MILAN (Italy) – Like the skills it wants to impart, the training programme offered by Host with the collaboration of the Coffee Promotion Consortium (CPC) and the Association of Italian Espresso Coffee Machines and Bar Equipment Manufacturers (Ucimac) promises to be innovative and original, and will include workshops and the sharing of important research and market data.
In the “Coffee District”, a purposely-built area, experts from the world of coffee, research institutes and international organizations will gather for a multidisciplinary event that aims to promote and capitalize on the coffee culture.
The event will pay particular attention to key issues, such as national and international trends and future scenarios, and focus especially on single-portion capsules. It will also look at the relationship between Italians and their coffee, in connection with which Astra Ricerche will be presenting the findings of its research into to the myths and rituals surrounding the country’s favourite beverage.
The coffee District is also the venue for a series of talks on: the relationship between coffee and the health and wellbeing of our organism; the commitment of the coffee industry to becoming more sustainable; and the training of professionals in the culture of high-quality coffee.
There will also be a space dedicated to specialty products and micro-roasters.
“The key aim of the workshop is to engage industry operators in an in-depth discussion of themes of common interest, explains Patrick Hoffer (picture), Chairman of the Consorzio Promozione Caffè, and hopefully contribute to the promotion of the Italian concept of coffee.
One of the events that promises to arouse great interest will be the presentation of the “ISSpresso machine” as used in the International Space Station in a gravity-free environment, which will be demonstrated by an exceptional “barista”, the astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.
“Furthermore,” continues Hoffer “a sociological report on how Italians consume coffee will be presented, which will give us an up-to-date picture on consumer behaviour in relation to coffee. The event also includes several other interesting initiatives from local authorities and private companies on the theme of sustainability and supporting local development in a number of coffee-producing countries.”
The fact that coffee consumption is on the rise everywhere indicates that the time is ripe for a full-spectrum appraisal of the world of coffee at an international event such as Host.
“The coffee market is vibrant and lively,” according to Maurizio Giuli (picture), director of marketing of Nuova Simonelli and Chairman of Ucimac. Just look back 10 or 20 years and compare how things were then with how they are now. Espresso coffee was quite unknown in 95% of the countries of the world, where many consumers associated the drink with freeze-dried granules.
The coffee bar was a phenomenon confined to but a few nations, and Starbucks was only a small-time player with a few hundred outlets in the United States. Asian countries and the United Kingdom were still cultivating their tea-drinking tradition, and the Latte Art technique was virtually inexistent. Even the single-dose capsule was relegated to the margins of the market, and Nestlé was known only as the maker of Nescafé.”
Luigi Morello (picture), Foreign Sales Manager of the Cimbali Group and head of the Mumac Academy stressed the importance of training modules, and welcomed the participation of high-calibre international speakers.
“Training creates professionalism, raises the cultural level of a sector, deepens interest in it, and hands on a tradition. The Coffee District of HOST 2015 is aiming to draw attention to the industry, stimulate debate and encourage the comparing of notes so that all participants may make progress. Training should be our trump card for the exportation of our Italian culture.”
The “Toc Talks” (Tips on Comptencies) of the Coffee District at Host will therefore discuss not just the technical and economic aspects of coffee-making, but also its social implications as a drink of choice in human relations and as the provider of moments of sharing for people and organizations.
“Today, the two buzzwords in the economic and social sciences are relationship and sharing,” explains Gianfranco Vercellone (picture), CEO of apropositodime.com, “and all business, organizational and leadership models must take these two concepts into consideration. What else is there in nature that better favours relationships and sharing than a coffee, and in this case I am thinking of coffee as also including a physical space?
“Very often, the offer of a coffee is the first rite in a relationship between adults, and the celebration of this rite takes place in a place that is well used to and conducive to the sharing of ideas, emotions and feelings. It’s not that there can be no sharing in other sorts of drinking premises, but the mood in them is certainly more ‘euphoric’ and therefore less precise, less focused and less productive than that offered by the cafeteria.
“If the need for relationships and sharing increases, so will the importance of coffee both as a product and as a situation. It is written in the stars! This might come across as speculative or hyperbolic, but it is not.
All human behaviour, including the apparently least significant, becomes worthy of analysis and appraisal when it is multiplied by a number with six zeros. If world consumption of this drink increases along with the number of specialized outlets offering it (often trading under shamelessly Italian-sounding names), it is because coffee is modern, trendy and cool.”
Maurizio Giuli adds, “Because of its great dynamism and ability to renew itself, the coffee sector today is one of the most interesting with the best growth potential. But to compete in this market, we must be able to look outwards and anticipate coming trends. Host will therefore be the venue for a lot of discussion about new trends, with analysts and opinion leaders of an international calibre offering up ideas on what the coffee market of the future will look like. The event is an absolute must for anyone who wants to be an industry leader in the years to come.”
