SHOW Q&A: World Tea Expo 2019

2019 TRADE SHOW Q&A with The Tea House Times

SHOW NAME:
World Tea Expo

SHOW DATES & LOCATION/s FOR 2018:
June 11-13 (with a pre-conference program on June 10)
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nev.

SHOW WEBSITE:  www.worldteaexpo.com 

SHOW REGISTRATION DETAILS IN BRIEF:
There are a variety of registration options, including full conference passes, one-day passes, exhibit-only passes, education add-ons, etc. Registration details are available at www.worldteaexpo.com. 

SHOW DESCRIPTION IN BRIEF:
World Tea Expo is the leading tradeshow focused on advancing the business of tea.

SHOW’S TYPICAL CATEGORIES OF ATTENDEES AND EXHBITORS – domestic/international?
World Tea Expo attracts more than 3,000 global attendees each year from more than 50 countries. Companies and professionals attending represent: tea and coffee shops, grocery chains, private label brands, gourmet retailers, convenience stores, distributors, online businesses, restaurants and chefs, foodservice, hotels, distributors, manufacturers and beverage developers, among others interested in building their business through tea or learning more about tea and the industry.

SHOW OWNED OR PRODUCED BY:
Informa Exhibitions

SHOW MANAGEMENT / NAMES:
Samantha Hammer, World Tea Expo event director and World Tea brand leader

NAME OF PERSON ANSWERING THE Q&A AND TITLE: 
Samantha Hammer, World Tea Expo event director and World Tea brand leader

Q&A:

Please tell us what sets your show apart from other similar shows in the same category in the USA and Canada?

Samantha Hammer:
World Tea Expo is all about the business of tea. It’s the leading tradeshow focused on advancing the business of tea. The event features hundreds of new tea products and related products on the expo floor, an in-depth educational program and lots of networking opportunities. It’s a global marketplace for tea, and it gathers a melting pot of industries and professions from all over the globe. Some of the attendees that attend include: gourmet and specialty retailers; tea shops, coffeehouses and cafés; distributors and suppliers; beverage developers; restaurants; fast-casual establishments; foodservice; hotel F&B directors; chefs; grocers; mass merchants; convenience stores; manufacturers; private label brands; online shops; spa managers; and health and natural product businesses; among other trade professionals who want to learn more about tea and how to profit from it.

But what really helps set World Tea Expo apart is the community. The conference and expo is truly a global community of business leaders who want to learn, grow and help each other succeed. There’s no another event for the tea industry that has this kind of supportive, enthusiastic, passionate, international community. People attend World Tea Expo each year and make valuable business contacts that help them succeed.

What is it about your show that could help someone in the tea industry to be more successful (whether they are an importer, wholesaler, restaurant, hotel, retailer, serving or selling tea)?
..as an exhibitor –
..as an attendee –

Samantha Hammer:
For attendees, there are so many opportunities to learn about tea and how tea can help build a successful business. Attendees will discover new tea products, they’ll learn in educational sessions and workshops, and they’ll discover “what’s next” from the industry. Overall, the sessions cover a broad range of key topics to help businesses boost their sales and profit through tea; and there’s something for everyone across all vertical markets. For exhibitors, World Tea Expo is a platform to launch their business, reach new markets, make new connections and increase sales. We have many exhibitors that come back year after year, and we have many first-time exhibitors and sponsors, as well.



What do you see new or trending in the beverage industry overall?

Samantha Hammer:
Furthering excellence in tea preparation and service is definitely an important trend. In fact, having the United States be a part of the Tea Masters Cup at World Tea Expo is an important step toward furthering the art and craft of professional tea preparation in our country and abroad. World Tea Expo is excited to be a part of the team making this competition happen at the 2019 event, and we’re proud to host the competition. Be sure to watch the competition at this year’s World Tea Expo.

What do you see new or trending in the food and beverage industry that directly or indirectly applies to the tea industry?

Samantha Hammer:
Kombucha continues to be a big, notable trend, and we’re excited to have the Kombucha Pavilion at World Tea Expo 2019, so attendees can explore the latest product opportunities and take advantage of a fast-growing segment. This new area of the expo floor will be dedicated to the latest kombucha products, which has seen tremendous growth over the last several years. Kombucha is a fermented tea drink with functional benefits, and exhibitors will showcase the best new offerings.

What are the latest trends you have seen at your show over the past year?

Samantha Hammer:
Tea and food service is an important trend. Restaurants, hotels, cafés and more are looking at how they can incorporate tea on the menu – in a greater capacity – and utilize it in a hospitality-like setting. We’re seeing more food service and hospitality businesses attending World Tea Expo to learn more and to discover products, so we added a special track this year – new Hospitality and Foodservice Educational Track.

The track will feature numerous tea educational sessions geared towards hospitality and restaurants/foodservice. Some of the topics include: “Presenting Tea Like Wine: For Restaurants and Their Customers”; “Training for Tea: How to Build Partnerships with Sommeliers and Restaurants”; “Tea by the Numbers – How Tea Can Be a Restaurant’s Highest Profit Center”; and “How to Craft a Tea Cocktail Program.”

What are anchor highlights of your show every year?

Samantha Hammer Mitchell:
The expo floor, of course, is a big highlight of World Tea Expo each year. The exhibit hall features hundreds of new teas, tea ware, brewing accessories and related products and services, many of which cannot be found at any other trade show.

The event also offers insightful educational sessions – some 50+ sessions. The Tea Business Boot Camps and the Origins Tasting Tour are both always popular as pre-conference programs. The “Tea Business Boot Camp: Beginners” and the new “Tea Business Boot Camp: Advanced” take place on June 10.

The new “Origins Tasting Tour” takes place on June 11. It will take attendees on an interactive and educational tasting “tour” of some of the most important tea growing regions in the world. This year’s program will cover tea estates and teas from China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Nepal, Taiwan and Korea. And new for 2019, attendees of the “Origins Tasting Tour” will have three chances to win origin trips to India, Korea and Nepal (see details at the World Tea Expo website; airfare not included).

We’re also excited about the annual World Tea Awards, which has become a mainstay of the event. It’s open to all World Tea Expo attendees, and it honors some of the best and brightest from the tea industry, including tea luminaries who are shaping the industry. This year, Manik Jayakumar, founder of QTrade Teas & Herbs, will receive The John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented during the World Tea Awards on Tuesday, June 11, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

The Global Tea Championship Winners Tasting Circle is always popular. It’s an opportunity for World Tea Expo attendees to taste Global Tea Championship medal-winning teas. The Championship is an independent competition that evaluates and distinguishes the highest quality and best tasting specialty teas.

What’s new this year? And is it something offered this year only or expected to continue?

Samantha Hammer:
The World Tea Expo agenda changes and grows every year, but there are some exciting new programs at World Tea Expo 2019, including:

The World’s Rarest Teas: An Exclusive Tasting Event – This is a special, new session for 2019. It’s an intimate tasting event on Wednesday, June 13, from 8 to 9:30 p.m., and it presents a carefully selected sequence of teas from around the world. Curated by professional tea taster Kevin Gascoyne, owner of Camellia Sinensis, the experience will feature some of the rarest and most exclusive batches of teas.

The Closing Party is an exciting new addition. World Tea Expo will wrap-up the conference and expo with a celebration of tea with The World Tea & Music Festival, an annual event in Las Vegas. The closing party will feature food from Las Vegas-based tea supporting chefs, non-branded tea service, wine and limited cocktail options, interactive tea education, live music and entertainment, and more. The event will take place at the Tealet tea warehouse in Las Vegas on Thursday, June 13, from 7 – 11:59 p.m. All conference participants are welcome to attend ($30 fee with registration).

Overall, we always have a fresh line-up of speakers and sessions – and this year’s educational agenda is no exception. Attendees can view the entire program at WorldTeaExpo.com. Also, take note of the Specialty Tea Institute (STI) and its sessions, which are a part of the program this year.

What do you consider the best opportunity for networking at your show? (i.e. the show floor, after-hours events, awards, etc.)

Samantha Hammer:
The entire event is one big networking opportunity! We encourage attendees to make connections on the expo floor, before and after sessions, at the World Tea Awards and even after the event by following up with the people they’ve met.

Another great opportunity to connect is the World Tea Awards & Opening Cocktail Reception, which takes place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11.

There’s also a Networking Cocktail Reception on Wednesday, June 12 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. in the exhibit hall lobby. And there are a variety of events on the World Tea Expo Special Events Main Stage, where you can learn from and meet industry leaders.

In addition, the Afternoon Tea Break, sponsored by Flavor Wave, is the perfect time to network. These breaks take place on Tuesday, June 11, and Wednesday, June 12., at 3 p.m. in the North Hall Lobby. Don’t miss these tastings! They’re a fun take on tea with Flavor Wave slushies. The tea and tropical fruit flavors will be a great way to slow down and cool down your busy days at World Tea Expo, while you network with colleagues.

Be sure to check out the complete schedule of events and networking opportunities online at WorldTeaExpo.com.

How is your education organized? by track? topic? industry niche? workshops? seminars? demos? on floor presentations? 

Samantha Hammer:
Overall, the education program encompasses a variety of learning environments from our full-day pre-conference programs that allow for in-depth topic discussion and focus, to our workshops and tastings that offer a more hands-on, small class size experience.

The individual sessions cover: Trends & Opportunities; Marketing & Retailer Skills; Diverse Tea Business Topics; Growth Opportunities for Tea and Food Service; Social, Environmental and Ethical; and, of course, our workshops and special educational programs such as the Tea Business Boot Camps and the Origins Tasting Tour.

How is your education priced? a package price? per session? all free? In general… and provide link to further details.

Samantha Hammer:

Passes to World Tea Expo include:


There are also some education package add-ons, including:


Specific details on all of the registration options and what’s included is available at WorldTeaExpo.com.

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

Samantha Hammer:
We’re excited to welcome the thousands of professionals to the upcoming World Tea Expo 2019 at the Las Vegas Convention Center! And we encourage everyone who’s attending to take advantage of as many learning and networking opportunities as possible. Hone your tea industry skills. Stop by every exhibit booth. Discover the latest tea products and services. Get to know our 2019 Sponsors and meet as many industry leaders as possible. And try some of the winning teas at the Global Tea Championship Winners Tasting Circle. Make the most of the event! And drink lots of tea!

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THE TEA HOUSE TIMES IS A PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR OF WORLD TEA EXPO. Please visit us in Booth #413 June 11-13, 2019.  Register now at http://www.worldteaexpo.com

Use our code for a FREE exhibit hall pass: EHFSPN2

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