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. It will run from September 10 to 13, after which attendees will travel together to the two-day PRF event in Colombia.
As part of the experience, attendees will stay in groups of up to 15 with coffee producers and exporters. They will be provided comfortable accommodation at or near farms and milling operations.
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.
Activities that you can expect during the STE
Farm tours 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.
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.
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.
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. Ultimately, the STE provides you with direct access to the people responsible for growing, selling, and exporting these.
As part of the experience, you’ll also meet some of Colombia’s leading coffee producers. This includes people who have spearheaded specialty coffee production in the country, bringing varieties such as Pacamara and Pacas to the international stage.
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.
Furthermore, 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.
Hundreds of roasters have attended STE and built lifelong partnerships – you can see a few of them here.
The three-day Sourcing Trip Experience will take place directly before Producer & Roaster Forum in Medellín, Colombia.
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: an 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 tati@producerroasterforum.com