It’s time to get excited.
Registration is officially open for the 2022 World Tea Conference + Expo at WorldTeaExpo.com, and the conference program is now available to view.
This is the tea industry event you need to attend in 2022, and it takes place this March in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The World Tea Conference + Expo is the leading specialty tea event for the global tea community, and it’ll feature insightful educational sessions and workshops, a “who’s who” of industry leaders, a dedicated expo, Tea Bar, Boba Tea Experience, and a special 20th Anniversary Celebration, among other highlights.
The event takes place March 21-23, 2022, and it’ll once again take place alongside Bar & Restaurant Expo, opening the door for unique collaborations, business possibilities and learning opportunities across two complementary industries.
2022 Highlights
Here are just a few of the exciting highlights for the upcoming event:
--- 20th Anniversary Celebration: That’s right – the event marks the 20th anniversary of this major tea conference and expo. The World Tea community has gathered for two decades and it’s now time to celebrate this achievement, as well as the people who make up the industry, and how much the tea marketplace has grown in North America.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the global tea industry to the World Tea Conference + Expo this March,” said Tim McLucas, Vice President, Bar & Restaurant, Questex. “Our 2022 event marks the 20th anniversary of the event, and we look forward to celebrating it with the tea community – live and in person. The event has gathered for two decades, so it’s time to celebrate this achievement, the people who make up the industry, and how much the tea marketplace has grown in North America since the show began. We look forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas this spring, as we continue to grow the industry.”
--- Tea Business Incubator: This special educational program is for anyone who’s thinking about starting a tea business, just beginning to start a tea business, or looking for knowledge about the business-end of tea. Kevin Gascoyne – a tea buyer and tea taster with Camellia Sinensis Tea House in Canada – will be your lead emcee, as well as a speaker. He’ll join other participants, including Don Ho, founder of BDH Consultants; Nishchal Banskota, founder of Nepal Tea; Shabnam Weber
president of the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada; Sharyn Johnston, CEO of Australian Tea Masters; and Babette Donaldson of International Tea Sippers Society and T Ching. Details can be found on the World Tea Conference + Expo website.
--- Immersive Workshops: The 2022 event will also feature in-depth tea workshops, including Tea Flights (which replaces the Origins Tasting Tour). Tea Flights will feature quick 30-minute tastings of the most popular teas and botanicals that come from different growing regions. This will give attendees the opportunity to taste and learn about what each region produces and the flavor profiles to look for. There will also be a special drawing from one of the countries for a trip for two (airfare not included) for a tea tour. More details on that later.
Other workshops include “The Language of Taste” with Chris MacNitt/Johnston, the tea development lead at Starbucks, as well as “China Teas: An In-Depth Tasting Journey” with Lydia Kung, owner of Verileaf.
--- A Dedicated Expo: The exhibit hall will feature hundreds of new teas, tea wares, brewing accessories and related products and services. Just a few of the participating exhibitors include: Dethlefsen & Balk, DMH Ingredients, Eastern Elm, Firsd Tea, FORLIFE, Glenburn Fine Tea, Harney & Sons Fine Teas, International Tea Importers, Marumatsu Tea Corporation, Matche, Mennä, Metropolitan Tea Company, Sri Lanka Tea Board, THAT! Premium Kitchenware, The Chai Box, Yichang Xiao's Tea (Group) Co., Ltd. and many more.
You can stay up-to-date on the exhibitors and the expo’s floorplan – as more names are added to the list over the next several months – by visiting WorldTeaExpo.com. In addition to the World Tea show floor, attendees can also experience the Bar & Restaurant Expo. The two events provide new opportunities for business growth and evolution of the tea industry within a critical vertical market.
--- Tea Tycoons: This exciting awards program – first held during the World Tea Virtual Summit in March 2021 – is back for 2022 with a live program in Las Vegas. This is an opportunity for new tea businesses to receive the ultimate in marketing exposure, as finalists pitch judges on the expo’s NxT stage, similar to television programs where entrepreneurs pitch their groundbreaking businesses.
The Tea Tycoons program celebrates and honors emerging small businesses that are producing innovative products for the global tea industry. Nominations are now open for Tea Tycoons (nominations close on Jan. 15, 2022), and winners will be based on three categories – Unique Customer Relations, Sustainability and Innovation. Honorees will receive pre-show and onsite recognition at the World Tea Conference & Expo, among other benefits.
To qualify for this program, participants must be a new business, brand or innovative product with no more than two years in business with less than 10 employees. Participants cannot be owned or funded by a large corporation, and they cannot be a previous World Tea Conference + Expo exhibition. Nominations close on Jan. 27, 2022. Details and the nomination form can be found here.
--- 9 Dragons Tea Movie Night: Join other attendees for a special viewing of the feature film, 9 Dragons Tea, which documents the epic and untold story of tea from its ancient origins in China to Europe and America. There will be popcorn and candy to snack on during this beautiful film. See the trailer and learn more at 9dragonstea.com/about. Movie Night will be hosted and presented by Cristy Hui, owner of 9 Dragons, and Bruce Richardson, founder of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.
--- Educational Sessions: For the conference program, numerous well-known tea experts, leaders and suppliers will present sessions on hot topics, trends and issues. In addition, they’ll offer lessons for industry players and up-and-coming tea entrepreneurs, as well as retailers, vertical market professionals, buyers and more. Here’s a snapshot of the agenda:
- “The Journey of Global Tea Trends” with Art Lopez, the marketing director for tea at Finlays
- “Importing & Exporting Tea: Do's & Don'ts” by Nishchal Banskota, founder of Nepal Tea
- “The Role of Business in Socially Just & Environmentally Sustainable Tea” by Jenny Costelloe, executive director of Ethical Tea Partnership
- “From Napa to Nilgiri: How Fine Wine & Quality Tea Have More in Common Than You Think” by Will Battle, founder of Fine Tea Merchants
- “Changing Consumer Needs and the Opportunities for Tea” with Matthew Barry, senior beverages consultant with Euromonitor International
- “Blending Botanicals: Incorporating Herbs into Your Tea Program” with Sara Stewart Martinelli, owner of The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
- “The African Tea Industry: Challenges and Opportunities” with Michael Oscar, co-founder and product lead for Trastea
- “Coping with Disruptions in the Supply Chain” with Dan Bolton, Tea Biz
- “Boba: The Gateway Drink & More” by Andrew Chau, co-founder and CEO, Boba Guys
- “A Marketing Refresh: For Business Professionals Seeking Innovation as a Means to Refresh” with Gail Gastelu, owner and publisher of The Tea House Times
- “Using Digital Marketing for an Ancient Product,” presented by Jamila McGill and Alfonso Wright of Brooklyn Tea
- “Pairing Tea & Bourbon,” presented by Bruce Richardson, founder of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas
- “A Partnership of Tea & Beer” featuring Bryan Hackman, founder of Cotee River Brewing Co., and Kelly Hackman, owner of The White Heron Tea & Gifts Tea Co.
- “Cold Brew Tea Mixology” with Julia Leach, president of Toddy LLC
- “Teavana: A Success or Failure” with Naoko Tsunoda, owner of Key to Teas
- “Innovation with Tea: How This Resort Has Made Tea a Main Component of Its Wellbeing Philosophy” by Phil Parda, president of World Source International
- “Sustainability in Life and Today's Tea Industry After the Pandemic Crisis,” presented by Thomas Shu, co-founder of JT and Tea
- “How to Build a High Profit Online Tea Business in the New Economy” with Dean Jablon, chief financial officer at Lifetime Tea
- “Mate: Closer to Teas than to Herbs” by Heroldo Secco Junior, CEO of MTB - Mate Tea Brasil
- “TeaBloggers Roundtable 2022” featuring JoAni Johnson of Scandalous Tea as moderator and Nicole Wilson of Tea For Me Please, Rachel Carter of iHeart Teas, Cody Wade of The Oolong Drunk, and Babette Donaldson of T Ching, among others.
Don’t Miss It – Register Today
The above is a list of just some of the highlights for the March 2022 event in Las Vegas. Keep an eye out for more details and news about the show, and plan to attend now.
Register at WorldTeaExpo.com.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the World Tea Conference + Expo, co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo, contact:
Veronica Gonnello
(for companies A to G)
e: [email protected]
p: 212-895-8244
Tim Schultz
(for companies H to Q)
e: [email protected]
p: (917) 258-8589
Fadi Alsayegh
(for companies R to Z)
e: [email protected]
p: 917-258-5174
Also, be sure to stay connected with the World Tea Conference + Expo on social media, for details and insights about the event. Follow on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.