Everything Is Bigger and Better At This Year’s CTW

the last decade, NAMA’s CoffeeTea&Water (CTW) show has been the premier event dedicated to the U.S. coffee service industry and it’s not hard to see why. Education has always been the focus of the three-day event, allowing attendees to learn about current and future trends, industry reports, new technologies and much, much more. The event welcomes new and senior coffee service industry members and offers networking and educational opportunities for everyone, no matter the stage of their career. This November the 10th annual CTW show will keep up the old tradition of offering top-tier education, while simultaneously introducing new innovative topics and solutions to help coffee service operators grow their businesses.

Keeping the old, adding the new

Education will still be the focal point at this year’s CTW show, held Nov. 6 to 8 in Grapevine, TX, but this year the sessions will focus on hot topics in the industry, including sustainability, innovation and disruption, cybersecurity, workplace café design and delivery, and pantry services, to name a few. “Over the 10 years, education has remained the key component to CTW, with focused training in customer service, coffee brewing, tea, water, sales and technology,” said LyNae Schleyer, NAMA’s vice president of events. “It is important to serve the educational needs of seasoned operators as well as “blended” operators adding a coffee line to their business.”

The show and educational lessons kick off on Monday, November 6 with CTW’s Opening Session speaker — futurist, trends and innovation expert Jim Carroll. “Jim has worked with companies like Walt Disney, the PGA, NASA, the Wall Street Journal and DuPont,” said Schleyer. “He is a recognized thought leader on global trends, rapid business model change, disruption and fast-paced innovation.”

Oftentimes, coffee service operators are challenged to provide both great customer service and innovation in offerings to grow business, and that’s where CTW’s educational sessions come as an advantage. “Those new to the industry will benefit from almost all of the educational sessions,” said Rori Ferensic, NAMA’s director of education and credentialing. “Senior-level practitioners will benefit from hearing about the most pressing topics affecting the industry right now, in addition to seeing new products on the show floor and networking with their industry colleagues.”

Attendees can sit in on future-forward educational sessions, including a session on how to protect your business from a Cyberthreat, with expert panelists Dr. Michael Kasavana, MSU/NAMA endowed professor emeritus; John Hickey, co-founder of Tech2Success; Chris Bucolo, MBA, PCIP Director, Market Strategy at ControlScan, Inc.; and Jon Harris, vice president of Cybersecurity at Compass Group North America. Other sessions include the evolving bean-to-cup market and how sustainable business practices can drive the bottom line.

“We will also report out on the 2016 NAMA Industry Census as well as provide a government affairs update in conjunction with our colleagues from IBWA (International Bottled Water Association),” said Ferensic. CTW will once again co-locate with IBWA’s Annual Business Conference, sharing in education and show floor activities.

A BIG location

Over the last ten years the trade show floor has increased in size, and in the variety of products and services supporting the office coffee industry. More than 100 companies plan to show their products at this year’s CTW, including Bunn-O-Matic, de Jong DUKE, White Bear Coffee Company, Moe’s Kombucha and many more. For a full list, take a look at www.coffeeteaandwater.org. “The continued growth of CTW in attendance and exhibiting companies demonstrates the importance of coffee service for operators and their customers,” continued Schleyer.

This year will also be the first time CTW will be held at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, TX just a short drive from the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, a centralized destination with easy access from all areas of the U.S., making travel more seamless for attendees, said Schleyer. The Texas location also offers CTW attendees a plethora of comfortable networking areas during the day and into evening outings. After educational sessions and trade show hours, attendees can check out local attractions including the Grapevine Vintage Railroad, Nash Farm and Sea Life Grapevine Aquarium to name a few.

NAMA has partnered with both Delta and United Airlines to offer 10 percent off flights to CTW, so be sure to check out www.coffeeteaandwater.org/hotel-travel for more details.

See you in November

CTW has proven to be a benefit not just for OCS CEOs and managers, but also for all coffee service industry employees. In fact, many operators bring their employees for added learning and connections, a potential factor in gaining leads over the competition. “What attendees gain from CTW is the ability to really network, share in-depth conversations and build contacts to help grow and build their coffee business,” added Schleyer.

Today’s consumer is tech-focused, future-forward and extremely interested in coffee, tea and water. Make sure you’re giving them the beverages they desire and the ones they don’t know they love yet. If you’re providing services in the office coffee service industry, CTW is a must-attend event.