With exactly one week to go now until World of Coffee Rimini 2014 kicks off in Italy, we are getting extremely excited here at DR Wakefield.
At the event, we will of course be exhibiting for roasters, traders and other visitors to the conference to learn more about our operations. However, we will also be holding daily cupping and grading sessions throughout the three days, for individuals to come along to and learn more about the cupping process and the coffees being showcased.
What will our cupping sessions comprise?
We will be presenting five different coffees from producers in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Brazil. The precise lots are yet to be decided, so you will have to come along to our stand to see for yourselves exactly what will be on offer!
One of the best things about these sessions is the producers of the five coffees will also be present, giving people the opportunity to find out more about how the coffees were farmed and processed, and put questions to those that arguably know more about the produce than anyone else.
Not only does having the producers there afford attendees the opportunity to gain greater insight into the coffee, but it also provides the producers themselves with much better access to the market, which is of paramount importance to our trading operations.
As William Hobby, one of our coffee traders, explains: "All of the producers of the coffees will be there, not only to cup them with potential clients and other visitors, but also to discuss their coffees, their farms and how they've grown their produce. We use events like Rimini as an opportunity, wherever possible, to link our producers with our end-consumers in as short a link as possible."
What else will we be presenting at Rimini?
On top of cupping sessions, we will also be running grading sessions, at which those who may just be starting out in the industry or who may not know very much about the different qualities can learn more about how to approach grading coffees.
One of the most interesting things about the coffee industry is indeed the element of subjectivity. There is seldom a right or wrong answer, and everybody has different ideas when it comes to profiling cups. This is why our sessions will be a fantastic opportunity to learn from both ourselves and producers of the coffees, but also to make up your own mind about the coffees and share your opinions with other like-minded fanatics!
We look forward to seeing you there
While we are of course greatly looking forward to exhibiting at the conference and showcasing some of the fantastic coffees that we trade and work that we do, William goes on to highlight how it is also a wonderful opportunity for us to meet with clients, suppliers, producers and roasters.
"Of course, World of Coffee is very much a trade show. However, it's also a great opportunity to meet up with existing contacts," William explains. "Coffee is a very relationship-based industry and getting face-to-face recognition and meetings with all of our clients and suppliers is really important to us. One of the main reasons we go to these events is not only to find new clients. It's also to reaffirm relationships with existing ones and suppliers who maybe aren't as easily accessible here in the UK. Some of the people we get to meet with at these conferences, we might only see once every year or so, meaning it will also be a great time to catch up with old friends in the industry."
This is why we are inviting as many people as we can to come to our stand for a chat and a coffee, even just a quick hello, as that really means a lot to us.
To find out more about World of Coffee Rimini 2014 or what DR Wakefield will be doing there, give us a call today or, better still, come along and say hello in Italy!