"Without a doubt one of the most attractive producing country pavilions at this year's show."
THIS WAS one of the many compliments made by visitors about the sophisticated Jamaican booth at the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Annual Trade Show and Conference held in South Beach, Miami from April 20-23, 2001. Featuring the world-renowned Jamaica Blue Mountain and Jamaica High Mountain coffee, the exhibit was a collaborative effort of the Coffee Industry Board (Regulatory and Commercial Divisions), Jamaica Standard Products Company Limited, RSW Estates Limited, Old Tavern Blue Mountain Coffee Estate, Country Traders Limited and Jamaica Coffee Corporation Limited. This is the first time that players in the Jamaican coffee industry have pooled resources to jointly promote Jamaican coffee at this annual event.
Several hundred patrons and professionals from the trade, including brokers, roasters, retailers, institutional users and media representatives were attracted by the booth's striking design and the aroma of Jamaica's famous coffee. Visitors responded favourably to the sample tastings and the excellent quality of the coffee product. Jamaica's presence at this event served to reinforce the reputation and prestige associated with Jamaican coffee and to identify opportunities for new markets.
A highlight of the conference was the awarding of the SCAA Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence to Jamaican coffee pioneer Honourable Keble Munn O.D. in recognition of his contribution to the entire coffee world. Mr. Munn was formerly the Chairman of the Coffee Industry Board from 1989 to 1993.
The SCAA Annual Exhibition/Conference is held in a different US city each year and is the world's largest exhibition and gathering of coffee professionals. This year's show featured over 400 exhibiting companies and accommodated over 6,000 attendees. Over 180 hours of educational seminars, workshops and roundtables on a variety of coffee topics were presented this year.
The Jamaican coffee industry intends to repeat this year's success and be represented at the 2002 SCAA Exhibition in Anaheim, California.
