California Dreamin’ – Part 6 – NEW World Tea Awards Dinner

The pleasure of your company is requested for the brand NEW World Tea Awards dinner taking place at 7 pm on May 30, 2014 aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. This is our chance to come together as an industry and dress up for a change! I can hardly begin to share with you the excitement I feel towards this very special event meant to recognize and show appreciation to our industry overall.

The World Tea Awards dinner will be hosted by me and World Tea Expo founder and director, George Jage. The evening will be a true gala where you are invited to “dust off your tux” or “don your evening gown or finest Victorian garb if you so prefer.”  We will dine in very fine style on the ship! And, our entertainment will transport you back to a time and place where the luxury of a cruise ship was enjoyed by Kings and Queens and celebrities. The May 30 event is black tie optional and will include music, dinner, and an Oscars-style award ceremony. Very soon we will be collecting nominations for various categories (stay tuned!). Top nominees will be announced prior to the dinner and individual category winners announced during the gala.   The dinner offers very limited seating, so if you are interested in attending, grab your tickets ASAP or book a table of ten for your business. For more details, Click Here. To culminate this very special evening, the Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Devan Shah (International Tea Importers) as he is honored by several special guest presenters.  The Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes and celebrates individuals who have made considerable contributions to the growth, innovation and education of the tea industry throughout their lifetime. “While facilitated by World Tea Media, the Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award is a community celebration in honor of pioneers that have helped fuel the market and shape the industry we know today.” Devan has been a pioneer, a leader, and a true friend in the specialty tea industry for more than two decades.  His dedication to tea and his compassion for the industry has been known to many.   Devan has been a trusted educator and supplier to hundreds of small tea business in the U.S., an ardent supporter of World Tea Expo, Specialty Tea Institute, and tea festivals across the country, publisher of James Norwood Pratt’s legendary Tea Lover’s Treasury and Tea Dictionary, and has been a leader in America’s tea renaissance.  To read more about the Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award and learn more about Devan, Click Here. Of course there are many other special events and goings-on at World Tea Expo. The usual networking reception will be taking place on the first night (May 29). The World Tea Awards dinner/gala will be the second night (May 30). Be sure to watch the World Tea Expo website for continued additions and special things to do.  For a Schedule of Events, Click Here.   For a list of Special Events, Click Here. Don’t miss the Tea Party of the Year! This will be a night of celebration, recognition, and fun. Come join us for this black-tie optional formal industry celebration aboard the iconic Queen Mary, Friday, May 30, at 7:00 pm. This event has limited-seating so reserve your spot today! Please feel free to contact me directly, or comment here if you have something positive to share or a question I may help to answer.  I for one, cannot wait to see everyone all spiffed up – or all dolled up! I’ll bet we all “clean up” nice ;) Until next time, I remain California Dreamin’… Gail Gastelu, The Tea House Times