador de Canadá; concurso que también se realizó en ésta exposición, participarán en el Campeonato Mundial
de Catadores en Alemania, éste próximo Junio 26-28.
Por supuesto las lecturas y laboratorios fueron otro ingrediente clave para el éxito de nuestra XXI Exposición Anual
y para el desarrollo personal de los asistentes ya que tienen la oportunidad de obtener respuestas directamente de
los expertos de la industria, se ofrecieron alrededor de 30 laboratorios manos a la obra en salas más grandes de lo
acostumbrado.
Este año tuvimos dos espacios para membresía estratégicamente localizados para ofrecer información de los
beneficios de ser miembros de SCAA y sacar el mejor provecho de los descuentos ofrecidos.
Como resultado, existe hoy un grupo trabajando directamente con el sector cafetalero de Ethiopia para
encontrar una solución a éstos problemas, muy pronto publicaremos nuevos estándares que ayudarán a valuar
mejor los cafés de Sumatra. Estamos en principios de un acercamiento para dirigir el tema del cambio climatico en
cuanto al genoma del café. Aparte de ésto, hay todavía docenas de temas que seguramente incluyen estrategias
para mantener la relación entre precio y calidad.
El XI Desayuno del Instituto para la Calidad del Café (CQI) reunió a casi 400 profesionales, Este programa se
extiende rápidamente a nivel mundial ofreciendo a los profesionales del café las bases y herramientas para evaluar
la calidad y así mejorar el nivel de vida de los productores. Para más información: www.coffeeinstitute.org
Tenga en cuenta que éstos no son problemas fáciles que se puedan resolver en una presentación de 90 minutos,
pero con el debido seguimiento empezaremos a descubrir nuevas estrategias, repuestas y direcciones.
Nuestros patrocinadores son una parte escencial para que SCAA pueda ofrecer cada año la más grande reunion
de profesionales del café en el mundo. Agradecemos a nuestro país invitado de honor de éste año; Nicaragua,
a nuestros patrocinadores oficiales Probat Burns en asociación con Bunn-O-Matic Corporation, Batdorf & Bronson
Coffee Roasters y Royal Cup Coffee.
Siguiendo con la Exposición, agradecemos a los voluntarios quienes trabajaron un total de 2,700 horas en los
laboratorios, lecturas, campeonatos, piso de Exposición, kiosco de voluntarios, recepción para los patrocinadores,
repartiendo las bolsas de recuerdo y un sinnumero de tareas que ayudó a que todo saliera de acuerdo al plan.
51 campeones nacionales participaron en el Campeonato Mundial de Baristas para coronar a Gwilym Davies del
Reino Unido, la introducción del Café Bar a cargo de ganadores baristas sirvió para demostrar que las habilidades
obtenidas en los concursos se aplican en la vida diaria.
Esperamos que hayan visto realizadas sus expectativas en ésta pasada exposición y los esperamos en Anaheim
California 2010.
Sustainability
Award Winner
and the
AWARD goes to...
Lifetime Achievement Award
Ted Lingle, Coffee Quality Institute
U.S. Cup Tasting Champion
Ben Kaminsky
Outstanding Contribution to the
Association Award
Rick Peyser, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Coffee of the Year
C.I. VIRMAX COLOMBIA S.A. OF COLOMBIA
Distinguished Author/Publisher Award
Kerri Goodman Small and Miles Small,
Coffee Talk
Roasters Choice
Equator Estate Coffees & Teas
Special Recognition Award
Jeanne Sleeper, JBS
New Product Award Winners
Cafelat, Coffeebark, Inc., CSC Scientific,
Espressi, Torani / R. Torre & Co., George Howell
Coffee, and Cirqua Customized Water
Mose Drachman Award
Tracy Allen, Brewed Behavior
Sustainability Award Winner
Zeri Foundation (Eje Cafetero)
World Barista Champion
Gwilym Davies
ZERI Foundation
The SCAA Sustainability Committee has
awarded the 2009 Sustainability Award
to the ZERI Foundation (Eje Cafetero) in
recognition of its innovative approach to
socioeconomic and human development.
ZERI worked with the coffee research
center CENICAFE to teach small-scale
producers in the Eje Cafetero region of
Colombia how to grow mushrooms using
coffee waste as the medium. Over 3,000
farmers participating in this project have
been able to improve their diets by eating
the mushrooms (an important source of
protein) as well as generate additional
income by selling them. This initiative
already has been replicated in Zimbabwe
and has extraordinary potential in other
coffee-growing countries.
For more information, please visit the ZERI
Foundation’s website at www.zeri.org
THANK YOU
SPONSORS
It is the goal of the SCAA to work closely with our partners to develop long-term
relationships that support and promote the specialty coffee industry. We would
like to thank this year’s sponsors, especially the SCAA Portrait Country, Nicaragua,
and the SCAA Official Host Sponsor, Probat Burns, in partnership with Bunn-O-Matic
Corporation, Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters and Royal Cup Coffee. It is with their
high level of dedication and continued investment that the SCAA is able to host
the world’s largest gathering of coffee professionals on earth.