After the success of this year’s groundbreaking event in Medellín, we’re thrilled to announce that PRF Colombia will return to the city on September 14 & 15 2023.
Once more, we will host the event at the Plaza Mayor venue in Medellín, and we look forward to welcoming coffee professionals from around the world once more.
Read on to learn more about the event and how you can get involved.
What is PRF?
Producer & Roaster Forum was established as a platform to share knowledge, drive green coffee sales, and support global coffee experts to build long-term commercial relationships in a producing country.
Furthermore, we strongly believe that the conversations which define the coffee industry should be taking place in producing countries, where coffee producers can be active participants instead of passive learners.
“In 2023, the second iteration of PRF Colombia is set to be the biggest and best event of its kind – an industry-leading coffee event that takes place in a producing country,” explains Julio Guevara, Director of PRF. “Here, you’re able to simultaneously connect with industry leaders from Latin America and network with global professionals in that context.”
At the forum, attendees and exhibitors will have the opportunity to learn from industry leaders at lectures and panel discussions, as well as participating in cupping sessions, workshops, and competitions – all while enjoying some of Colombia’s finest coffees at our Brew Bar and Espresso Bar.
For professionals across the supply chain, PRF presents an incredible opportunity, whether through networking as an attendee or showcasing your brand as an exhibitor.
Alongside this, there are also a limited number of sponsorship opportunities for PRF Colombia, as with previous events. Sponsors who have already confirmed their participation include Mayorga Coffee, MTPak Coffee, Coffee Intelligence, and Ally Coffee.
Why Colombia?
Colombia is home to more than half a million coffee-producing families, and is the third-largest coffee producer in the world.
The coffee industry is a central pillar of the country’s economy, and Colombian coffee enjoys an outstanding reputation on the international stage.
Colombia also has a vibrant, thriving culture of coffee consumption, with a number of leading specialty coffee brands based in Medellín.
In 2022, PRF Colombia welcomed more than 2,000 coffee producers and hundreds of green coffee buyers, as well as roasters, traders, baristas, and coffee competitors.
What about the Sourcing Trip Experience?
In addition to the two-day forum at Plaza Mayor in Medellín, we will also be hosting a Sourcing Trip Experience (STE) before PRF Colombia in September 2023.
This three-day experience will see groups of up to 15 roasters and green coffee buyers stay on some of the country’s leading coffee farms and learn more about the coffee their hosts produce.
The idea is that the STE can serve as the foundation of a mutually beneficial long-term sourcing relationship for both producers and roasters.
Some example activities that you can expect during the STE include:
- Farm tours, which will cover a range of different varieties and producer profiles
- Tours of wet and dry mills, where participants will see optical sorting machinery, depulpers, fermentation tanks, and other key equipment in operation
- Cupping sessions arranged directly with producers
- Roundtable discussions on industry challenges from both producer and roaster perspectives
- Networking opportunities with potential sourcing partners and roasters from around the world
We can’t wait to welcome local producers and global coffee professionals back to the Plaza Mayor venue in Medellín in just a few months’ time.
If you have any questions about PRF Colombia, please contact us here. You can also sign up to our newsletter, or watch a selection of talks from the last PRF event in Colombia here.