The European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo, which is devoted to the profitable service and sales of coffee, tea and soft beverages, has received a thumbs up from the beverage industry with 3,688 guests attending and a strong rebook rate.
Organisers say they have been overwhelmed with positive feedback from visitors and exhibitors alike, putting the foundations in place for the 2020 event to grow substantially.
A range of new attractions received positive feedback from visitors and participants. Meanwhile a Barista Masterclass welcomed two world champion baristas and the current UK champion plus a host of other talented barista stars.
The Roastery Masterclasses were also well supported and featured a live link up with Casey LaLonde from Girls Who Grind Coffee in El Salvador.
The Tea Quarter and Tea Theatre also proved to be a highlight. Russell Kerr, owner of Doctor Espresso says: “I’m loving the tea element of the show this year, it really adds to both the size and the offer. Great to see cannabis tea here too. We’re stocking it in all our shops and it’s selling really well.”
All of these areas will continue to grow for 2020, with new plans in place to substantially increase the focus on these areas. Soft drinks are also high on the agenda for 2020 with a new initiative set to exploit the potential for this section of the drinks market.
These features, in addition to over 150 exhibitors and 300 brands attracted an audience of serious buyers from a broad range of major corporate caterers to artisan coffee shops.
Annie Swift, managing director, European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo said: “The show has gone from strength to strength, with many visitors and exhibitors commenting that even though the event is only in the second year it feels like a much more mature and established show. With exciting plans already in place for the 2020 event, and a phenomenal rebook on-site with many exhibitors booking larger stands, European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo 2020 is set to be another storming show.”
Exhibitors and visitors had the following comments:
Richard Martin, new business director Aqua Libra drinks, which is owned by Britvic, said:
“The quality of the visitors to the show has been unparalleled to other shows we have been to.”
Laura Wogan, director at Wogan Coffee said: “Compared to other coffee festivals it was consistently busy and we had time to interact and make meaningful connections. The people who came here were genuinely interested in our coffee. It has been phenomenal.”
Marcus Swift, commercial director, UCC Coffee, said: “These events showcase our total coffee solution to our existing customers, but also for new business. We’ve been talking to a lot of potential new customers as well as our existing customers. It’s a great showcase for us, and also a great place to meet, have a coffee and talk to our friends, colleagues across the industry. I think the European Coffee Tea Expo is just a great opportunity to meet existing customers and drive new business.”
Agnieszka Rojewska, World Barista Champion 2018, said: “I believe that shows like that can actually make our industry grow bigger and stronger. So, they are very, very important.”
Kate Ailey, marketing manager at Italian Beverage Company, said: “We have had a good flow of people and have been impressed with our first year at the show. We have seen some independent operators and larger groups. The whole expo has been great.”
European Coffee Expo will be held at London’s Olympia on May 19 and 20 in 2020.
www.european-coffee-tea-soft-drinks-expo.com
