The New York Coffee Festival’s extensive Lab Program is designed to offer visitors an array of interactive demonstrations, workshops and tasting sessions, as well as fascinating talks and lively debates on everything from creating healthier working environments for baristas to sustainability in the coffee industry.
Check out the industry experts who will be taking the stage on Trade Day at The New York Coffee Festival on Friday, October 11.
11.30am | Cafes are Data Factories
with Dane Atkinson, Odeko
CEO and Founder of Odeko, Dane Atkinson (the former CEO of SquareSpace) will touch on how cafes and businesses can leverage modern technology to put their data to work.
12.15pm | Baristastainability
with Jenna Gotthelf, Counter Culture Coffee
Baristastainablity, quite literally, is the sustainability of baristas. In this lecture Jenna Gotthelf, NYC Regional Educator, will talk about the research they did at Counter Culture Coffee during the Spring of 2019, focusing on some of the factors affecting the sustainability of baristas. The goal of this project was to spark conversation to help cultivate a greater understanding of how to create positive and healthy work environments for retail workers in coffee. This is not a be-all-end-all solution, but rather a conceptual catalyst to help push the industry forward.
2.00pm | A Mill of Their Own: Cup the First Harvest from Women-Owned Wet Mill
with Jeanine Niyonzima, JNP Coffee
JNP Coffee is proud to debut the first harvest from a wet mill in Ngozi Province built and owned by seven Burundian women. These women coffee farmers saved their financial premiums they received from JNP Coffee for high-quality coffee, pooled their money and formed a small investors group appropriately called Turihamwe Turashobora or "together we can." The group's wet mill has produced the first five micro lots with exceptional quality; clean, sweet and citrus flavors with some complexity. The cupping includes other surprising women's micro-lots coffees.
2.45pm | Three Ways to Dramatically Increase Your Afternoon Beverage Sales
with Steve Schwartz, Art of Tea
Art of Tea CEO/Founder, Steve Schwartz, will walk through the latest trends in tea, share how you can increase your bottom line and teach you how to turn your tap water drinking consumer into $$$.
4.15pm | The Roasters Panel
with Matt Ferraro, Partners Coffee (moderator), Chloe Langham, Partners Coffee, Rich Nieto, Sweet Leaf Roasters, Liam Berkowitz, Joe Coffee Company, Emily Wendorff, East One Coffee Roasters and Andrew Sinclair, Mad Lab Coffee Roasters
In a panel led by Matt Ferraro, Roastery Manager at Partners Coffee, roasters will discuss how they are making coffee more accessible to consumers, plus share their advice for newly opened coffee shops and roasters.
5.15pm | Can You Recycle That? Why You Should Care About the Life of Your Coffee Cup
with Cliff Albert, Seda Packaging
What are your cups made of? Can they be recycled? Paper offers many environmentally friendly options, from renewable to recyclable to compostable. But there are persistent myths about paper cups that need to be dispelled, and a fair amount of misinformation among the consumers who use them. In this session, we will discuss the latest trends and legislation impacting the use of paper cups and lids, as well as ways to train your employees how to respond to consumer confusion.
11.15am | How Water Impacts the Quality of Your Espresso
with Keith Black, WaterWise
Coffee is 98% water, which means the water that you use can make -- or break -- the taste of the beverage. Join Keith Black, Owner and Managing Partner of WaterWise as he talks about the importance of water in coffee, as well as how to improve the quality of your water.
11.50am | The Impact of Climate Change on Coffee Growers
with Matt Banbury, Counter Culture Coffee
A discussion of observations, studies and coping strategies amongst industry stakeholders. We'll dive into what we've seen happening, what the effects are and how different communities are hoping to cope and fight the impact.
12.45pm | Promoting Professional Development in Coffee
with David Chou, Stumptown Coffee Roasters
You've hired your crew, trained them on the basics, and they can crush a rush (or two). Now what? Join David Chou, Lead Educator, NY, who will talk about strategies for professional development in coffee — from workshops, to cuppings, and everything in between.
1.00pm | Coffee Training: The Importance of Training for Baristas and Career Development
with Noah Goodman, Gruppo Cimbali, ChiSum Ngai and Kaleena Teoh, Coffee Project NY
Gruppo Cimbali and Coffee Project NY will discuss the importance of coffee training— and having a dedicated training lab—for baristas and businesses alike.
1.30pm | How to Use Your Espresso Machine for a Pop-Up
with Dave Bise and Ben Blake, La Marzocco Home
Everything you need to know about using La Marzocco's Linea Mini in a high volume pop-up or catering capacity. Together, we’ll talk through workflow, machine features, and share our experience using the Linea Mini in high volume situations.
3.00pm | Introduction to Vietnamese Coffee
with Sahra Nguyen, Nguyen Coffee Supply
Fact: Vietnam is the world's second-largest producer of coffee. What misconceptions about Vietnamese coffee, and robusta in general, have kept it from earning acclaim? Find out how new producers, both in Vietnam and in the US, like Nguyen Coffee Supply are rewriting this narrative. Plus, learn about the traditional phin brewing method and the different ways you can use fresh-roasted coffee from Vietnam.
3.45pm | The Grower’s Panel: Exploring Origin Diversity
with Mahlet Berhanu, Dumerso Coffee, Edgar Sebastian Soria, Café de Colombia
Exploring origin diversity in coffee-growing regions with representation from Ecuador, Ethiopia and Columbia.
4.45pm | Spice Cupping With Dona
with Thea Heilbron and Amy Rothstein, DONA
Learn all about how DONA sources their ingredients and why quality matters when it comes to spices with Thea Heilbron and Amy Rothstein. Then, partake in spice cupping (coffee cupping style) and learn about flavor, tasting notes, varieties and more.
5.30 | Meet the Maker Masterclass
with Tom Baker, Mr Black
Do you like coffee? Do you like booze? Then this is the Lab session info you! Join Mr Black Cofounder, Tom Baker, for a chat on all things coffee and spirits. Tom will talk about the inception of the brand and the best practices for coffee cocktails. Guest will be treated to samples of Mr Black!
Buy your Trade Day tickets to The New York Coffee Festival here.