The 28th annual Hawaii Coffee Association conference and trade show is coming to the island of Kauai next month.
The show will also host the 14th Hawaii statewide cupping competition, through which guests of the event will be able to sample finalist coffees. Qualifying entries are being accepted through Wednesday, May 3. The competition is being overseen by Kona-based Pacific Coffee Research, and rules and submission details can be found here.
Taking place June 15-17 at the Kauai Beach Resort & Spa, the conference will feature educational seminars on fermentation and roast theory, plus workshops on cupping, roasting, green grading, brewing, grinding and field grafting. This year will also see the launch of a latte art throwdown.
2023 HCA Conference keynote speaker Marc Marquez of Savor Brands and the Pono Collective.
The HCA has just announced the full speaker lineup for the event, which is open both to HCA members and to the general public.
The keynote address will be delivered by Marc Marquez of Honolulu-based packaging and design company Savor Brands. A certified Q Grader, Marquez is also the founder of the Pono Collective, which is focused on building coffee community connections throughout the islands.
Much of the conference’s focus is likely to be on legislative issues affecting funding to the Hawaiian coffee sector (the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture is a primary sponsor), as well as on technical issues related to farm profitability and the ongoing battle with coffee leaf rust, a crop-killing disease that has been discovered on all of Hawaii’s coffee-growing islands.
The HCA is designed to support actors throughout the state’s coffee industry, including farmers, millers, traders, roasters and retailers.
See the complete show schedule here.
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