Every year in April the Specialty Coffee Association of America puts on the largest coffee event in the world. It's a great opportunity for folks to get a sense of what's going on in the coffee industry. There are a lot of vendors showcasing the latest coffee gadgets, marketing new services, and creating new relationships. The event was held in Seattle Washington this year.
Below is a photo diary of our trip back in April of this year. Enjoy.
Bright and early! My father and I like to do a one-day trip. That means waking up at 4am to catch the earliest out of San Francisco. My father always arrives 10 minutes early to everything…
A view of the Emerald City from inside the taxi. The convention is held downtown in the Washington State Convention Center.
A high-level view of the event. This is only half of the space!
Meet Sara, she is our contact at Sustainable Harvest, one of many companies that supplies us with green coffee beans. Sara helped us get our hands on some tasty Ethiopian Sidama beans.
You'll always see new and exciting products at these events. Here's one of a coffee roaster in the shape of locomotive.
Here's an action shot of Henry. This vendor makes coffee grinders for home use. Henry's asking the vendor about a specific model he's thinking about bringing into our store.
We're checking out an automatic coffee bean feeder. These machines can fill up bags of coffee faster than a human. Henry's asking the vendor for a test drive.
Check out this massive coffee roaster! This thing can roast up to 150lbs of coffee at a time. In comparison, our San Franciscan roaster does 20lbs of coffee at a time.
You never know who you are going to run into. Sherri Johns taught my father how to make espresso drinks back in 1992. She's now Managing Director of Cup of Excellence, the premier coffee competition and auction worldwide.
One of my favorite parts of the day. Relaxing and having a beer with my dad after a long day at the event.
These events are not only a way for us to learn more about the industry, and reconnect with our business partners, but personally it's a way for me to spend time with my dad. I am lucky to have such an amazing opportunity and hope you enjoyed the event as well.
Cheers
Hrag
