DATES
September 10-13, 2023
LOCATION
Colombian coffee farms
SOURCING TRIP EXPERIENCE
The Sourcing Trip Experience (STE) will connect roasters and green coffee buyers with producers and exporters for a comprehensive three-day experience on Colombian coffee farms. After the STE, attendees will travel together to the two-day PRF event at Plaza Mayor in Medellín.
STE AGENDA
Check-in September 10
Coffee farm visits
Producer meetings
In-farm accomodation
Wet & dry mill visits
Educational activities
In-farm cupping sessions
Round tables
Check-out September 13
September 14 and 15
As part of the Sourcing Trip Experience, attendees will stay with coffee producers and exporters in groups of up to 15 people.
They will be provided comfortable accommodation at or near farms and milling operations.
During the STE, attendees will spend time with producers, exporters, and other coffee professionals. As part of this, they will participate in deep, meaningful, and sometimes challenging discussions. We believe that this is the best way to build a long-term, mutually beneficial sourcing relationship, through which attendees can buy coffees for years.
The STE is also perfect for buyers looking to source a range of coffees. This might mean looking for an experimental micro lot for the next Brewers Cup or a reliable new base coffee for your espresso blend.
The STE is also focused on building partnerships. This might mean finding an exporter who can pre-finance the shipment and handle logistics, discussing how to consolidate a container with other roasters, or buying coffee FOB.
Ultimately, the STE provides you with direct access to the people responsible for growing, selling, and exporting these.
Attendees will be given a first-hand opportunity to learn everything about the coffees and producers their hosts work with.
This will range from plant nurseries, variety selection, and farm management to processing techniques, experiments with fermentation, quality control protocols, storage, warehousing, and more.
As part of the experience, you’ll also meet some of Colombia’s leading coffee producers. This includes renowned coffee producers spearheading innovation in the country’s specialty coffee sector.
Ultimately, this is a chance to meet producers that you will buy coffee from for years. It is also an opportunity to see first-hand how their coffee is grown, harvested, and processed.
For more information, read our frequently asked questions or contact us via this form.
Activities that you can expect during the STE
Farm tours will cover a range of different varieties and producer profiles.
Cupping sessions arranged directly with producers.
Tours of wet and dry mills, where participants will see optical sorting machinery, depulpers, fermentation tanks, and other key equipment in operation.
Roundtable discussions on industry challenges from both producer and roaster perspectives.
Networking opportunities with potential sourcing partners and roasters from around the world.
Educational activities with coffee producers.
Hundreds of roasters have attended STE and built lifelong partnerships – you can see a few of them here.
At the end of the experience, travel will be arranged to take attendees either to Medellín for the PRF event, or to the airport if they are not attending.
Please note: the STE ticket does not include any accommodation for the nights of September 13, 14, and 15. It covers no costs once attendees are returned to Medellín after the STE.
Terms and Conditions
Before purchasing your ticket, please carefully review our Terms and Conditions and ensure that you are aware of our STE waiver and disclaimer.
STE attendees will be required to sign a waiver agreement in order to participate.
If you have any further questions, please email the STE Coordinator at info@producerroasterforum.com