NAMA Coffee Tea & Water Trade Show Introduces ‘Roaster Row’

A scene from the 2019 Coffee, Tea & Water show. All images courtesy of NAMA.

The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) has brought its two annual trade shows — The NAMA Show, and the Coffee Tea & Water show — together this year for a single event this Aug. 18-20 in New Orleans.

Another new development is Roaster Row, a dedicated space on the show floor for coffee roasting companies to showcase goods to buyers in the vending and convenience services industries.

“In previous years, coffee roasting companies were welcome to exhibit on the CTW show floor. Roaster Row is the first time exhibit space is dedicated for roasters as a one-stop-shop for potential clients at a discounted rate,” NAMA Executive Vice President Eric Dell told DCN. “With navigating pandemic recovery, we wanted to create an opportunity to empower small business roasters who are looking to break into or expand their convenience services and office coffee service (OCS) channels.”

La Colombe Coffee Roasters Co-Founder Todd Carmichael (right) delivered the keynote address at the 2019 Coffee, Tea & Water show in Anaheim, California.

The Roaster Row is not to be confused with Roaster Village, a dedicated area for smaller booths for smaller coffee roasting companies and green coffee traders introduced by the Specialty Coffee Association at its annual North American Expo in 2017. That feature is returning to the 2021 SCA Expo, which also happens to take place in New Orleans beginning Sept. 30.

NAMA launched its first Coffee Tea & Water (CTW) show in 2008. The New Orleans show in August marks the first time NAMA has co-located its two main trade shows.

“The NAMA Show and Coffee Tea and Water are constantly evolving to meet attendees’ needs and provide opportunities for collaboration on the show floor,” Dell told DCN. “We’re confident Roaster Row will provide immense value for roasters and if it’s as well-received as we expect, it will remain an exhibitor opportunity at future shows.”

Related Reading

• NCA Report Shows Dramatic Shifts in Pandemic-Era Coffee Drinking Trends
• SCA Confirms 2021 Specialty Coffee Expo is Happening This Fall in New Orleans
• Toddy Hosting ‘Better Cold Brew’ Online Trade Show July 29

In a recent announcement from NAMA, Karalynn McDermott, NAMA board member and consultant for super-automatic espresso machine maker Eversys suggested the feature might give smaller businesses a means to break into the office coffee services (OCS) channel as the sector rebounds following the worst of the pandemic.

“Thousands of office coffee services (OCS) operators and buyers are registered to attend and are seeking the next best brew,” said McDermott. “Roaster Row offers suppliers the opportunity to grow their businesses as Americans get back to the office.”

The RR exhibitor mini booth and marketing bundle is being offered for a rate of $1,500, which also includes one year of membership to NAMA. More information about the show and how to become an exhibitor on Roaster Row can be found here.