Collaboration and Being Inclusive of Other Industries Is Key for ‘World Tea’ and Growing the Tea Trade in North America
This year, the World Tea Conference + Expo will co-locate with Nightclub & Bar Show, North America’s premier conference and expo for the bar and restaurant industry. The two events will take place June 28-30, 2021 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas.
But why is the co-location a benefit to participants?
World Tea News spoke with several highly respected tea industry leaders, all of whom shared insights on the value of this exciting and strategic partnership.
In fact, all of the experts we spoke with agreed: Co-locating the two events brings significant opportunity for collaboration and innovation, new business, fresh ideas, and the chance to learn from one another.
‘A Wonderful Idea’
Shalini Agarwal, president of Glenburn Tea Direct, said, “The combination of World Tea Conference & Expo with the Nightclub & Bar Show in Las Vegas is a wonderful idea, which will bring together two industries with much to gain from each other – adding a new dimension and synergy of vendors and customers to both shows. Tea, whether Camillia sinensis or herbal, is already popular in bottled beverages, mixed drinks [alcoholic and non-alcoholic], served hot or cold and available as a healthy alternative in bars, nightclubs and restaurants. There is so much to learn and opportunity to collaborate. I am excited to be part of this unique and innovative conference, which is certain to expand demand for tea in unconventional ways and help promote it as a mainstream, healthy beverage in the United States.”
Kevin Christiansen, owner of Cafe Barnabas agreed, noting that it’s all about expanding one’s artistic crafting experience and being inspired by a symbiotic relationship.
“As a creative business owner, I often draw on other industries to inspire my most profitable ideas,” said Christiansen. “World Tea Conference + Expo's co-location with the Bar & Nightclub Show could not come at a better point in history. As an attendee, you'll maximize your time and investment, unlocking twice the value though combined educational opportunities, additional vendors and potential business partnerships.”
Christiansen said that his business, Cafe Barnabas, not only focuses on high-quality loose-leaf tea but is also a kombucha microbrewery and innovative beverage café, so he sees the co-located events as a big benefit. “The show floors being co-located this year is sure to greatly expand our artistic crafting capacity,” he said. “For years, vendors at the World Tea Conference + Expo have talked about the value of bringing other beverage professionals, especially in the wine and whiskey industry, to the world of tea. Imagine if all these beverage professions were under one roof. Wait – that is actually becoming a reality this year! If you're just joining the tea industry, you'll benefit from the deep knowledge resulting from this symbiotic relationship.”
The Tea Community: a Focus on Being Inclusive, Collaborative
Rona Tison, executive vice president, corporate relations and PR for ITO EN North America, Inc., explained, “There is such versatility with tea that opening up to new markets and being inclusive with various industries is really a plus.”
Tison shared that the bar and restaurant audience of Questex's Nightclub & Bar Show is an ideal fit, given that tea is becoming so popular in the hospitality and food service channels. “It allows our industry to be more collaborative and introduce our expansive world to those who might be new to tea. No doubt there will be more exposure and opportunities to a new and dynamic channel.”
For Chris Chantler, the co-founder of Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea Co., the co-located events makes a lot of sense, especially as a way to introduce more business and professionals to tea. In fact, his company has had great success selling quality whole-leaf teas into this segment.
“The surge in popularity of craft cocktails has created a new demand for interesting and unique ingredients,” said Chantler. “We sell a wide variety of teas for use in many different cocktails and mocktails. The rebranding of the show to target [and co-locate with] the restaurant industry provides greater opportunities to introduce more establishments to tea. Upgrading a restaurants tea program is one of simplest ways to make a statement of quality to the guest, and at the same time increasing revenues. At the end of the day, I think we are all excited that there will be a show [this year], which is a big win for the tea industry. I think having a partner can only help with the success of the event.”
An Overlooked Ingredient: Expanding Tea’s Presence in the Culinary World
Questex tea expert Lisa Richardson, director of World Tea Academy, said she’s excited about the collaboration and synergy that will come with co-locating the World Tea Conference + Expo with the bar and restaurant industry.
“I think it will benefit both shows immensely,” explained Richardson. “Tea is a part of the hospitality industry and is often overlooked as a revenue generator. The growth opportunity with co-locating the shows should help to expose tea to many that are unaware of all that this beautiful beverage offers. Tea has been overlooked for many bars and restaurants as an ingredient for cocktails and mocktails, as an ingredient for food, and as an alcohol-free beverage option for those that either don’t drink or want to cut back. It will be exciting to expand tea’s reach to the beverage and culinary world.”
Tim Smith, chief leaf at The Tea Smith, revealed that this year’s World Tea Conference + Expo will provide a welcome and valuable change to everyone’s routines and operations of the past year or so, in light of Covid-19 restrictions.
“Many in the industry have been focused on survival,” said Smith. “Now, the event is bringing the industry together for education, networking and, of course, tea. The value of networking with peers, and discovering new products and trends, brings new ideas and fresh perspectives to us as we grow our businesses. This year will certainly provide a unique opportunity for the World Tea Conference + Expo, as the event will be co-located with the Nightclub & Bar Show. While not all of us operate in that part of the market, we can gain some great insight into new trends in beverages and evolving consumer tastes. We will also have a great opportunity to visit vendors that are in the restaurant and bar industry that provide products, supplies and services that may be of value to those in the tea industry. We are looking forward to networking with our friends, learning new things and sharing a cuppa together.”
Demystifying Tea for the Bar & Restaurant Industry
Tim McLucas, vice president, Bar & Restaurant, Questex, concluded that tea can be a real option for new business growth and customer satisfaction for operators in the bar and restaurant community. “By providing the right type of educational programming, and showcasing how tea and tea related products can enhance a bar or restaurant operator’s ability to expand their business opportunities, we hope this process will demystify tea and present the tea segment as an accessible and profitable opportunity for the bar and restaurant community.”
Registration for World Tea Conference + Expo will open soon at WorldTeaExpo.com. Stay connected with World Tea Conference + Expo on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Early bird registration for Nightclub & Bar Show 2021 starts at $99 and expires May 17, 2021.
Register at NCBShow.com/Register. Stay connected with Nightclub & Bar Show on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vimeo.
For World Tea Conference + Expo sponsorship opportunities, contact Jamie Schroeder (U.S. and Canadian Companies) at [email protected] or Veronica Gonnello (International Companies) at [email protected].
For Nightclub & Bar Show sponsorship opportunities, contact Jamie Schroeder (Companies G, H, J-S, U, W-Z) at [email protected], Veronica Gonnello (Companies A-F,I,T,V) at [email protected]; or Fadi Alsayegh (Foodservice Companies) at [email protected].