MILAN – This time we offer you the opinion about the WOC, the World Of Coffee, by a young coffee professional and enthusiast, Emanuele F. Emanuele has recently joined the sector as an employee of DVG De Vecchi: he was impressed by the experience lived in Milan and he wanted to write the sensations that this glowing exhibition has left him. With all the surprises and the naivety that can stimulate the mind of a young writer. Here it is.
by Emanuele F.
At the end of June, Milan became the home of the World Of Coffee 2022, the specialized fair exhibition that, once a year in a different European city, welcomes hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of visitors from all over the world.
This year WOC was held in Italy, which for decades has been recognized as the cradle of espresso coffee. It isn’t an insignificant reality.
Focusing on the concept of reality, it is here that coffee has solid foundations.
That little grain, which set foot in Venice for the first time in Italy, has made its way into people’s daily lives over the centuries.
The energy, the movement, the dynamism, the conviviality that a cup of coffee unleashes are, unquestionably, unique characteristics.
Visiting WOC all these aspects were visible, tangible, almost graspable.
It is precisely in those two halls of Fieramilanocity that the train of emotions completely run over the visitors. The numerous roasters and micro-roasters, the manufacturers of coffee machines and equipment, through smiles, humility, joy, competence and, why not, even the healthy and natural competition between brands and baristas from all over the world: here comes that spark, that emotion.
That shot, the vitality, the desire to participate, be present, look up, close your eyes and take a deep breath of that mood, allowing that universe and that vision of the world to make you lose the perception of time.
It is in events like this that the work of thousands of people is fully valued. It is only in this way that a mouse, a keyboard and a monitor in an office can be transformed into something more than a simple job, something more than a trivial routine.
The finished product, the machines and, above all, the people acquire a personality and a humanity that goes beyond the normal conception of dignity at work. It is possible to savor, from the words and deeds, the nature and innocence of dreams. To be part of something much bigger.
By participating in WOC 2022 I had the opportunity to compare myself with people who are part of industries that have enhanced this world for generations. The latter are a great reference point for the coffee sector, they have an incredible attitude and propensity for the universe that this drink has created around itself, in its soul, finding innovative ideas, solutions and creativity for its products, unique, unrepeatable.
One of them, while we were having a coffee, told me a phrase that is still stuck with me: “You have entered the world of coffee, it is hardly a world that will abandon you”.
WOC 2022 was an experience that gifted the world of coffee the right honor, justice, and joy. The fair has favored the meeting of people from different countries, which has undoubtedly made it possible to consolidate relationships, share experiences, create new bonds, stimulate ideas, and give life to projects. Unique opportunities that must be seized as soon as they arise.
Many men in history would have liked to have the opportunity to encounter dimensions and universes of thought created by people; Quoting Steve Jobs “I would trade all my technology for an evening with Socrates”.
WOC was my chance, the one for a young man who has recently become part of the world of coffee as a protagonist, thanks to DVG De Vecchi and the people who make it up. This was the vision that WOC gave me, a unique and rare element in the dimension of a fair exhibition that has been able to be great, whose voices have crossed continents, giving an image of space and time that is unique of its kind.
Emanuele F.
