The London Coffee Festival attendee level reaches almost 12,000

This year The London Coffee Festival returned to great acclaim selling out both Saturday and Sunday sessions, attracting 11,728 attendees (over last year’s attendee figure of 7,500) and more than 100 exhibitors. More than 80,000 coffee and tea samples were consumed, around 7000 hot meals were served and 1500 espresso martinis were drunk at the event held 27-29 April. “London is now one of the greatest places on earth to explore and experience the latest trends in coffee,” saiys Jeffrey Young, Managing Director of Allegra Strategies. “The London Coffee Festival is an original and engaging event, giving visitors the opportunity to learn more about coffee and celebrate the vibrant UK coffee scene. We are especially pleased that the event managed to raise over £40,000 for Project Waterfall, through ticket sales and onsite fundraising”. The event began on Friday 27 April with a trade day, which this year saw the introduction of the ‘VIP Trade Day Experience’, a visit enhancement programme designed to maximise visit value for trade attendees and connect key trade visitors with exhibitors. The programme gave trade visitors the opportunity to enhance, personalise and add value to their visit through a series of exclusive workshops, seminars, product tastings and other VIP experiences. “La Cimbali are very pleased to have sponsored & supported The London Coffee Festival since its inception in 2011. It is an opportunity for meeting, coffee culture and entertainment.
It is a very exciting time to do business in a more informal and indirect way. This year was particularly successful and I thank the Allegra team for their support, professionalism and enthusiasm”, says Luigi Morello, Regional Export Director, La Cimbali. Ludovic Rossignol, Head of Events, Allegra Events adds: “It is very rewarding to bring the industry together and hear extraordinary feedback from exhibitors who have already generated new business from the show. We have big plans for 2013 to take the event to the next level”. Commenting on The True Artisan Café, a pop-up coffee shop exclusive to The London Coffee Festival, Chris Salierno, Sales & Marketing Manager, La Marzocco remarks: “I thought the format this year was a fresh new approach that successfully met the needs of the trade through a public event.  It was a great way to spend time with our roaster customers, serve great coffee to the public and raise some money for Project Waterfall”. La Marzocco invited 18 of the best coffee shops and roasteries to take over pop up coffee shop for three hours, raising an incredible £2000 for Project Waterfall over the three days. The UKBC’s search for the best barista also culminated at the festival this weekend, where Maxwell Colonna Dashwood was crowned Britain’s best barista, beating over 70 contenders across the UK to the title. He will now represent his country at the World Barista Championships in Vienna on 12-15 June. SCAE UK Organising Committee Member Glenn Watson comments “We made the right choice holding the UKBC Final at The London Coffee Festival. We were overwhelmed by the interest shown by consumers and industry professionals alike, creating great exposure for our sponsors”.