SCA Recap #1

Overall Impression

This was our first ever trip to the Specialty Coffee Expo, and it was amazing!  All of the greatest coffee professionals from the United States and around the world get together in one place every year to collaborate, compete and discuss the future of specialty coffee.

Even before we got on the plane, we ran into a dozen or so friends from around Southern California at the airport who were also headed to Seattle.  Seeing that kind of commitment from our local coffee community is inspiring and so great to be a part of.

We checked into a sweet little airbnb condo right next to downtown and took the 5 minute walk down the the convention center.  There was so much energy in that space it was contagious.  Everyone was excited about the weekend, friends were reconnecting, and new connections being made all around us.  We took a moment to just be grateful for the community we were slowly becoming a part of and the opportunity in front of us.

For three long days we intentionally tried to meet the exhibitors at every booth, introduce ourselves to the other attendees, and go to as many lectures and events as possible. The show was kind of a blur but in the best kind of way.

Seattle was an awesome city, with such a great coffee culture.  We got to go to a few dozen local coffee shops, the Starbucks Reserve and the Starbucks Headquarters.  Regardless of your thoughts on Starbucks role within specialty coffee, those two facilities are absolute shrines to coffee.  If you get a chance to see them, do it! 

Best New Product Competition

The most exciting part of the SCA Expo for us was our selection as a finalist in the 2018 SCA Best New Product Competition.  We were up against all of the odds but it was a huge honor to even be selected.  Among the other competitors, we were:

• the smallest
• the least well funded
• the least well known
• the least publicized

SCA is almost entirely focused on hot filter coffee, espresso, roasting and sourcing; so the inclusion of a new cold brew product was a win for us.

We're just a simple, small business trying to break into specialty coffee.  This was the perfect event to be a part of and the best new product competition was a huge honor.