Whether you are a coffee shop owner looking to grow your business or a barista wanting to hone your craft, coffee trade shows are awesome opportunities for all coffee professionals!
Whether you are a seasoned veteran, or just getting into the industry, you should check out these awesome events.
By the way, have you checked out our resources page yet?
It features all kinds of awesome references for coffee shop owners and baristas!
By Jackalyn Beck.
How Are Coffee Trade Shows Different From Coffee Festivals?
There are a lot of similarities between trade shows and festivals.
In fact, most festivals can double as a trade show and vice versa.
The primary thing that sets trade shows apart is that they are focused on coffee professionals, rather than on the general public.
Festivals, on the other hand, are typically focused on appealing to the public as well as businesses.
They also might include fun events like live music or, one of my personal favorites, early morning yoga with (of course) coffee!
Both kinds of events are great for coffee professionals, especially since they offer different learning opportunities.
So, both are worth going to; but, it is helpful to know the differences and set your expectations and goals accordingly.
Coffee Trade Shows In The U.S.
There are multiple coffee organizations based in the United States, but the biggest one is the National Coffee Association (NCA).
The various organizations put on multiple trade shows each year, here are five popular events.
Specialty Coffee Expo
The Specialty Coffee Expo is “North America’s largest coffee trade show.”
So it’s an event you definitely don’t want to miss out on!
This massive event features everything from specialty coffee products to green coffee programs, and even a scientific poster session!
There are also workshops and lectures by the Specialty Coffee Association and plenty of opportunities to learn more about the craft.
If competitions are more your style, you can enter categories like coffee design and best new product.
Needless to say, this event has everything to help you grow your coffee business and skillset.
Coffee Fest
Coffee Fest isn’t a single event but a series of trade shows that happen annually.
The events happen in different locations each year and happen at different times of the year.
This can make it easier to find an event that works for your busy schedule.
This trade show is primarily directed at coffee professionals but is open to the public at certain times.
Events include competitions, business operations seminars, and networking opportunities.
The specific set of events varies for each location, but the goal remains the same: to be a resource for coffee businesses.
Coffee & Tea Festival NYC
While the Coffee And Tea Festival NYC event falls more into the traditional festival category, it is still a good opportunity for coffee professionals.
Tasting takes center stage at this event because the focus is on consumers and consumer education.
It is a good opportunity to promote your business and to see what consumers are looking for.
If you want to go above and beyond, you could even host a seminar!
Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo
While coffee isn’t directly in the title, the Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo is great for people who own a coffee shop or related small businesses.
This event is trade-specific and not open to the public, so they mean business!
They are also sometimes co-located with Coffee Fest events, so you can learn a lot about both the specialty coffee industry and the broader foodservice industry.
Because this trade show has a unique focus, so does its education tracks and special events.
Workshop options include topics like menu development, social media marketing, staffing, efficiency, and financing.
NAMA Coffee, Tea & Water
NAMA Coffee, Tea & Water is a trade show put on by the National Automatic Merchandising Association.
Like the name suggests, there is a lot of emphasis on high-quality water to craft specialty beverages.
They have things like a dedicated H2O Zone, a high-tech Imagination Way, and various education tracks.
Topics cover vary more than most trade shows and include things like food safety regulations and preparing for technical innovation.
This is a great event if you want to get outside the usual bubble of coffee-specific events and experience other facets of the beverage industry.
Events and Competitions For Baristas
Competitions are a fun way to show off your skills as a barista.
Winning competitions can earn you recognition and maybe even a bit of cash!
To boot, they make the coffee shop you work at look good, so they can really benefit your business.
Trust me, they can definitely give you something to brag about! In fact, one of my favorite coffee influencers, Morgan Eckroth, won the United States Barista Championship in 2022.
Coffee Trade Show Competitions
The main reason to bring up barista competitions is that many coffee trade shows include competitions.
For example, Coffee Fest events also host competitions – including ones for cold brew and latte art.
Competitions often happen at other events, like the New York Coffee Festival.
This sort of structure is a good way to kill two birds with one stone – you get to network and you get to compete!
Keep an eye on organizations like the Barista Guild, The Barista League, and World Coffee Events since they regularly host competitions and related events.
World Coffee Championships
Probably the biggest competition for baristas is the annual World Coffee Championship competitions:
These events aren’t for the faint of heart as competitors come from all across the globe to duke it out in various areas of excellence.
Each championship is also made of different levels of competition, including semi-finals and, of course, finals.
Only a few people are selected to compete in the final competition.
One of the most popular events is the World Latte Art Championship, where competitors try to make the most beautiful and intricate poured latte art.
Other categories include roasting, cupping, and even cezve!
Photos by Diego_Nleite and Anuja Tilj.
