A wide variety of coffee businesses exhibit and take part in trade shows – ranging from more established brands to smaller players in the market. But no matter the size of the business, these events offer exciting opportunities to connect with potential investors, partners, and customers.

For smaller business owners, however, there are some challenges to overcome. Attendance costs can be high, logistics and travel arrangements can prove to be a headache, and ultimately, in an industry dominated by multinationals and other large companies, smaller brands may struggle to get their money’s worth at these trade shows.

To learn more, I spoke to Josh Tarlo, founder of Headstand, and David Donde, founder of Truth Coffee Roasting – read on to learn what they had to say.

You may also like our article on why trade shows are opportunities for coffee education.

Weighing up the costs

Coffee is very much a social beverage – friends gather in cafés, business is conducted over a few espressos, and independent coffee shops are often at the heart of local communities. 

It then makes sense that the coffee industry collectively loves an opportunity to network and connect with other professionals at trade shows. The type of events in the global coffee sector vary widely – from more informal and consumer-focused festivals to B2B expos. 

While networking and business opportunities are obviously the two main purposes of coffee trade shows, some include pioneering and innovative competitions like the World Coffee Championships and Coffee Masters.

First and foremost, before taking part in any event, companies need to register as exhibitors and book booths. The costs of doing so can range significantly, depending on the size and location of the event, as well as demand for exhibitor spots. Rough estimates include £500 (US $634) at smaller regional events to upwards of £50,000 (US $63,463) for the biggest booths at the largest and most popular shows. 

For larger businesses with more substantial marketing budgets, booking trade show booths is a relatively simple process. Smaller companies, however, must divide spending much more carefully. Return on investment for these brands is essential as a stand at a three-day coffee festival might represent a big chunk of their marketing expenditure.

Accounting for all expenses

Josh Tarlo is the founder of Headstand – a coffee leaf seltzer company which also sells loose coffee leaf and herbal mixes. He also has several years of experience working as green buyer and in roasteries, as well as taking part in UK Coffee Championships.

“[Return on investment] is very dependent on the trade show in question as there seems to be different pricing everywhere,” he says. “I think some of the smaller regional trade shows are interesting because you can theoretically cover your costs in retail sales.

“Recently, I was speaking with people who exhibited at Glasgow Coffee Festival, and they were saying that it’s one of the few events where they actually make money,” he adds.

The costs of attending a trade show can quickly stack up. Booking and building an exhibition stand is already expensive, and most coffee events encourage exhibitors to offer free samples to visitors.

David Donde is founder of Truth Coffee Roasting in Cape Town, South Africa – and is also a seasoned competition judge.

He puts it quite bluntly, saying: “If you’re holding on to the idea that you are going to break even at a trade show, you may as well shoot yourself in the foot, it’s going to be less painful.”

The importance of attending trade shows

It’s unrealistic to expect most small coffee businesses to cover their costs at all events they attend. But that doesn’t mean exhibiting is always a fruitless endeavour.

Trade shows essentially provide a captive audience in a concentrated space, which offers a rare kind of access to many different industry professionals, potential buyers, and consumers. So capitalising on this exposure can be a worthy investment of both time and money.

“The only thing I’m looking to get out of a trade show is exposure,” David says. “Trade shows have given me exposure to international media, the public, and trade partners.

“Trade shows are one of the few ways a coffee business can engage with the public one-on-one,” he adds. “Seldom can you have that dialogue with customers – we can’t always do that in a supermarket or a café. The trade show is the perfect place for everyone to listen to each other.”

Beyond consumers and the general public, however, expos are obviously some of the most effective ways to find new business partners. 

“From a trade perspective, it’s an opportunity to meet buyers and the bigger groups who might be unaware of your business, or typically assume your business is too small to work with,” David says – something which is rarely replicated elsewhere in the industry.

Trying to stand out from the crowd

Trade shows can certainly help ease more of the cold-calling approach to sales and business development, and provide a more neutral ground for buyers and sellers to connect.

Josh, however, emphasises that it’s not always a level playing field.

“From a brand-building perspective, unless you have some kind of new product development that you’re trying to showcase, it’s never really financially viable to attend unless you’re a key player in the market,” he tells me. “There’s so much going on at the larger events especially. There is so much noise, so it’s a hard environment to make an impact in.

“Meeting buyers can be so random,” he adds. “Some trade shows in other industries organise pitches and meetings with buyers in a more structured way. Coffee events are sometimes just a roll of the dice – we just put up a stand and hope the buyers walk by.”

Knowing where and how to invest in resources

So how can small businesses make sure they grab attention at trade shows, especially more established and bigger events?

“The primary resource to consider is time,” David explains. “If I’m attending a trade show, I have to consider whether I can invest in it fully.

“If you don’t go there with a stack of information, with novel products, or be prepared to have interesting and new conversations, then all is lost,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Josh explains that focusing on market relevance and proximity is key.

“Bristol Coffee Festival is interesting to our brand because we have a lot of wholesale accounts in the area,” he tells me. “Our customers are physically close to the venue, so it’s a brand-building exercise that serves them.”

And ultimately, attracting a higher number of booth visitors is not always the most important end goal.

“I want to go to trade shows that are closest to my market, not necessarily the biggest ones,” David says. “Exhibiting at a trade show with 40,000 people walking past you who potentially don’t care about your products is worth a lot less than going to one with three people who do, and who you wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise.”

Advice for trade show newcomers

David and Josh are both clear on one thing: with the exception of a few events, it’s incredibly difficult for small businesses to recoup their investments they make when taking part in coffee trade shows. Exhibition costs are high, sampling is a necessity, and sales aren’t always significant.

However, trade shows do offer captive audiences. People attend because they either work in the coffee sector or have a specific interest in coffee – and an engaging booth can draw attention, regardless of the scale of the event.

Moreover, presence at a trade show alongside some of the biggest names in the industry creates a useful platform for small businesses looking to grow.

Alternatives to exhibiting at events

Given that not all brands – particularly smaller companies – can regularly attend expos, what are some other ways to reach your target market and potential buyers?

As one example of many, social media has transformed marketing techniques, and allows brands to reach more consumers than ever before.

“We spend £100 or £200 through social media channels and create vastly more consumer impressions than I would at a trade show,” Josh says. “I could tie in sampling on top of that, and do a guerilla giveaway somewhere I perceive as relevant or with high foot traffic.

“I can get a lot more from my investment with this approach, in terms of numbers or impressions,” he concludes.

With so many expos and festivals taking place every year, it’s important for coffee businesses to have a presence in an ever-changing market. But at the same time, companies need to understand what works best for them.

And this is especially true for smaller brands with smaller marketing budgets. Ultimately, balancing the costs of attending with the potential sales possibilities is key.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on ten tips for trade show exhibitors.

Perfect Daily Grind

Want to read more articles like this? Sign up for our newsletter!

The post Do coffee trade shows actually benefit smaller businesses? appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

As well as orchestrating several coffee events, expos, and competitions, the SCA runs three guilds. These are the Barista, Coffee Roasters, and Coffee Technicians Guilds. Like with any other guild, the purpose of these associations is to foster a sense of community and share a common goal – which in the SCA’s case is to improve quality and sustainability in the specialty coffee sector.

The Barista, Coffee Roasters, and Coffee Technicians Guilds also provide educational opportunities for a range of supply chain actors, as well as lending support for professional growth.

However, in an ever-evolving industry, it’s also important to ask how the Guilds fit into specialty coffee – and if their role could change in the future.

To learn more, I spoke to Spencer Turer, Vice President of Coffee Enterprises. Read on to learn more of his insight into the Barista, Coffee Roasters, and Coffee Technicians Guilds.

You may also like our article on whether there is space for new coffee competitions.

What are the Barista, Coffee Roasters, and Coffee Technicians Guilds?

The three Guilds are an integral part of the purpose, vision, and mission of the Specialty Coffee Association. Initially established as the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) in 1982, the SCA aims to “foster a global coffee community and support activity to make specialty coffee a thriving, equitable, and sustainable activity for the entire value chain”.  

In 2017, the SCAA merged with the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (founded in 1998) to create an international organisation which represents industry professionals the world over.

Today, the SCA has four strategic objectives:

• “Make the specialty coffee industry more sustainable with an agenda focused on partnerships, education, research, and advocacy.”
• “Create opportunities for professional engagement and individual growth through our network and programs.”
• “Expand our global network and enhance the experience of our stakeholders by working with local communities.”
• “Deliver outstanding service to members of the global specialty coffee community in everything we do.”

In addition to providing educational resources, conducting research, and organising industry-leading events, the SCA also established the Barista, Coffee Roasters, and Coffee Technicians Guilds.

Spencer, who has held multiple volunteer positions with the SCA and Coffee Roasters Guild since 2000, explains how the organisation has shaped the specialty coffee sector.

“In 2000, the SCAA was a completely different organisation,” he says. “There wasn’t a Barista Guild or Coffee Quality Institute, and the Cup of Excellence had only started in 1999.

“We all wanted to promote specialty coffee and learn more about it,” he adds. “Don Holly – who was the administrative director of the SCAA at the time – was tasked with creating a roaster’s guild.”

How were the Guilds established?

The SCA developed all three Guilds in partnership with industry stakeholders. The Coffee Technicians Guild (CTG) was formalised in 2016 to create a community of industry technicians to provide mutual support and knowledge, as well as opportunities to develop skills and learn best practices.

In 2018, the Roaster Guild of Europe (founded in 2016) and the Roasters Guild (founded in 2000) merged to form the Coffee Roasters Guild as we know it today. In the same year, the Barista Guild was also established following the unification of the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe’s Barista Guild of Europe (BGE) and the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Barista Guild of America (BGA).

Similar to the CTG, the Coffee Roasters and Barista Guild encourage knowledge sharing and promote community building – as well as hosting several events.

Member benefits

As part of their general SCA membership, Guild members receive discounts for webinars, events, competitions, resources from the SCA store, and the Coffee Skills Program. The latter consists of five specialist modules: Barista Skills, Brewing, Green Coffee, Roasting, and Sensory Skills.

Additionally, members can vote in Guild, Committee, and the SCA Board of Directors and National Chapters elections.

Looking at the Coffee Technicians Guild specifically, members have access to the Coffee Technicians Program (CTechP). This includes electrical, hydraulic, and water and preventative maintenance modules, as well as a practical exam.

Hosting community events

One of the biggest benefits of joining the SCA and Barista, Coffee Roasters, or Coffee Technicians Guilds is receiving discounts for certain events – such as the Coffee Roasters Guild Retreat (CRGR). This year’s retreat will take place in Blaine, Washington in the US from 28 September to 1 October.

Over the three-day period, CRGR participants can attend lectures, workshops, cuppings, networking opportunities, and the US Coffee Roasting Championship preparation session, as well as gaining exclusive access to machines in the Roasting Tent.

The Coffee Technicians Guild also hosts an annual summit, which was held in Florence, Italy in 2022. Similar to the CRGR, attendees can take part in workshops and lectures led by industry experts over the two-day event.  

How have the Guilds changed over the years?

Spencer explains how the format of the Coffee Roasters Guild in particular has significantly changed following the unification of the European and US divisions.

“The term ‘guild’ was used instead of committee because we wanted our group to be similar to traditional trade guilds, which are known for craftsmanship and producing high-quality goods,” he says. “Also, for the purpose of autonomy, the structure of a guild is different to a committee.

“To join, you needed to be working as a coffee roaster, otherwise you didn’t qualify for membership,” he adds. “We wanted to improve the skills of coffee roasters, create a community, present the craft and science of coffee roasting as a professional occupation, and represent the interests of roasters in the wider coffee industry.”

While this certainly helped to drive innovation and enhance roasters’ skills, there was undoubtedly an element of exclusivity, too. 

Improving inclusivity – but about member benefits?

To be more in line with its values and mission, the SCA decided to relax its Guild membership criteria. Essentially, this means an extensive or professional background in one of the three Guild disciplines is no longer a prerequisite for membership. In turn, less experienced coffee professionals now have more opportunities to network with industry experts and leaders.

“The CRG essentially went from a guild to a club or an interest group,” Spencer tells me.  

The annual gathering for the Barista Guild, meanwhile, used to be the Barista Camp. This was a four-day educational retreat which included lectures, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities. The SCA, however, decided to stop hosting these events for several reasons.

“We do not currently have plans to host a Barista Guild Camp or Retreat,” a former UK representative for the SCA says. “The costs of production for these events make it hard to breakeven, while also keeping the ticket price at an accessible range for hourly-paid coffee workers.

“However, we are in conversations with sponsors, and if there are companies in the industry who are interested in supporting Barista Guild events, we welcome their participation,” they add.

Looking ahead

Improving accessibility in specialty coffee is an essential and necessary issue to discuss. However, it’s also important to question whether making the Guilds more inclusive essentially waters down membership benefits.

“After the SCA unified and the Guilds merged, the benefits of being a member came into question,” Spencer says. “I can’t quantify the value of Coffee Roasters Guild membership other than I have the ability to vote in the Guild election.”

Moreover, events that were previously exclusive to Guild members, including the Retreats, are now available to any SCA member.

Of course, there are several benefits and drawbacks to opening up membership to a broader range of coffee professionals. But how this will affect the future of the Guilds remains to be seen.

The SCA has certainly broadened the scope of inclusivity and accessibility in specialty coffee – and will continue to do so in the future. Expanding membership to the Barista, Coffee Roasters, and Coffee Technicians Guilds is also an important part of this. 

But at the same time, questioning how these changes impact the credibility of Guild memberships is essential, too.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on whether the World Barista Championship needs to change.

Perfect Daily Grind

Photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association

Want to read more articles like this? Sign up for our newsletter!

The post Do the Barista and Coffee Roasters Guilds benefit the specialty coffee sector? appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

But over the past decade or so, specialty coffee’s fixation on single origin coffees has become more and more pronounced. As well as the perception of higher quality, transparency and traceability have become increasingly important for consumers – people now want coffees which have a “story” behind them.

However, in recent years, blends have made something of a comeback. At previous World Barista Championships, we have seen more and more competitors use blends as part of their routines. Furthermore, as coffee prices have increased, more roasters have started to switch their focus towards blends to manage their costs more effectively.

So – are single origin coffees still more popular among specialty coffee consumers? And if they are, are they still really “better” than blends? To find out, I spoke to Joel Singer, founder and general manager at Origin Coffee in South Africa, and Lloyd Thom, green buyer at Campos Coffee in Australia. Read on for more of their insight.

You may also like our article on why knowledge of coffee origin matters.

What does “single origin” really mean?

Like with many other terms in specialty coffee, there is no formal definition of “single origin coffee”. Although we can determine that single origin coffees are sourced from one location, this can range from:

• One specific country
• A region within a country
• One particular farm or producer (who may own multiple farms)
• A specific plot of land on one farm (such as micro or nano lots, depending on the size)

Consequently, these coffees often have more unique flavour profiles, and are more expressive of the terroir in the region where they were grown. The term “terroir” – which is typically used in the wine industry – essentially encompasses all of the factors that contribute to the flavours in coffee. Some of these include:

• Altitude
• Soil quality & composition
• Climatic conditions
• Organisms which live or grow in, on, and around coffee farms

Furthermore, single origin coffees become more popular because more consumers care more about traceability and transparency. Compared to a blend – made up of several different component coffees – single origins are much easier to trace back to one particular region, farm, producer, or plot of land.

To market these coffees more effectively, roasters will often include more information on the packaging – such as altitude, variety, processing method, and cup score. They may also share more information about the producer and the farm with the consumer as a means of “bridging the gap” between the two.

Does “specialty” imply “single origin”?

For the most part, specialty coffee roasters and coffee shops have long since associated single origins with higher quality for a number of reasons.

This idea first came about during the third wave of coffee during the mid-to-late 2000s, which was marked by quality and traceability becoming much more important for both roasters and consumers. 

“The bigger commercial brands built their reputation on providing a consistent, yet sometimes lower-quality, product depending on their price points,” Joel says. “Back then, the way to differentiate your brand was to focus on traceability – who is the producer and where does your coffee come from.

“It was a cue to the customer that something was different about your coffee,” he adds.

Single origin coffees also helped to show consumers that some roasters work more closely with producers, and thereby know more about where their coffee comes from and how it was grown. Among other things, this can result in farmers receiving higher prices for their coffee, as well as establishing more trust with roasters to develop long-term working relationships.

“Single origins account for a relatively minor percentage of Campos’ overall sales, but they are at the core of our story and philosophy as a company,” Lloyd tells me. “We talk about the places these coffees come from and the people and processes involved.

“We aim to celebrate the origin itself, including the associations people may have with that specific country or region,” he adds.  

A premium experience

With specialty coffee consumers placing a growing emphasis on factors like traceability and sustainability, they are often willing to pay higher prices for single origin coffees – as long as they are high-quality.

[When drinking single origin coffee], it’s almost like you’re taking the customer on a journey that they didn’t necessarily know they wanted to go on,” Joel says. “But they appreciate it once they experience it.”

Ultimately, by being able to taste more unique and interesting sensory profiles, consumers get to enjoy the full spectrum of a coffee’s flavour. At the same time, they are also learning more information about origin and coffee production – adding more value to the overall experience.

“Offering single origins plays an important role in brand perception for roasters – similar to selling a range of expensive items,” Lloyd tells me. “They might be out of a customer’s price range, but the fact that the roaster has these coffees tells the consumer that they know what they’re doing [when it comes to high-quality coffee].”

But what about specialty coffee blends?

There’s no doubt that single origin coffees helped pave the way for a general push towards higher-quality coffee, and irrevocably shaped the specialty coffee sector for the better.

However, that’s not to say blends don’t have an important role to play, too.

Blends have been a staple of the coffee industry since its beginnings, and are a combination of at least two different coffees. These coffees may vary across a number of factors, including:

• Different countries (e.g. Brazil and Kenya)
• Various regions with a country
• Coffees from different producers in the same region
• Different varieties or processing methods from the same farm (in this case, coffees can be known as single-origin blends)

Historically, blends have been perceived as being lower quality in comparison to single origin coffees. This can certainly be true in some cases, especially when the flavours in the different coffees aren’t complementary, or their solubility levels aren’t similar enough to ensure even extraction.

Furthermore, it can be common practice for larger commercial roasters to blend arabica with lower-quality robusta to keep them cost-effective – which has added to the overall perception of blends as being lower quality in recent years.

However, more recently, this narrative has changed – especially in specialty coffee. The idea behind blends is to create consistent and more repeatable flavour profiles, and to create a more well-rounded, versatile coffee than a single origin might be able to offer.

Blends in competitions

Over the past two years, we have seen this most notably on the stage at the World Barista Championship and World Brewers Cup. 

At the 2023 WBC, for instance, winner Boram Um used a blend of anaerobically fermented Gesha and natural Pink Bourbon in his milk beverage course. Italian competitor Daniele Ricci, who placed second, also used a blend of Colombian Gesha and Caturra from the same farm.

During their performances, both competitors emphasised how blending their coffees helped to create a more balanced and well rounded taste experience.

Dependability & consistency

Consumers are clearly willing to pay more for single origin coffees, but sometimes the decision simply boils down to consistency.

“Roasters don’t create blends that are better than the sum of their parts just to sell cheaper coffee,” Joel says. “Blends tend to be at entry-level price points for good reasons.

“At our coffee shops, around half of sales are blends,” he adds. “But with wholesale customers, it’s about 90% – prices are a concern for the vast majority of hospitality businesses.

“If every roaster was only selling single origins, consumers wouldn’t necessarily have the same experience wherever they go,” he continues.

So, are single origin coffees “better” than blends? Well, it’s difficult to say. Ultimately, the answer is completely subjective and based on an individual’s preference, so it’s impossible to draw a conclusion across the board.

As an industry, the most important thing will be acknowledging that both single origins and blends have a huge potential for quality – and as such, that they can coexist harmoniously.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on specialty coffee blends: How exciting can they be?

Photo credits: Lloyd Thom, Campos Coffee

Perfect Daily Grind

Want to read more articles like this? Sign up for our newsletter!

The post Are single origin coffees actually “better” than blends? appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.