Dear members and friends of the Specialty Coffee Association, 

Today we are announcing the cancellation of the 2021 World of Coffee (WOC) trade show, scheduled to take place in Athens this June, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. We are continuing to pursue an alternative solution for the 2021 World Coffee Championships (WCC), which were to take place at the WOC trade show, and we will have more information on that subject in the coming weeks.

We are sad to cancel WOC but remain committed to doing what is best for the health of our staff and the many thousands of professionals that come together at this event every year. On February 4, we announced that we were in conversations with our partners regarding the viability of moving forward with the 2021 events in Athens. Over the past few weeks, we’ve had talks with government and health officials in Athens, exhibitors, sponsors, competitors, judges, and many community members regarding the viability of holding the event. We want to thank every one of you for your patience and support as we assessed the situation and came to the final decision. 

Our updated 2021-2023 trade show and world competitions schedule is as follows:

  • Specialty Coffee Expo (North American trade show)
    • September 30 – October 3, 2021: New Orleans, LA, United States
    • April 7-10, 2022: Boston, MA, United States
    • April 20-23, 2023: Portland, OR, United States
  • World of Coffee (European trade show)
    • June 16-18, 2022: Warsaw, Poland
    • June 22-24, 2023: Athens, Greece
  • World Coffee Championships
    • November 19-22, 2021: World Latte Art Championship, World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, and World Coffee Roasting Championship – Taipei City, Taiwan
    • We seek alternative solutions for the 2021 World Barista Championship, World Brewers Cup, World Cup Tasters Championship, and Cezve/Ibrik Championship. More information in the coming weeks.

For the full listing of upcoming events, visit our events calendar here: https://sca.coffee/events/

Information for World of Coffee Exhibitors and Attendees

If you are a registered WOC attendee or exhibitor, please check your inbox for an email from worldofcoffee@sca.coffee. The email contains important information about an automatic credit paid towards the 2022 World of Coffee in Warsaw. If you have not received an email, please contact our events team using the WOC website’s contact form: https://worldofcoffee.org/contact-us

Information on the World Coffee Championships

With the WOC trade show’s cancellation, the SCA seeks a new location and date to hold the 2021 World Coffee Championships later this year. We will have more information on that in the coming weeks. We encourage anyone with questions regarding the WCC to read the FAQ below and contact us here if you have any additional questions. 

Once again, thank you for your patience and understanding. As always, I want to remind you to visit our website to learn more about our initiatives. Check out the newly-launched SCA Coffee Directory, the New In Coffee and Design in Coffee digital showcases, and find videos, podcasts, and much more at SCA News

Thank you, 

Yannis Apostolopoulos
Chief Executive Officer
Specialty Coffee Association

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Frequently Asked Questions: World Coffee Championships

Q: What will happen to the World Coffee Championships? Are they canceled, or will they be rescheduled for 2021?

A: We are looking for a new location and dates for the World Barista Championship, World Brewers Cup, World Cup Tasters, and Cezve/Ibrik Championships, previously scheduled to occur in Athens. The 2021 World Latte Art Championship, World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, and World Coffee Roasting Championship are confirmed to take place at the Taipei International Coffee Show in Taiwan from November 19-22, 2021. We are working to solidify a plan right now and hope to have our location and dates set by mid-March. We are working as quickly as possible to get this confirmed.  

Q: I was due to compete at the Athens World Coffee Championships. Is there anything I need to do to confirm my participation?

A: Yes. Once the location and dates of the 2021 World Barista, World Brewers Cup, World Cup Tasters, and Cezve/Ibrik Championships are confirmed, all competitors will need to register themselves to attend via the World Coffee Events website for that competition. WCE will announce when competitor, judge, and volunteer registration is open. 

Q: When and where will the rest of the 2021 World Coffee Championships take place?

A: The 2021 World Latte Art Championship, World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, and World Coffee Roasting Championship are confirmed to occur at the Taipei International Coffee Show in Taiwan from November 19-22, 2021. 

Q: Will future World Coffee Championships take place at World of Coffee Athens?

A: The World of Coffee trade show always hosts WCC events as a feature of its show. Athens will host 2-4 competition stages, and it will likely include the WBC. However, the exact schedule of events will be determined closer to the date, after a bid process for the rest of the competition portfolio is completed. We expect the Request for Proposals for 2023 WCC to be released in late 2021/early 2022. For more information on submitting a bid, please email info@wce2.flywheelsites.com.

Q: We have yet to hold/plan our national Barista/Brewers/Cup Tasters/Ibrik Championship. When should we plan our event so that we can send a national champion to the worlds this year?

A: We are working on confirming a new location and dates for the 2021 World Barista, Brewers, Cup Tasters, and Cezve/Ibrik Championships. We hope to have this information confirmed by mid-March.

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If you have any additional questions, please submit them using the contact form here.