This is what’s taking place on the 2023 Specialty Espresso Expo


On Friday twenty first April, this 12 months’s Specialty Espresso Expo will happen in Portland, Oregon. The annual expo is among the greatest – and most vital – occasions within the international espresso trade. 

1000’s of individuals attend the expo yearly, together with roasters, producers, espresso tools producers, baristas, and low enterprise homeowners. The occasion serves as a platform to carry espresso professionals collectively to forge new connections and partnerships – serving to to drive the specialty espresso sector ahead.

Learn on to be taught extra about this 12 months’s Specialty Espresso Expo, in addition to key occasions and actions happening on the three-day commerce present. 

Try the PDG Occasions Calendar right here.

The Coffee Design Awards display at the 2022 Specialty Coffee Expo.

Competitions and awards programmes at Specialty Espresso Expo

Organised by the Specialty Espresso Affiliation, the Specialty Espresso Expo is held in a unique US metropolis yearly.

The 2023 expo will happen in Portland, Oregon – a metropolis with a thriving specialty espresso tradition. This dates again to the late Nineteen Nineties when Stumptown Espresso Roasters first opened its roastery there.

The SCA describes the occasion as “the espresso skilled’s one cease store for every part they want to achieve the espresso trade”. The expo permits a variety of worldwide espresso professionals and fanatics alike to community, construct relationships, be taught, and expertise the newest improvements within the espresso sector.

Alongside an in depth commerce present and exhibition, the 2023 Specialty Espresso Expo can even host a number of competitions and awards schemes.

The 2023 US Espresso Championships will happen on the occasion. These embody the US Barista, Latte Artwork, Brewers Cup, Roaster, Espresso in Good Spirits, and Cup Tasters Championships. The six winners will go on to signify the US of their respective competitions, with the 2023 World Barista, Brewers Cup, and Cup Tasters Championships set to happen at World of Espresso Athens in June.

Yearly, the Specialty Espresso Expo hosts the Greatest New Product and Espresso Design Awards. These two initiatives have fun excellence and innovation within the international espresso trade. 

The Greatest New Product award honours new merchandise which add worth to the specialty espresso sector. The classes embody:

  • Espresso equipment
  • Business espresso preparation and serving tools
  • Client espresso preparation and serving tools
  • Specialty espresso beverage additive
  • Specialty non-coffee beverage standalone
  • Open class (for merchandise which don’t slot in another class)

The Espresso Design Awards, in the meantime, have fun a few of the most modern product and packaging designs. The three classes are branding, packaging, and areas.

The winners of each awards shall be introduced and celebrated on the occasion.

The Coffee Science Foundation Poster Session at the 2022 Specialty Coffee Expo.

Lectures, workshops & academic sources

One other key a part of the Specialty Espresso Expo is disseminating and sharing the newest findings in espresso analysis.

In partnership with the Espresso Data Hub and Simonelli Group, this 12 months’s occasion will characteristic greater than 60 lectures which cowl a various vary of subjects. 

There can even be a sequence of workshops which discover a wide range of topic areas. Every hands-on workshop lasts between three and 4 hours, and consists of quite a few actions and dialogue periods.

The Espresso Science Basis will show the newest espresso analysis at this 12 months’s Specialty Espresso Expo. Featured subjects will embody sensory science, espresso genetics & breeding, market analysis, espresso high quality & evaluations, and extra. 

Posters shall be displayed throughout all days of the occasion, and there shall be an official Espresso Science Basis Poster Session on Friday 21 April from 1pm to 3pm.

The tradeshow floor at the 2022 Specialty Coffee Expo.

Who’s attending this 12 months’s Specialty Espresso Expo?

Specialty Espresso Expo is maybe finest recognized for its in depth commerce present. This encompasses a broad vary of producers and co-operatives, roasters, importers and exporters, espresso outlets, espresso tools producers, and extra.

A few of the most outstanding firms and types within the international espresso sector shall be in attendance, with lots of them internet hosting their very own cubicles.

Hive Brew logo.

Espresso tools producers

Lots of the main espresso tools producers and distributors shall be on the 2023 Specialty Espresso Expo. This consists of TORR Industries – a significant provider of bag, field, and pouch filling options for liquid merchandise, together with chilly brew.

Tim Orr is the President of TORR Industries Inc.

“In keeping with the merchandise we promote, we realised the necessity for a easy, quick, high-yield business chilly brewing system,” he says. “This led us to develop the patented TORR HIVE BREW Chilly Brew Espresso System. 

“The HIVEBREW can put together chilly brew in lower than 40 minutes, and leads to extraction yields of over 20%,” he provides. “This helps to retain espresso high quality and flavour profile.”

The HIVEBREW is designed for espresso outlets promoting excessive volumes of chilly brew merchandise, and is offered in 700, 2,000, and 5,000 gallon-capacity fashions. Water is allotted from a reservoir by way of a dispersion plate right into a hexagonal-shaped “cell”, with every mannequin utilizing both seven, 14, or 28 cells to extract chilly brew.

Every hexagonal-shaped cell additionally comprises a reusable, chrome steel filter, which will be eliminated for cleansing. Furthermore, TORR’s chilly brew system additionally permits the consumer to regulate water circulate price, and minimises agitation throughout extraction. 

Alongside the HIVEBREW, TORR can even be showcasing its automated pre-infuser and cell loader FUSION system at this 12 months’s expo.

To be taught extra about TORR Industries’ HIVEBREW system, go to the web site and cease by Sales space 1800 on the Specialty Espresso Expo.

Coffee producers inspect ripe coffee cherries.

Producers and co-operatives

A few of the world’s most forward-thinking espresso producers and co-operatives shall be in attendance at this 12 months’s Specialty Espresso Expo.

This consists of Sancoffee – a specialty espresso co-operative from Brazil, with a powerful give attention to direct commerce relationships and environmental, social, and governance initiatives.

Fabricio Andrade is the CEO of Sancoffee.

“Espresso companies have the chance to generate extra worth with their affect,” he says. “We at all times ask ourselves what our outcomes are, and we now have the duty to actively share our affect worth with our stakeholders and the broader group.

“Sancoffee releases a report yearly to foster our impact-driven mindset,” he provides. “We wish to encourage extra individuals to work collectively to realize sustainable outcomes for the espresso trade.”

Sancoffee’s values stem from a few of the challenges which espresso producers face right this moment. The co-operative’s enterprise mannequin goals to contemplate the wants of all related stakeholders to assist a extra sustainable future for espresso manufacturing. This consists of discovering new methods to cut back environmental affect and to higher assist native coffee-producing communities.

Since 2019, Sancoffee has set social and environmental affect targets, and has additionally revealed an annual affect report which outlines a few of its key achievements. The B Corp-certified firm additionally runs quite a few sustainable agricultural initiatives, such because the Bio Restoration Programme and a carbon impartial espresso scheme – and is among the first carbon-neutral co-ops in Brazil.

To be taught extra about Sancoffee’s actions at Specialty Espresso Expo, in addition to to rearrange a gathering with the Sancoffee group, go to the web site right here.

Ecotact logo.

Inexperienced espresso packaging options

A number of outstanding inexperienced and roasted espresso packaging firms will exhibit on the 2023 Specialty Espresso Expo, together with Ecotact – a inexperienced espresso packaging provider within the trade.

Hanuman Jain is the CEO and founding father of Ecotact.

“We attempt to create a greater and extra sustainable future for the espresso trade and past,” he says. “We’re dedicated to revolutionising the espresso trade by offering airtight packaging options that shield inexperienced espresso and be certain that farmers obtain honest costs for his or her arduous work.

“Ecotact guarantees to maintain innovating by way of offering sustainable packaging options which minimise our carbon footprint,” he provides. “We imagine that sustainability and profitability can go hand-in-hand, and we’re proud to be on the forefront of this motion.”

The corporate’s nine-layer airtight packaging know-how ensures that inexperienced espresso stays contemporary throughout transit and storage. Ecotact’s product vary can be largely each recyclable and reusable, serving to to cut back its environmental affect.

At this 12 months’s expo, Ecotact shall be launching three new merchandise. The Ecotact Biome Tray is designed for use throughout cuppings and tastings, in addition to displaying roasted espresso beans. The five-panelled Ecotact Penta Pak airtight packaging is 100% recyclable and is designed to protect espresso freshness and high quality. Lastly, the reusable Ecotact Farmer D’lite storage resolution is designed particularly for producers to retailer parchment and inexperienced espresso.

To be taught extra about Ecotact’s inexperienced espresso packaging options, go to the web site and cease by Cubicles 1401 & 1501 on the Specialty Espresso Expo.

Different firms at Specialty Espresso Expo

Alongside these manufacturers, quite a few different specialty espresso firms will exhibit on the occasion. These embody:

  • MTPak Espresso
  • Ally Espresso
  • Marco Beverage Programs
  • AeroPress 
  • Algrano
  • Baratza
  • Cimbali USA 
  • Covoya Espresso
  • Dalla Corte
  • Guatemalan Coffees
  • Mercon Specialty Espresso
  • Rancilio Group North America
  • Royal Espresso and The Crown: Royal Espresso Lab & Tasting Room
  • Toddy
  • Frank Buna
  • Stronghold
  • Sucafina
  • Yara
  • Cropster
  • IMF

Roaster Village

One other main characteristic of Specialty Espresso Expo is the Roaster Village – a gathering hub for the 1000’s of producers, roasters, baristas, and inexperienced espresso merchants in attendance.

This 12 months, the Roaster Village shall be situated on the principle present flooring and can embody exhibitors resembling JNP Espresso, Café Granja La Esperanza, Cup of Excellence, Forest Espresso, Onyx Espresso Lab, and La Cabra.

Moreover, the Roaster Village Hub can even characteristic dwell demonstrations and workshop periods hosted by Sanremo Espresso Machines and Fiorenzato.

Inexperienced Espresso Consumers and Sellers Programme

For the second consecutive 12 months, the Inexperienced Espresso Consumers and Sellers Programme shall be held on the Specialty Espresso Expo. The overarching goal of the programme is to facilitate the sale of inexperienced espresso.

Registrants can use the Specialty Espresso Expo cellular app to attach with patrons and merchants, with 20-minute assembly room slots out there. Inexperienced espresso patrons and sellers of any measurement are welcome to register to the occasion.

Cupping Trade

This 12 months’s Cupping Trade schedule consists of a few of the most well-known inexperienced espresso merchants within the trade, resembling JNP Espresso, Guatemalan Coffees, Mercon Specialty, Café Imports, Algrano, Fairtrade Worldwide, and Trabocca.

The SCA can even launch the beta model of the Espresso Worth Evaluation at this 12 months’s occasion. On account of a mission first launched in 2020, the organisation’s revised cupping protocol and kind will permit trade professionals to report a wider vary of knowledge, in addition to extra related knowledge, whereas cupping coffees.

A cupping session at a coffee event.

Different actions & occasions

Throughout all three days of the expo, many firms and organisations shall be internet hosting their very own actions and occasions, with a few of them happening within the evenings. A few of these embody:

  • The Barista League Brewlywed Present on 22 April at 6pm native time
  • The 2023 US Comandante Championship hosted at Proud Mary Espresso Roasters on 20 April at 5pm native time (sooner or later previous to the expo)
  • Proud Mary Espresso Roasters’ Deluxe Espresso Getdown occasion additionally on 20 April, which is able to characteristic a dwell DJ set
  • Cup of Excellence Reunion on 21 April at 9:30am native time, in addition to the Comandante x CoE x ACE Brewbar throughout all three days
  • Worldwide Girls’s Espresso Alliance Breakfast on 22 April – which is able to characteristic Elizabeth Nyamayaro, UN Particular Advisor to the World Meals Programme, because the keynote speaker

Please observe that some occasions are invite-only and attendees could must register beforehand, with some occasions probably offered out.

Attendees gather at a coffee industry trade show.

For these attending this 12 months’s Specialty Espresso Expo, there are many occasions and actions to interact with – in addition to alternatives to attach with different espresso professionals.

In case you are participating within the expo in any capability, be sure to register and e book for any occasions and actions previous to attending. 

To be taught extra concerning the Specialty Espresso Expo, go to the official web site right here.

Picture credit: Specialty Espresso Affiliation, Skandia Shafer

Excellent Every day Grind

Please observe: TORR Industries, Sancoffee, and Ecotact are sponsors of Excellent Every day Grind.

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