Tea Conference Touches Down in Chicago, Nov. 7 – 8 The in-depth education of World Tea Expo and World Tea Academy is hitting the road in Chicago this fall. The upcoming events offer entrepreneurial and career-focused education tracks
The upcoming World Tea on the Road (#WTOTR) – taking place in Chicago this fall – offers insightful business and career-building lessons in tea. The conference is ideal for tea retailers and entrepreneurs, new tea professionals, tea enthusiasts, chefs, restaurateurs and foodservice specialists, among others who want to learn everything about tea. Attendees can attend the conference in Chicago, Nov. 7 – 8 at the Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront.
Registration is now open at WorldTeaontheRoad.com.
The upcoming World Tea on the Road conference is based on the in-depth education of World Tea Expo and World Tea Academy. This unique conference presents entrepreneurial and career-focused education tracks, as well as a tasting tour of six tea origin countries/regions. The events will enhance attendees’ understanding of tea and the business of tea over just one weekend in each city.
Gary Lynch, vice president/group publisher at F+W, A Content + eCommerce Company, the organizer of World Tea on the Road, says, “If you can’t make it to the annual World Tea Expo – or just want to supplement your tea know-how in a more intimate and interactive environment – World Tea on the Road is your opportunity. Learn the basics and much more among your peers and tea enthusiasts. And in your downtime, enjoy and explore what Chicago has to offer visitors.”
Donna Fellman, program director of World Tea Academy, and one of the presenters, adds, “World Tea on the Road is an exciting and immersive tea experience taught by tea’s foremost experts. This is education open to anyone who wants to learn and grow in the tea industry – even if you’re new to it.”
World Tea on the Road Education Highlights
‘World Tea on the Road’ offers two distinct education tracks, Tea Business Boot Camp and World Tea Academy Live!, in addition to the World Origin Tasting Tour that is included as part of both track offerings.
Tea Conference Offers Education for Entrepreneurs, Budding Tea Professionals and Others Who Are Dedicated to the Fast-Growing Tea Industry in North America.Tea Business Boot Camp – This World Tea on the Road education experience is designed for entrepreneurs who are starting a tea retail business. Sessions include: Tea 101; Start a Business in the Tea Industry; Capturing & Marketing Customers; How to Source & Select Teas; and Financial Management Considerations for New Tea Businesses. Participation in this track also includes the World Origin Tasting Tour.
World Tea Academy Live! – This track at World Tea on the Road is a first step to achieving industry certification and future success in the world of tea. Session highlights include: Intro to the Six Types of Tea; Cupping Green and Yellow Teas; White and Oolong Teas; Black and Dark Teas; a Tea Q&A; and World Tea Academy Test Preparation and Testing. World Tea Academy is the leading online tea education and certification program, and World Tea Academy LIVE! is in-person instruction based on the online program. Participation in this track also includes the World Origin Tasting Tour.
World Origin Tasting Tour – This is a virtual tea tour around the globe. Attendees will make “stops” at six major countries/regions of origin, cultivating a better understanding of the culture along the way. It’s a highly informative, educational and entertaining experience. Countries of origin include: China, Japan, Kenya, Sri Lanka, India and Taiwan.
Highlights of the education sessions at the Chicago conference include:
Tea 101 – This workshop is an introduction to the fascinating world of tea, for the casually curious to the prospective taster. The course covers the essentials of tea's history and legends, the world's main producers, botany, manufacture, differentiation of the various styles, and laboratory research supporting the many beneficial qualities of tea.
How to Source & Select Your Teas – Few questions are more fundamental when opening a specialty tea business than, 'Where do I find my teas?' and 'What teas should I choose?" This workshop will help students start their journey of answering these questions. This is not a workshop on tasting and evaluating teas, rather it is in introduction to the art of deciding what teas are right for your business and how do you go about finding those teas.
Essentials of Camellia Sinensis – This class introduces Camellia sinensis and the three factors that make it possible for this one plant to be the source of hundreds of kinds of teas. It also explores the botany of the plant, including the history, varieties, cultivars and cellular chemistry. The class continues with the six stages of tea processing and an overview of the six types of tea that come from this single amazing plant. The session concludes with an introduction to professional cupping and the sensory evaluation of tea.
Register for World Tea on the Road in Chicago, Nov. 7 - 8. Visit WorldTeaontheRoad.com to sign-up today.
Also watch WorldTeaExpo.com for upcoming details on the 2016 World Tea Expo, scheduled for June 15 – 17, 2016 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (#WTE16). World Tea Expo is the leading annual tradeshow focused 100 percent on premium teas and related products.
