Competitions Strategic Committee

The World Coffee Championships (WCCs) are supported by the Competitions Strategic Committee (CSC) — a volunteer leadership group with wide-ranging experience of competition and the industry. The CSC meets regularly throughout the year to collaborate on strategic initiatives that foster & support the competition community and keep the competitions moving forward, including updates to competition formats, rules, regulations, judges, sponsorship, marketing & communications. Smaller working groups are formed to support projects related to one activity, and the group also supports arbitration on an ad-hoc basis.

Various community groups have grown and evolved the WCCs since their inception. The current CSC structure was established in 2017, and is a volunteer leadership group focused on aligning a vision and purpose for the WCCs, guided by six strategic objectives. By 2020 many of these changes were already in progress but were put on pause to allow time to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on world and national-level competitions. The CSC resumed meeting in 2022 to reevaluate how the strategic objectives align with the current events landscape.

With multiple perspectives represented in this group, we acknowledge that there is no right way to make changes. We are committed to having changes rooted in our vision, goals, and community feedback.

CSC Purpose

To celebrate the craft of coffee by inspiring, engaging, and fostering communities worldwide. We provide a platform for recognition, innovation, and growth through events that are accessible and relevant to everyone along the supply chain and at every skill level.

Five-Year Vision

WCE inspires the coffee community, and all coffee professions along the value chain, through compelling championships and support. World competition is supported by a sustainable network of Competition Bodies, Judges, Reps, and Volunteers. WCE competitions recognize professional excellence, work towards accessibility for all, and highlight the team effort it takes to create and serve specialty coffee.

Structure

The CSC was intentionally structured to include perspectives representing Competition Bodies, competitors, judges, producers, and equity, diversity, and inclusion, across a number of geographic regions.

Executive Perspectives

Amy Ball

Staff Lead

Bart Deprez

CSC Chair (Outgoing)

Cerianne Bury

CSC Chair

Community & Competitions Perspectives

Blanca Castro

Emma Markland-Webster

Estelle Bright

Hide Izaki

Joshua Edens

Lem Butler

Łukasz Jura

Miguel Vicuña

Panagiotis (Panos) Konstantinopoulos

Staff Perspectives

Connor Clarke

Marketing & Communications

Irene Beretta

Events & Logistics

James Draper

Events & Logistics

Pernilla Gard

Marketing & Sponsorship

News

Contact

Please use this form to submit a question for the CSC or leave anonymous feedback.