World Tea East - Who's with Me?

I am absolutely ecstatic that World Tea East is approaching. I plan on sharing more info on the event in the coming days, but I wanted to make sure you all had the basics. I will definitely be attending and I'm looking forward to meeting some of my readers and other tea lovers in person.

World Tea East

September 8 - 11 in Philadelphia

(Philadelphia Convention Center/Philadelphia Marriott Downtown - Market St.) 

From the press release:

"This new event features 100 innovative manufacturers and suppliers, best new tea products, expert-led educational sessions, focused tea tastings, pairing workshops and other special events for tea professionals, food and beverage manufacturers and decision makers in related industries. The expo also presents the unique "Reflections in Tea" interactive art exhibit, which will benefit victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a major tea-growing and tea-consuming region. In addition, World Tea East debuts the Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented to distinguished tea leader John Harney, founder of Harney & Sons Fine Teas, for his significant contributions to the industry."

The Schedule of Events

September 8 

World Origin Tasting Tour: All day exploration of tea from Sri Lanka, India, China, Japan, China, and Taiwan. Registration: $425.

September 9

The exhibition, day 1 - For the trade (retailers, distributors, etc.) Admission prices are here.

Educational sessions ($60 for seminars and $85 for tastings): Courses include Tea 101, retail trends, culinary tea, tea cocktails, and more. The full list is here.

North American Tea Championship Winners tasting circle: green teas and unflavored herbal infusions. 

Evening networking reception and presentation of lifetime achievement award to John Harney.

September 10
The exhibition, day 2 - For the trade (retailers, distributors, etc.) Admission prices are here.
Educational sessions ($60 for seminars and $85 for tastings): Courses include Tea 201, Fair Trade, marketing, history of tea, and more. The full list is here.
North American Tea Championship Winners tasting circle: black, blended and flavored teas.
STI (Specialty Tea Institute) certification courses - Level One only. (Note that this is a change from the original schedule.)

September 11
STI certification courses - Level Two only. (Note that this is a change from the original schedule.) Registration for STI classes is through Tea USA.

Lodging

Hotel discounts are available for this conference. The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown is offering a rate of $149/night.

What you can expect

More about what you'll find at World Tea East according to the latest press release:

"---New and leading-edge exhibitors of tea and related products - The exposition is set to deliver tea favorites like International Tea Importers, Teas Etc., Sungarden Teas and Rishi Tea, along with newcomers, including Best International Tea, British Delights, Custom Co-Pack, Revolution Tea, SerendipiTea, Teazzers, Tiesta Tea, Tracy Stern SalonTea and Woodford Wicks.


---Best new products - World Tea East also features the latest tea products, such as: the finum Traveler ZITA, Riensch & Held's newest and most impressive tea ware for on-the-go; and AIYA America's Matcha Zen Café Blend in single-serving packets for delicious Matcha smoothies and lattes at home, among many other exciting teas and wares.


---Expert-led educational sessions - Presentations include: Top Tea Retail Trends; How to Conduct a Successful Tea Tasting; Tea 201: Finding Profitability; Food Service Market Trends; Building Tea Community the Easy Way; Fair Trade Certification Alternatives for Tea & Herbs; Unusual Herbal Teas; Using Protocol and Etiquette to Increase Sales &Traffic; and the History of Tea in America, among other topics.


---Focused tea tastings - World Tea East tea-tasting sessions include type-specific teas, including the newest in Black, Unusual Herbal Teas, Blended/Flavored Teas, Oolongs, Puers and African Teas.


---Workshops - Unique workshops include "There's a Flower in My Soup: All About Edible Flowers" and "Tea and Cocktails - Flavor Fusion."


---World Origin Tasting Tour - This event stops at six different countries of origin, where attendees explore the country's tea culture, look at unique manufacturing processes and taste six to eight teas that are authentic to each origin, providing delegates a solid understanding of the flavors and profiles of each.


---North American Tea Championship Winners' Tasting Circle - This experience offers attendees the opportunity to sample winning teas, meet the suppliers and judge for themselves which teas are the best in each category.

Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award World Tea Media is also planning to introduce its Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award at World Tea East. The Award recognizes and celebrates individuals who have made considerable contributions to the growth, innovation and education of the specialty tea industry throughout their lifetime. This year, John Harney, founder, Harney & Sons Fine Teas, is the recipient of the award. Widely respected by his peers and a role model for many, Harney has made a significant impact on the specialty tea industry through innovation, mentoring and service. Attendees may congratulate Harney, who will be honored during World Tea East's Networking Reception, Friday, Sept. 9, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Philadelphia Marriott Ballroom."

I hope to see some of you there!