Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1056740
14 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 6, 2018 (December / January 2019) decade of success convinced COTECA organizers to expand the franchise to Asia as the fifth edition in Hamburg, Germany welcomed 3,600 coffee, tea, and cocoa professionals to what turned out to be the most successful show yet. According to venue operator Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, the three- day exhibition in October hosted 136 exhibitors from 35 countries and all continents, signifying that COTECA has indeed matured into one of the most important and influential coffee and tea industry events in the world. Next fall the show will move to Bangkok, Thailand. COTECA Asia, scheduled for Nov. 27-28, 2019 will be managed by Quartz Business Media, a leading international event organizer based in UK with global sales and support by October Multimedia Co., Ltd., publishers of this magazine. Buyers marveled at the sheer diversity of products and attended a rich support program of keynote speeches and presentations, as well as numerous coffee and tea cuppings at the Hamburg event. "Together with our partner, the Kaffee Campus of the German Roasters Guild, we succeeded in meeting the high expectations of exhibitors and visitors, covering the current industry insights and trends and communicating them from Hamburg to the world," said Hamburg Messe president and c.e.o. Bernd Aufderheide. German Roasters Guild chairman Enver Atabay said the German Kaffee Campus was even more lively and better attended than in 2016. "We took the opportunity for a wider view in our conferences, workshops, and cuppings and addressed not only coffee subjects but also tea – that was very well received by the expert audience. The overall quality of COTECA is outstanding. That was evident in the many interesting and well-informed discussions we had here," he said. Tea exporters from mainland China and Taiwan made a strong presence at the show, saying their attendance was warranted to meet growing demand in Europe for green tea varieties. An eclectic mix of Asian tea companies was supplemented by regu- lars like the Sri Lanka Tea Board and producers from India, and more "exotic" locales like Nepal. German tea importers and trading companies such as Hälssen & Lyon and Dethlefsen & Balk played a prominent role. The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) hosted a large pavilion featuring more than a dozen tea manufacturers from the country. Photos courtesy Hamburg Messe und Congress/Michael Zapf Hamburg is Europe's top trading hub for coffee, cocoa, and tea. An indepen- dent survey of exhibitors at this year's show revealed 84% confirmed "all their expectations were met" while 76% of exhibitors would recommend COTECA. The show floor at the Hamburg Messe featured coffee, tea, and cocoa exhibitors from 35 nations By Thomas Schmid COTECA Shines A 2019 Edition Moves to Asia A "The overall quality of COTECA is outstanding." (Enver Atabay, chairman, German Roasters Guild)