New York Coffee Festival and World Coffee Portal CEO Forum to Debut in September

New York City. Photo courtesy of Allegra World Coffee Portal.

Two major coffee events from U.K.-based Allegra are coming to New York this September, the inaugural New York Coffee Festival on September 25-27, and a precursor geared toward coffee professionals called the World Coffee Portal CEO Forum.

New York Coffee Festival

In program, the New York Coffee Festival promises to resemble other Allegra Events productions, the Amsterdam Coffee Festival and the London Coffee Festival. Designed as consumer-facing events with strong professional presence, the festivals include booths manned by coffee roasters, equipment makers, and other craft food purveyors. While there are plenty of barista demonstrations and workshops, it’s also heavy on lifestyle elements, including live music, cocktails, DJs and art exhibits.

The latest London Fest also marked the debut of the Coffee Masters competition, a fast-paced multidisciplinary barista skills tournament that includes a cash prize for the winner. The New York Coffee Festival will include the debut of Coffee Masters USA.

Here’s more from Allegra on the New York Coffee Festival:

Based on the highly successful programs in London and Amsterdam, this inaugural event is an unmissable show for all serious NYC coffee lovers and key industry stakeholders.  More than 10,000 visitors are expected from across the USA and abroad.

The New York Coffee Festival is also the official launch event for the charitable New York Coffee Week™, which promotes the vibrancy of the coffee industry while raising money for clean water and sanitation projects in coffee producing communities. 50% of all ticket sales will be donated to Project Waterfall with all funds directly entrusted to NYC-based charity: water to support their life changing water projects in coffee growing regions. For more information about charity: water and their recent projects, go to www.charitywater.org.

Photo from the 2015 London Coffee Festival, by the London Coffee Festival.

CEO Forum

A decidedly more trade-show-like event, the CEO forum and conference will begin September 24 at the The Intercontinental Times Square. The first day will include presentations on numerous topics such as (from Allegra):

• The challenges and rewards of entering new markets
• Leadership imperatives for accelerating growth opportunities
• Maximising global performance within each local context
• Structural challenges to industry sustainability
• Optimising staff productivity and addressing skill gaps
• Strategies to capitalise on the specialty/artisan coffee revolution
• Engaging with the future consumer

Currently confirmed speakers include some familiar names in the coffee industry, including Cliff Burrows of Starbucks, Tracy Ging of S&D Coffee & Tea, and James Hoffmann of Square Mile Coffee Roasters.

Day two of the forum will include tours of New York coffee shops and roasteries, while day three will tie in with a lab component of the festival. As it would be with any gathering of professionals, each day will have its share of cocktail parties, dinners and other “networking” events.