The 23rd SCAA Event

Espro is proud to have been a part of the 23rd SCAA Event in Houston, Texas this past weekend. It was a great opportunity to share our products with coffee enthusiasts from around the world. With over 3000 member companies from more than 40 countries, the SCAA affords attendees the ability to make important connections, gain knowledge, develop skills and define the future of the coffee industry in a collaborative atmosphere.

Photo courtesy of DCAA

The George R Brown Convention Centre was the perfect location for the event. The sheer size of the venue was impressive, and walking the entire show floor was no easy feat. With thousands of booths representing coffee producers, roasters, importers/exporters, retailers, manufacturers, and baristas at every turn, there was plenty to take in. And one could consume a fair bit of coffee and espresso beverages on the show floor. There was a strong sense of community, and all of the representatives from different companies shared the same goal: promoting specialty coffee by setting and maintaining high quality standards for the industry.

This year, four of the Espro team attended the event, hailing from booth 751. Having four Espro representatives at the event allowed each of us to leave the booth and see the events and competitions taking place over the weekend. Highlights were the Roasters Choice Competition, where one could sample high quality coffees from around the world, the Barista Championship, where you could watch barista's compete by creating and explaining their signature beverages, the Tasters Cup, where tasters must pick out the odd cup of coffee in a race against the clock, and the most recent addition, The Brewers Cup, where baristas compete by brewing coffee using their favorite brewing methods to highlight the flavour and aromas in their choice coffee.

Chris doing a press demo at the Espro booth

The Espro booth had a constant flow of smiling faces, and people stopping by looking to learn about our products. Chris and Bruce did press demos throughout the weekend, allowing people to taste clean and flavourful coffee brewed in the press. Thanks to the people at Rancilio, we had an espresso machine available so people could pull shots using the calibrated and dillinger tampers, and steam milk with the toroid pitchers. Some highlights at the booth included a coffee sampling done with roasters Solberg & Hansen from Norway who brewed and compared 4 different coffees, daily visits from competitors in the Brewers Cup who shared their favorite coffees in the press, and most importantly, visits with old and new friends who share a love for coffee.

All in all, the 23rd SCAA event was a huge success for Espro, and we look forward to attending the 24th SCAA event next April in Portland. We also hope to be involved in the SCAE event this June in Maastricht, so stay tuned for updates! 

Cheers,

Amanda