European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo, the show devoted to the profitable service and sales of coffee, tea and soft beverages, is set to double in size when it returns to Olympia, London on May 21st and 22nd 2019.
In a world first, European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo will be running Barista masterclasses which will showcase the skills of the best known and most inspiring baristas. The Barista Masterclass sessions will offer visitors a refresh on the fundamentals but also to keep them up to date with the latest trends, educating and inspiring the coffee business community about the importance of not only being able to make great coffee but also to serve it to the discerning customer of today.
European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo will also feature another world first – live coffee roasting. Roastery Masterclass Live!, is a new feature with live roasting and expert commentary. It is expected to educate and inspire the coffee business community about the importance, complexity and skill involved in roasting. It is being driven by the sector’s top roasters who will display and discuss the intricacies in the art and science of roasting:
Soft Drinks will also be given a platform with the launch of a dedicated zone at the show featuring soft drinks. This will include a Summer Drinks Pavilion, specifically for all the relevant exhibitors offering everything involved in providing and selling refreshing cold drinks as well as equipment such as ice making machines, plus content in the education programme.
Tea is also coming back to European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo 2019 by partnering with the National Tea Day to create tea-led content to engage tea-buying executives from across the hospitality and food service industries.
The partnership will see National Tea Day co-host a dedicated tea theatre in the newly created Tea Quarter. This new initiative will substantially boost the tea element of the event to meet the sector’s need to improve its tea offering to maximise customer satisfaction, sales and profitability.
A significant part of the show’s education programme will be devoted to tea including tea masterclasses, seminars and pairings so attendees can understand how tea can become more profitable.
In addition to these new features, existing crowd pleasers will be returning to the show, including the European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo Conference Theatre featuring keynote speakers and serious industry leaders tackling business-critical topics; the Innovation Path & Awards highlighting the most innovative products and solutions on show; the Sensory Workshop and Taste Challenge and Awards, and a vast range of exhibitors.
Annie Swift, managing director, European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo said: “Our launch show in May attracted over 3,000 visitors of exceptional quality – leading senior industry decision-makers from right across the hospitality market who do not attend any other cafe shows. They came not just from coffee shops and cafes but also from major corporates, contract caterers, restaurants, hotels, pubs and the leisure and the travel sector. Due to this successful launch, many of the exhibitors at the 2018 show have already rebooked (many with larger stands) for 2019, and are already joined by a raft of exhibitors new to the show. With the support and backing of more leading industry influencers joining our steering panel, and located at Olympia, London’s leading and most accessible venue, European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo offers a totally unique proposition and is a show that means business for exhibitors and visitors alike. It is now firmly established as the prime destination for Food & Beverage professionals sourcing beverages, and the equipment required to prepare and serve them.”
Dan Clarke, MD, La Cimbali said, “European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo was great for engaging with our key and potential customers, with the quality of visitors a lot higher than I’ve seen at other exhibitions over the last five years. If they can deliver this quality of visitor in future years, that will be very good. We’ve booked again for next year.”
