NEW YORK, US — Leaders from the global tea industry are gearing up for Questex’s World Tea Conference + Expo, the leading specialty tea event, scheduled for June 28-30 in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center. In addition to gathering professionals from all areas of the tea industry – from farm to cup – the event will also attract businesses and buyers from various industries, including grocery and retail, coffee and tea houses, restaurants/bars and foodservice, hotels, beverage manufacturers, distributors and more.
Attendees will gain insights about tea and new ways their company can profit from it, in addition to discovering the latest trends and products. Registration and details are available at WorldTeaExpo.com (early-bird registration is open through June 14, 2021).
Michael Harney, vice president and master tea buyer and blender at Harney & Sons Fine Teas, an exhibitor of the upcoming event, said, “After the last year we all had, we’re looking forward to planting our flag out in Las Vegas with the global tea industry at the World Tea Conference + Expo – live and in person this June. We’re hoping what happens out there, does not just stay there. We’re looking forward to the new business connections and great networking that the show always provides. Bring it on!”
Joseph Ndirangu, CEO of Starteam International Limited, an agribusiness export company based in Limuru and with offices in Nairobi, Kenya in East Africa, said, “As a relatively young company, this will be our first time participating in the World Tea Conference + Expo under the ‘New Business Launch Pad’ category. We’re looking forward to connecting with the industry, exploring new trends, tasting new products, learning new concepts, and networking with stakeholders across the tea industry. Also, as we work towards opening new markets and channels for our products and pure, tasty Kenyan tea, we also look forward to experiencing everything that the World Tea Conference + Expo has to offer.”
Pavithri Peiris, director of promotion with the Sri Lanka Tea Board, a government statutory board that functions as an apex body for the tea industry in Sri Lanka, noted, “The United States is the third largest importer of tea in the world and one of the top Ceylon tea importing nations. For the last couple of years, demand for Ceylon tea – and for specialty teas produced in Sri Lanka – have increased, showing a potential for Ceylon tea to penetrate in the U.S. market. World Tea Conference + Expo 2021 will be a unique forum that brings together experts, business leaders and fledging entrepreneurs throughout the tea industry under one roof. Since The Sri Lanka Tea Board is a regular participant at World Tea events, it is expected that World Tea Conference + Expo 2021 will be a good platform for Sri Lanka to promote its innovative Ceylon tea products – artisanal teas, value-added teas – during the exhibition. We look forward to the event being a very successful, jam-packed program with tea business and buyers from the United States.”
Haïtea Founder Sanaa Pierre and Co-Founder Sandra Florvella, said, “As first-time participants of the World Tea Conference + Expo, we are excited to join and connect with the exceptional community of tea lovers from around the world. At Haïtea, we’re looking forward to learning more about tea products from other regions, in addition to sharing a taste of the Caribbean through the teas from our land of Haiti. We eagerly await this year’s World Tea Conference + Expo, and we’re certain that this is our first of many participations at this amazing event.”
Maurenique Greyling Johnson, landscape strategist with The Langkloof Honeybush Company, shared, “We are particularly excited to have an opportunity to create awareness of an endemic species – so rich in flavor and health benefits – on an international platform such as the World Tea Conference + Expo. We are grateful to Questex for providing the opportunity to showcase our product as the winner of the recent 2021 Teas Tycoons Green/Sustainability Award, and we look forward to re-connecting, face-to-face with the industry, after what feels like an age of being isolated from our customers.”
Sara Delaney, founder and CEO, 3 Mountains / Sarilla Sparkling and Tima Tea – who is presenting two educational sessions and exhibiting – said, “I am honored to be presenting at the upcoming World Tea Conference + Expo. I first attended as an observer only five years ago, and since then I have been on quite a ride that I am excited to share when I present in two educational sessions. I have been working with tea farmers in Rwanda for over a decade, and it is my great pleasure to help other business owners develop strategies for building a competitive advantage. Coming out of an incredibly challenging year, I really look forward to finally coming together again. Tea is a catalyst for change and can support community-building and resilient lives. Please join my sessions at the World Tea Conference + Expo and visit our Sarilla Sparkling Tea booth.”
Highlights of other leading organizations participating in the event include: Finlays, Starbucks, Zojirushi America Corporation, Firsd Tea, Drink Rooibos, Asheville Tea Company, Admari, The Tea Smith, Nepal Tea, Wild Orchard Green Tea, Just Add Honey Tea Company, Urban Teahouse, Sips By, AlaEat, Almendra Americas LLC, Coreshtech Co., FORLIFE, Fuji Merchandise Corporation, Gourmet Kitchenworks (Bredemeijer USA), NASA Corporation and Steeped Games, among many others.
The World Tea Conference + Expo will feature three days of education, two days to explore the lively Expo Hall, a Tea Bar, tea-infused culinary demonstrations to showcase the versatility of tea, workshops, and an evening reception and networking opportunities.
World Tea Conference + Expo will be co-located with Nightclub & Bar Show, North America’s premier conference and expo for the bar and restaurant industry, and all World Tea attendees will receive access to the co-located event. The strategic co-location – which makes this the largest gathering of the beverage industry – will create exciting new opportunities to connect buyers and sellers of tea and tea related products with the bar and restaurant industry.
Registration and Details
Registration for World Tea Conference + Expo, along with the conference agenda, is available at WorldTeaExpo.com. Stay connected with World Tea Conference + Expo on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
For World Tea Conference + Expo sponsorship opportunities, contact Jamie Schroeder (U.S. and Canadian Companies) at jschroeder@questex.com or Veronica Gonnello (International Companies) at vgonnello@questex.com.
For Nightclub & Bar Show sponsorship opportunities, contact Jamie Schroeder (Companies G, H, J-S, U, W-Z) at jschroeder@questex.com, Veronica Gonnello (Companies A-F,I,T,V) at vgonnello@questex.com; or Fadi Alsayegh (Foodservice Companies) at falsayegh@questex.com.
About World Tea Conference + Expo
World Tea Conference + Expo is North America’s cannot miss gathering of the specialty tea industry and is focused 100% on specialty teas and related products. Blending fresh ideas, the latest trends and new distribution channels with focused buying, selling, networking and education, World Tea Conference + Expo is your chance to capitalize on this growing category to the fullest. As the hub of the North American specialty tea market, World Tea Conference + Expo serves the $8 billion US tea industry, expected to grow an additional $11 billion.
About Nightclub & Bar Show
Nightclub & Bar Show is the go-to resource for the bar and restaurant industry. Mirroring the fast-paced, trend-setting nature of the hospitality industry, Nightclub & Bar has been providing the specific tools that bar and restaurant owners, operators and managers need to grow their businesses, compete, and succeed in this hyper-competitive and dynamic industry. Nightclub & Bar Show is part of the Bar & Restaurant Group, a division of the Questex Hospitality Group which also produces VIBE Conference, Nightclub & Bar Awards, and daily content on BarandRestaurant.com.
About Questex
Questex helps people live better and longer. Questex brings people together in the markets that help people live better: travel, hospitality and wellness; the industries that help people live longer: life science and healthcare; and the technologies that enable and fuel these new experiences. We live in the experience economy – connecting our ecosystem through live events, surrounded by data insights and digital communities.
