2020 Expo and Re:co Canceled, Both Return to New Orleans in 2021
After many weeks of discussions with our partners regarding the impacts of COVID-19 on SCA events, today we are sad to announce that the 2020 Re:co Symposium and Specialty Coffee Expo scheduled to take place in Portland in April is now canceled.
Unfortunately, no other viable dates were available for the show to take place in Portland in 2020. We will be working with the SCA USA Chapter to explore options to hold the final US Coffee Championships of the year at a later date as appropriate. Re:co and Expo will return in April 2021 in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
If you registered to attend or exhibit at Expo 2020, please check your inbox for an email with important information. If you have not received an email, please get in touch with us at 2020reg@sca.coffee (for attendees) or exhibit@sca.coffee (for exhibitors).
2021 Dates:
Re:co Symposium: April 21-22, 2021
Specialty Coffee Expo: April 23-25, 2021
I would like to send a heartfelt thank you to every single one of our sponsors, exhibitors, attendees, and volunteers for your patience and understanding over the past few weeks while we negotiated the future of these two events with our partners.
Many of you have gotten in touch with us, wondering why it has taken so long to announce the cancellation of these two events. As you may know, the Specialty Coffee Expo is the largest specialty coffee event in North America, and in order to make it happen, we engage in contracts with the venue and with over two dozen other partners, including hotels and other local businesses.
When it became clear that it would not be possible to find new dates for later in the year in Portland, our negotiations with these partners focused on ending these contracts without putting the SCA, a nonprofit association, in danger of legal retribution from these businesses, who are also experiencing similar difficulties amid this crisis.
The SCA staff and volunteers who gather at Expo every year are heartbroken that we will not be able to see you in Portland this year, but we look forward to seeing you in New Orleans in April 2021.
Stay safe and please remember to take a look at the various resources we have been compiling related to the impact of COVID-19 on the coffee industry by visiting sca.coffee/covid19.
Thank you,
Yannis Apostolopoulos
Chief Executive Officer
Specialty Coffee Association
Previous updates:
March 16, 2020
Update: March 16, 2020 — Hello members of the specialty coffee community around the world. My name is Yannis Apostolopoulos, and I am the Chief Executive Officer of the SCA. I am writing this message (and recording the short video above) on March 16 from my home in Irvine, in the state of California, where I currently live with my wife, my two children, and my in-laws. We, like you and people all over the world, are deeply concerned about the outbreak of the coronavirus, and we are worried about our health and the health of our loved ones.
I've been keeping up with many of your posts on social media. I see how many of you, specialty coffee professionals everywhere, are finding yourselves in really difficult situations where your health and safety, and your jobs, your staff, your businesses, are heavily impacted by this virus.
We have also been keeping up with your many social media posts and emails with questions about the status of our upcoming events.
I know many of you have questions—maybe you've wondered why we haven't simply canceled the events, or you're wondering why we haven't been more forthcoming.
I want to take this opportunity to give you as much information as legally possible. This statement won't answer every question you have, but it will hopefully give you some insight into the discussions we at the SCA have been having internally and with all of our partners in Portland for many weeks.
I want to assure all of our members, exhibitors, and attendees, that the SCA will do everything we can to protect the health and safety of our attendees and the investments you've made into participating at Re:co and Expo.
We continue our conversations with our partners at the Oregon Convention Center and Travel Portland to review options for postponing Re:co Symposium and the Specialty Coffee Expo.
Yesterday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that all events with 50 or more people scheduled for the next eight weeks should be postponed. This recommendation from the CDC may provide the legal basis that we and the many businesses we work with need to postpone the events with the least legal exposure to everyone involved.
However, despite the CDC's recommendations, the State of Oregon has issued orders that only cancel events until April 14, which would leave the SCA, the convention center, our exhibitors, hotels, and the dozens of other businesses who make Expo possible every year in legal limbo with contradictory directions from the federal and state governments.
Given our contractual obligations to the venue and our business partners in the city of Portland, if the SCA were to cancel the Expo event on our own, without a clear government directive that applies to all of the circumstances of the event, there may be serious legal consequences for our nonprofit organization.
We are going to do everything we can to protect the health and safety of our attendees, and the investments you've made into participating at Expo, like many of you have done for many years.
At this moment, while we continue to work out the details, we're asking all of our members, exhibitors, and visitors who have invested in the show to please continue to support us as we work to review our options to postpone this event.
Thank you so much for your continued support and patience. We hope to have updates for you as soon as possible via email, social media, and here on this website.
March 13, 2020 - World of Coffee Postponed
As announced on March 11, the Specialty Coffee Association has been working with our partner venue in Poland to review options for postponing World of Coffee (WOC) in response to the global COVID-19 outbreak.
Today, we are announcing an agreement with our partners at PTAK Warsaw Expo to postpone World of Coffee to October 15–17, 2020, the only dates available in 2020. We have informed all of our exhibitors and visitors via email, and our exhibitions team will be sharing more information next week. We'd like to thank the team at PTAK for their help in rescheduling our event and demonstrating their commitment to the health of our community.
World of Coffee Warsaw will continue to host the 2020 World Coffee Roasting, Latte Art, Coffee in Good Spirits, and Cup Tasters Championships as well as the Cezve/Ibrik Championship. These competitions will be postponed to the new October 15–17 dates, with the World Coffee Events team continuing to work with competitors, judges, and licensed WCE Competition Bodies to address the challenges that COVID-19 presents. Any competitors, volunteers, or judges who anticipate issues participating during the new dates should get in contact with WCE directly by emailing info@worldcoffeeevents.org.
We send a sincere thank you to all of our partners, sponsors, exhibitors, attendees, and volunteers for their patience as we work to adapt and find solutions to the rapidly changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a reminder, the 2020 Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), featuring the 2020 World Barista Championship and World Brewers Cup, has been postponed by the show organizers to November 3-6, 2020. Read the announcement published on March 11, 2020.
We continue our conversations with our partners at the Oregon Convention Center (OCC) and Travel Portland to review options for postponing Re:co Symposium and the Specialty Coffee Expo. The state of Oregon has canceled public gatherings of over 250 people until April 8. We will continue to share updates on our website as they become available.
We have received many messages of support from members of the specialty coffee community around the world, for which we’re very thankful, and also some new questions, to which we hope to respond as soon as possible.
March 12, 2020
Since our announcement released yesterday, March 11, we have received many messages of support from members of the specialty coffee community around the world, for which we’re very thankful, and also some new questions, to which we hope to respond as soon as possible.
In that time, the US government established a ban on travel from Europe. The state of Oregon also announced a 30 day ban on gatherings over 250 people, set to end April 8.
As we announced yesterday, we are working with our partner venues in the US and Poland to review options for postponing Re:co Symposium, the Specialty Coffee Expo, and World of Coffee. We will continue to update this page with new details and inform everyone in our community of any major developments. Please see our full statement from yesterday below.
March 11, 2020 - MICE & Melbourne WCC Postponed
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially named the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Over the past few weeks, we have been monitoring the outbreak and its impact on our upcoming events and seeking solutions with the health and safety of our community in mind. We have been exploring alternative options to support the best outcomes for all stakeholders who have invested in preparing for our upcoming trade shows.
Today, the 2020 Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), featuring the 2020 World Barista Championship and World Brewers Cup, has been postponed by the show organizers to November 3-6, 2020. We are very appreciative of our partners at MICE, who have worked closely with the local government in Australia throughout this process, and are supported by local authorities in this decision.
We can also confirm that we are working with our partner venues in the United States and Poland to review options for postponing Re:co Symposium, the Specialty Coffee Expo, and World of Coffee.
Since the initial concerns over the spread of COVID-19, we have been meeting daily with various vendors, partners, sponsors, and supporters of our main events, monitoring news and official advisories as well as the questions and concerns coming in from our community. We are grateful for the messages of understanding and support, and all the feedback we have seen and received. We recognize the diverse opinions and challenges of all our global communities.
Currently, the Oregon Convention Center (OCC) and Travel Portland, who will be hosting Re:co Symposium and Expo, have informed us that despite the state of emergency declaration in Oregon, there is no new guidance on large gatherings and that events will move forward as planned. We are awaiting an update on this stance in light of the recent WHO decision to label the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.
We are working to post updates as soon as possible.
Yannis ApostolopoulosChief Executive OfficerSpecialty Coffee Association
March 4, 2020
As each event approaches, we have set up a task force that meets daily to discuss the latest developments and the inquiries coming in from the community to help us to determine a course of action. Our decisions and actions continue to be informed by local and global health authorities. We will continue to update this page and the FAQ below as the situation evolves and we receive new questions.
Our two trade shows play a critical role in supporting not only our industry and our community, but all activities of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). While we pay close attention to the latest developments, we're continuing to work hard to deliver fantastic events. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or concerns by getting in touch using the contact form below, and we look forward to seeing you soon.
February 28, 2020
The staff of the Specialty Coffee Association are carefully monitoring developments related to the ongoing COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) outbreak to understand its potential impact on our global community and activities. Our upcoming events, including Re:co Symposium, Specialty Coffee Expo, World of Coffee, and the World Coffee Championships, are scheduled to take place as planned.
As a global trade association, we exist to serve our industry and provide platforms and spaces for connection. For over thirty years, these events have been key deliverables of this ongoing commitment, and they play a critical role in supporting our community, especially in challenging times.
We are working with our partners at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, the Melbourne International Coffee Expo, and PTAK Warsaw Expo as well as with local government and health authorities to incorporate improved safety precautions. At the time of this update, these include:
The use of a modified cupping protocol at the Specialty Coffee Expo and World of Coffee events developed to reduce the chances of cross-contamination. See the Modified SCA Cupping Protocol section below.
The availability of hand sanitizer stands, placed throughout the venues, at entrances, and in public spaces;
Clearly identified health information and first-aid points;
Regular disinfection of work surfaces;
An awareness campaign detailing health and safety precautions to be shared on our mobile app, in our show guides, and on signage around the venues.
We recommend that all on-site attendees, staff, and volunteers, follow World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations around health and hygiene, including:
Washing your hands, or applying hand-disinfection products available around the venues, frequently;
Avoiding close personal contact or greetings like hugging, kissing, and handshakes;
When feeling the urge to cough or sneeze, cover your face with the inside of your elbow;
Using paper handkerchiefs and promptly disposing of them;
Avoiding close contact with anyone showing signs of illness.
For the latest updates and recommendations on the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, visit the WHO website here.
This page contains answers frequently asked questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 on our activities, as well as some resources for staying safe at our events, and contact information should you have any additional questions. We will update this page as the situation evolves.
If you can't find what you're looking for below and you'd like to get in touch with someone on our team, please use the contact form at the bottom of the page.