European Coffee Expo, the new trade-only show dedicated to the business of coffee, tea, soft drinks and related products welcomed over 3,000 visitors in May making its mark as an event for food and beverage professionals.
The expo delivered an audience of buyers from a broad range of major corporate caterers to artisan coffee shops and many in between.
Annie Swift, managing director, European Coffee Expo said: “In just six months, we have delivered a successful, professional business event. There were 3,129 visitors who attended the show and strong foundations are now in place for the 2019 event that is expected to grow significantly.
Launched for the catering and hospitality sectors to help them maximise their success in serving coffee, tea, soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages, there were a large number of show highlights. David Abrahamovitch, CEO and founder, Grind and Laura Harper-Hinton, co-founder and creative director, Caravan Restaurants and Caravan Coffee Roasters, were among the industry figures who spoke in the conference theatre giving insights into their journey to success.
The Tea Workshop Theatre, run in association with the UK Tea Academy and sponsored by BRITA allowed visitors to get hands on in practical demonstrations.
The Innovation Path highlighted the best products and solutions on display at the show.
Comments from exhibitors included…
“Being trade only is a great advantage, it means you can get down to business a bit quicker and I think that is what the industry needs,” said Tim Cox, drinks innovation manager, Costa Express.
“It’s so helpful when everyone’s in one room, there’s people here from all over the world and from all over the UK. And whether it’s people you haven’t met before or people you have met before, it’s just a good opportunity to say hi. I think once you’ve met in person, dealing with people remotely is then so much easier having just actually put a face to the name. Looking forward to next year,” commented David Abrahamovitch, CEO and founder, Grind.
“People are actually looking for stuff, they want to come up and talk to us and find out what’s going on in the industry and what we can provide for them,” revealed Ross Clark national account executive, Matthew Algie.
