The event, which took place from 25-28 April at the Old Truman Brewery, reached unprecedented attendee levels of 16,209 (a 38% increase from 11,728 in 2012), attracted more than 160 exhibitors and raised more than £50,000 for Project Waterfall, the charitable initiative delivering clean drinking water in African coffee-making countries.
The hybrid event, which extended from one to two industry days this year, also welcomed 10,000 consumers through the doors during the four days.
The programme included features such as L’Accademia di Cimbali, La Cimbali’s homage to the MUMAC Museum in Italy that celebrates the brand’s 100 year history. The company showcased coffee throughout the ages, bringing with them some vintage machinery, and teamed up with Coffee Historian Jonathan Morris to deliver educational talks in the Lab about the history of espresso.
La Marzocco’s True Artisan Café, was another firm favourite on the festival programme. The pop-up coffee shop partnered with more than 30 independent coffee shops and roasters, inviting visitors to taste the coffee.
The event also saw the return of the UK Barista Championship and Brewers Cup for the second year running and added the exciting Latte Art, Coffee in Good Spirits, Ibrik and Cupping competitions to its programme.
“Taking the decision to move from one industry day to two was not one we took lightly,” said Ludovic Rossignol, head of events for festival organisers Allegra Events.
He continued: “We had to consider our exhibitor needs, the hybrid nature of the event as well as the overall feel of the festival. It was important that the event maintained a sense of celebration as well as deliver an excellent business opportunity for our clients and industry visitors.”
Commenting on their experience at the festival, Lizzie Bain, co-owner and operations manager, Ozone Coffee Roasters said: “Our primary reason for exhibiting was to raise brand awareness and meet with existing and potential wholesale customers. We really liked the mix of clientele and focus over the four days and were delighted by how many excellent sales leads came from the show.”
Dates for the 2014 have yet to be finalised with organisers indicating that the festival will be brought forward to early April.