The seventh annual Specialty Coffee Association of America Symposium kicked off early this morning in Seattle, Washington. Symposium is a professional two-day summit of coffee thinkers/leaders/producers, and it’s our distinct honor to be a part of the Symposium community for our fifth year as salon hosts and ambassadors.
This year’s Symposium is the third session produced by Director Peter Giuliano. We sat down with Mr. Giuliano last year for an in-depth interview, which you can read here. The 2015 event has 427 attendees, listening in on seventeen individual lectures and a series of salon discussion sessions. Giuliano delivered this morning’s opening address, first telling the crowd, “Thank you.”
The 2015 SCAA Symposium is taking place at Benaroya Hall, located a few blocks from the Washington State Convention Center, home to the World Barista Championship and SCAA Event. Symposium guests can listen to talks directly in the main room, or in a series of private conversation rooms, including the S&D Fellows lounge, the Chemex lounge, and a third floor penthouse conversation lounge hosted by Wilbur Curtis Brewing Company. A series of brew bars and espresso bars are open to serve fine coffees to Symposium guests, staffed and curated by the Barista Guild of America and featuring a wide variety of brew methods and espresso equipment, including innovative WBC-inspired espresso experiences with La Marzocco GS/3s, Chemex coffees, Mahlkonig grinders, Curtis Seraphim brewers, and Bunn hot water towers.
Here are a few thoughts being shared via social media as Symposium happens live:
Diversification as a good option for farmers to try closing the gap to a dignified income – Pierre F from @Heifer #SCAASymposium
— Miguel Zamora (@Mig_Zamora) April 8, 2015
Cupping of varietals in Narino revealed no real difference in cup scores between Caturra and Castillo @coffeelands #SCAASymposium
— Nathalie Gabbay (@nathaliegabbay) April 8, 2015
From Daniele Giovannucci performing, succeeding in sustainability is more vital than succeeding in business #scaasymposium
— Tracy Ging (@tracyging) April 8, 2015
Next year the #SCAASymposium bag should include an external phone battery, pre-charged. It is 10am and I already foresee a problem…
— Elise Hogan (@elisehogan) April 8, 2015
For all the latest at SCAA Symposium, follow #SCAASymposium on Twitter and Instagram.
