Now attracting well over 10,000 people from close to 100 countries and 1,000 stands (well, roughly), the 4-day SCAA Event is always sure to impress. What I’m saying is, everything is on a grand scale at SCAA events – from the sheer size of the trade show floor to the numbers attending social events.
With Barista Bibles and our other Perfect Espresso products in the SCAA store, a couple of Australians were there to sign some books and have some fun.
US Coffee Championships
After days of grueling competition, 5 times regional champion, Lemuel Butler from Counter Culture Coffee was at last successful in winning the national title. As the US Barista Champion, he went on to compete in the world championships in Dublin. Todd Goldsworthy from Klatch Coffee was the US Brewers Cup champion, Austin Amento from Augies Coffee Roasters, the US Cup Tasting Champion and Tony Querio from Spyhouse Coffee Roasting Co, the US Roasting Champion.
Meanwhile, there was an Aussie on stage too. A different stage. At the Opening Ceremony, Matt Perger let the coffee world know he’s not only a talented, multi-award-winning barista; he’s quite an entertainer with a sense of humour and can sing too. His performance was an unexpected surprise to every Australian there. Following the formalities was an enormous party on the lawn of the Convention Centre.
On the trade show floor
I’m always amazed at how well-known brands continue to come up with something new.
As we were in the USA, batch brewing was on everyone’s lips with quite a few new devices and names like Ground Control and Curtis. Also of interest to us as espresso-drinking Australians were the San Remo Opera and Cafe Racer, and the La Marzocco Linea AB that we saw for the first time.
KeepCup has a larger-sized brew cup in glass and Hario has added a couple of new automatic features to their syphons. We experienced a tasting of coffee beers, combining coffee with local craft beers. There was a special section for that. And there was another whole section devoted to technology in the coffee industry, with Apps for every possible process and procedure in a cafe. A first to attend an SCAA event, I’m told, was Myanmar with its newly released specialty coffee. Awarded over 87 points, it was available for cupping at the Myanmar stand.
When you’ve spent hours scanning the exhibits and are in need of a rest, you could pop into the conference centre cinema and watch a coffee-related film, free of charge. Or flop into a comfy chair at any of the lounges set up around the event. We spent a considerable amount of time at the SCAA lounge just to organise the brochures we’d collected and to record the conversations we’d had.
Portrait country
Each year at most coffee events, a coffee-growing country is selected to take centre stage as a featured country. This year it was Indonesia’s turn. A cupping and live auction was held at the Indonesian stand with about a dozen coffee lots sold within a few hours. The highest bid was for USD $55 per kilo, a record for an Indonesian coffee auction. Professional auctioneer and coffee celebrity in the US, Rocky Rhodes conducted the auction and I have to say, it was very interesting.
International Women in Coffee
Once again I attended the International Women in Coffee Alliance breakfast; this time with fellow Australian, Anne Cooper. The keynote address was on the role of women in the Indonesian coffee industry. Later on in the day, I was to hear Anne speaking on a panel with two Americans answering questions about roasting. Anne has worked in the USA and is as well known there, as she is in Australia for her roasting expertise and professionalism.
If there’s one area the USA is ahead of us in Australia, it is with their guilds. The US Barista Guild and the US Roasters Guilds are very well established and are supporting their roasters and baristas with lots of training and events such as coffee fests, retreats and trips to origin. The Roasters Guild hosted the public party on the second last night of the event and the Barista Guild on the last.
Batdorf and Bronson Party
Being in the State of Georgia, you’d expect to bump into Rhett Butler or Scarlet O’Hara, wouldn’t you? Or the Edwards Family? Or Reg Barber? At Batdorf and Bronson, a roaster on the outskirts of town, we found a Gone with The Wind party in full swing – and managed to meet up with all of them.
Coffee Kids returns
After a brief suspension, Coffee Kids has been reborn. A favourite charity of mine as an educator, I’m really happy about this and went along to the event explaining the new format and the critical role Coffee Kids plays in the future of the coffee industry. With the children of many coffee farmers moving to the cities for work, some farming communities are facing a crisis with a shortage of workers and no one to take over the farms. Coffee Kids is dedicated to helping young coffee producers find a way to make a good living from coffee and reach their full potential both personally and in business. Coffee Kids often partners with other companies and organisations to achieve these goals.
To unite or not unite
An eye-opening meeting we attended, was an information session on whether the SCAA and SCAE should unite or not unite as one global organisation. Clearly, opinions were divided in the USA and we were surprised at the intensity of opinions expressed. As Australians geographically between the American and European associations, we were going to vote for unification, as it would mean we’d have just one association to join and not two. We’re hoping the result will be, as proposed, the amalgamation of the SCAE and SCAA and formation of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA).
Here’s a snapshot of some old friends we caught up with and new ones we met at the 2016 SCAA Event in Atlanta.
