Why should coffee roasters attend PRF Colombia?

With just over four months until the start of PRF Colombia, a number of coffee roasters, traders, buyers and other industry professionals are already registering their attendance and planning their travels to Medellín for the forum.

Following the immense success of previous editions of PRF in El Salvador, Brazil, Guatemala and Virtual PRF in Honduras, the 2022 forum will take place over two days at Plaza Mayor exhibition center, in the heart of Colombia’s coffee-producing regions.

As we continue to confirm the attendance of industry-leading speakers and panelists, as well as a number of partners and sponsors, many coffee roasters are considering joining the Origin Trip Experience and forum event in Colombia.

We spoke to PRF founder, Henry Wilson to learn more about why coffee roasters should attend PRF Colombia. Read on to find out more.

Visit coffee farms and connect with producers

PRF Colombia is split into two distinct events: the Origin Trip Experience (OTE), and the two-day forum at Plaza Mayor in Medellín. Over the course of four days, the OTE allows visiting coffee roasting and other coffee professionals to experience Colombian coffee growing regions.

Staying with local hosts in groups of 15 on coffee farms throughout Colombia, guests will learn about the growth, production, harvest, processing and trade of coffee from the producers and farmers.

“The Origin Trip Experience is incredibly valuable, because typical origin trips only champion the trade relationship between the farmer and the roaster,” says Henry.

“And of course we have that, but there’s so much more. Visitors will learn about processing, harvesting, milling, finance, everything to do with coffee production at origin.

“But importantly for attendees, they will also have an opportunity to network and have open, honest conversations with producers and roasters about how they can improve the supply chain and coffee quality overall. They can forge new partnerships, find partners who can facilitate such as traders, millers, and even speak to local banks to help finance trade.” 

Following the OTE between June 26 and July 1, attendees will then travel to Medellín to participate in the PRF event, including a number of panels, lectures, cuppings, networking events and more.

Engage and network with leaders in the coffee sector 

In addition to providing an opportunity to travel to coffee-producing regions and speak with producers, PRF also aims to connect. 

“For roasters, the OTE and PRF event presents an incredible opportunity to spend time with other business leaders from across the world – there will be representation, presentations and networking with some of the biggest and most influential brands in coffee,” Henry says.

“One day, you could be walking through a farm and speaking to producers about coffee growing, fermentation and harvesting methods, and the next you can be talking to brands like Mayorga Coffee, Coffee Planet, Dunkin and more who are having a huge influence on restructuring supply chains.” 

Each year, PRF is specifically hosted in coffee-producing countries in order to have producers and local industry at the center of industry discussion. Henry emphasized the importance of these discussions between different members of the supply chain, particularly for coffee roasters.

“The mentorship and networking opportunities for roasters of any scale are immense,” he says.

“Not only can smaller roasters gain valuable insight into what larger companies and businesses are doing, but roasters of any size can share expertise and knowledge in a way that’s conducive to improving the coffee sector as a whole.”

Business and education opportunities 

Created primarily as an event for coffee producers and roasters, PRF Colombia also presents a number of business and education opportunities for attending roasters.

Dedicated networking areas will allow roasters to sit down and interact with producers and other business leaders in the coffee sector, and the schedule of expert panels, lectures and cupping events will provide an opportunity to improve knowledge and insight from various areas of the global coffee industry.

“This is an event for decision-makers in coffee roasting to come to,” Henry says. “Not only can [roasters] build a strategy and gain insights from industry leaders and other businesses, but they have the opportunity to meet and interact with thousands of producers and learn about coffee production.

“If you’re a business owner, there’s a lot to gain from attending and sharing your coffee with other exhibitors. Rather than your typical coffee event that is targeted at the end consumer, PRF [Colombia] is all about gathering business owners, leaders and employees together in a space to speak honestly, openly and in a way that promotes better business practices across the supply chain.”

In addition to speaking about business and networking opportunities, Henry also emphasized the value and quality of education that will be shared by industry leaders at PRF Colombia.

“We have speakers, panelists and guests attending from almost every continent on the planet, who are coming [to PRF Colombia] to share their expertise and knowledge about all areas of the coffee sector,” he says.

“At previous PRF events, we’ve had leaders and innovators from some of the largest and most renowned coffee businesses in the world present on a range of topics, from the creation of F1 hybrid varieties through to RTD cold brew products.

“This year, the quality of thought leadership, expertise and experience will be even higher, providing invaluable education and information to all attending.”  

There will be live bilingual translation for all presentations and panels at PRF Colombia, as well as a number of other translators present to assist communication between attendees.

If you’re interested in learning more about attending PRF Colombia, subscribe to the PRF newsletter or get in touch with a member of our team.