Staff Report
Some assumed that the recently concluded Tea & Coffee World Cup/EUROPE 2009 Seville (TCWC), held last June 7-9, had but a little change of attaining huge success. However despite industry antipathy towards this charming city’s late selection as a venue (after the more popular Madrid had to be changed due to circumstances beyond the organizer’ control), Seville turned out to be a dark horse for many exhibitors and attendees, delivering more value than many of the pre-event critics predicted
Attendance was affected by external factors such as the developing swine flu pandemic; four exhibitors cancelled due to swine flu, and no doubt many visitors also last minute alternative plans. Evidentially, many others were reluctant to travel at the height of the largest economic downturn since the depression. And clearly, some potential visitors agreed that Seville was possibly not the best venue for an exhibition of this sort.
However, by the end of the exhibition, for those that did make the effort, far more business was successfully and profitably conducted than many had thought possible.
One manufacturer, who initially expressed dissatisfaction to the organizers at the number of attendees had, by the end of the event, sold two machines right off the floor. Needless to say, this company was all smiles as they left Seville.
Despite the fact that Spain is home to one of Europe’s leading coffee cultures, surprisingly few coffee companies made the trek to this beautiful, historic city to display their wares. There were some major tea companies that also opted not to participate because they reckoned "Spain is not a tea country".
"Well," said Renee Pompen, of J-Port, an exhibitor, "These companies haven’t done their homework. Tea consumption has been rising steadily in Spain. In the several years we have been doing business here, we have seen a substantial increase in business year-on-year."
Chinese tea was represented by no less than three companies from Kunming in Yunnan Province: Amara Tea, Pure Tea and YL Tea and Coffee.
Returning to its roots in 2010After a series of what some have called location "missteps", the Tea & Coffee World Cup Exhibition is poised to reclaim its crown as the main industry exhibition. In 2010, TCWC goes back to Vienna, Austria on April 25-27, 2010. Vienna was the site of the very first two TCWC exhibitions in 1994 and 1997. The show has already had a great response: in only two months of releasing the floorplan, 56 exhibitors have confirmed their participation, and it is expected the show will eventually boast over 300 exhibitors. Half the "confirmed" exhibitors signed up at the Seville show, so obviously the Spanish exhibition wasn’t as bad as some said it would be.
All eyes are now focusing on Vienna and the business opportunties that await 19 August 2010.
