The inaugural trade show and educational event will bring together specialty-coffee professionals from across the state and region.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Featured photo by Ally Wagner
Geared to café owners, distributors, and grocery buyers, the Colorado Coffee Show is set to dazzle the state’s coffee denizens on September 14 at the Gaylord Rockies Convention Center in Aurora, Colo.
There’s a lot packed into this one-day event: A trade show (booth spaces are available); educational classes and workshops; and some serious money on the line for the winners of the Cold Brew World Championship and a latte art competition, each with a $10,000 cash prize.
Set to be an annual event, the Colorado Coffee Show is involving some of the biggest coffee companies and allied services in the production of this inaugural festival: Toddy Cold Brew Coffee, for example, is—fittingly—behind the Cold Brew World Championship; and Brew Grind Water, a leading coffee equipment and service provider in Colorado, is the official sponsor of the Intercontinental Coffee Championships, and is providing video coverage for the Cold Brew Championship as well as supplying AREMDE Stylus espresso machines for the Latte Art Throwdown.
More than 50 roasters from across Colorado will host tastings and activities. Participants include Corvus Coffee Roasters, Conscious Coffees, Solar Roast Coffee, and Novo Coffee.
Participants are welcome to attend sessions with industry leaders such as Collin Bay of First Crack Coffee, whose expertise in operating the shared roasting facility First Crack—which has three locations nationwide, including in Denver—has helped launch the micro roasting operations of countless small coffee companies. Collin will lead the discussion “Starting Your Own Roasting Brand.” Ali Scrable, also of First Crack, will teach a workshop on latte art; Jess Villano of Torani will share her insights on the top beverage trends on the horizon; Hannah Adkins of Two Leaves And A Bud will dive into the topic of adding non-coffee beverages to your café menu; Brett Bixler of Mission Coffee Roasters will lead a workshop on packing, grinding, and problem solving, and Hannah Lain of Lotus Energy Drinks will cover the exponential growth of the energy drink segment.
There are two attendee ticket categories available: $60 for a single educational session or $90 for VIP passes, which include entry to all talks and workshops, collectable souvenir posters, early admission, and a chance to win a fully customized Barbie-themed La Marzocco Linea PB courtesy of BrewGrindWater.
For more information about the Colorado Coffee Show, including rules for the competitions, more speakers and education opportunities, and participating roasters, visit Colorado Coffee Show’s website.
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