Barista Guild and Roasters’ Guild to Run Coffee at TED2013

The Barista Guild of America and the Roasters’ Guild have agreed to provide the coffee experience for TED2013, the influential conference of thought leaders and program behind the TED Talks television series.

TED2013 runs from February 25 through March 1 in Long Beach, Calif.

Here’s more from the SCAA:

The Barista Guild will staff a total of 7 cutting edge coffee bars with world-renowned barista talent, delivering coffee experiences and insight to TED and TEDActive attendees that are equal to the Conference experience.  Coffees will be curated by the Roasters Guild, a confederation of artisan roasters dedicated to the creation of extraordinary coffee.  5 state-of-the-art coffee installations will be located throughout the TED campus in Long Beach, as well as 2 installations at the TEDActive conference in Palm Springs; both taking place February 25-March 1, 2013.

SCAA’s goal is to give the over 3,000 TED and TEDActive attendees a deeper experience of coffee, delivering the caffeine that fuels conversations along with insights about coffee’s role as a culinary treasure and unique economic web that connects farmers, artisans, and coffee lovers all over the world.  In this way, the SCAA’s coffee program reflects the global interconnection that forms the foundation for this year’s TED theme, “The Young, The Wise, the Undiscovered”.

Coffee service and selection at the TED conference has previously been managed by SCAA member Intelligentsia Coffee as well as the recently dissolved Coffee Common.    “TED has set the bar extremely high in all areas of its conference and coffee selection and service has not been an exception to that rule.” states SCAA Executive Director Ric Rhinehart.  “The SCAA, Barista Guild of America and the Roasters Guild share TED’s core values of collaboration and the dissemination of knowledge and skill; we’re proud to be able to bring the cutting edge of coffee industry knowledge to the premier conference of the world’s most innovative and influential individuals.  Building bridges that allow us as an association to grow awareness and inspire curiosity of specialty coffee is key to achieving our mission of supporting a vibrant specialty coffee industry and is yet another way we can continue to serve our membership.”