WORKSHOPS
SCA Workshops offer an opportunity for participants to spend 2.5-3.5 hours learning about a topic and applying those learnings to hands-on, problem-solving scenarios. Workshops focus on a variety of subject areas across the entire coffee value chain, and they complement SCA’s certificate-based education programs by providing a “deep dive” into a single topic or skill. The most successful workshops of recent years have been directed to one of the following audiences: baristas, retail business owners and managers, roasters, and green coffee buyers and sellers.
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Submissions for World of Coffee Geneva will be accepted until Friday, January 31, 2025.
Once you submit your proposal, you should receive an email from Airtable with a copy of the information you've shared with us here. This email will be sent from workshops@sca.coffee on behalf of Airtable Automations <noreply+automations@airtableemail.com data-preserve-html-node="true">, and we strongly recommend that you ensure you can receive emails from both these addresses (i.e., they aren't blocked by any filters).
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Each proposal is individually read and rated by the SCA workshops team. Ratings are based on such factors as (but not limited to) speaker credentials, subject relevance, originality, and learning objectives. Workshops focused on building skills necessary for coffee retail business and coffee beverage preparation are consistently the most popular and will be given priority by the review team.
Workshops and lectures are different. Workshops are longer (workshops = three hours, lectures = one hour) and must include hands-on activities that enable learners to apply what they hear from the instructor. Workshops are also ticketed, whereas lectures are free to attend, and workshop instructors receive an honorarium of $300.
Marketing and promotion of commercial products or services is strictly prohibited. The intent of the program is to provide quality workshops focused on educational content, free from commercial influence or bias. Also, all presentations and materials must adhere to the SCA house rules, particularly that materials should not violate anyone else’s intellectual property rights or include any language that expressly or implicitly identifies individuals, companies, or other organizations as objects of criticism (defamation). We also strongly recommend that presenters and panelists follow the style guide outlined for speakers and presentations, especially if you are speaking about coffee price or people.
Selection Process: Each proposal is individually read and rated by the SCA workshops team. Ratings are based on such factors as (but not limited to) speaker credentials, subject relevance, originality, and learning objectives.
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Equipment/Supplies: Equipment and supplies will be provided for your workshop. We will equip each workshop with the expected supplies (e.g. coffee, tampers, scales, kettles, etc.). Your supply list (more on that below) helps us identify any additional supplies needed.
Espresso Workshop:
6 Espresso Machines
6 Espresso Grinders
Scales
Espresso and cappuccino cups
Misc smallwares and accessories (steam pitchers, bar towels, knockboxes etc)
Cupping Workshop:
(2) Hot Water Towers
(2) Grinders
Cupping Bowls and Spoons
Carafes
Trays
Shot Glasses
Scales
Misc Supplies
4-6 Cupping Tables
Brewing/Sensory Workshop
(2) Hot Water Towers
(2) Batch Brewers or (1) Double Brewer
(2) Grinders
Sample size cups
Manual brew devices
Cupping Bowls and Spoons
Kettles
Scales
Misc Supplies
4-6 Cupping Tables
Registration/Promotion: We handle all registration for workshops alongside trade show registration. We will also be promoting workshops as a feature of the show. We hope that you will promote that you will be instructing, too!
Honorarium: Each lead workshop instructor is offered a complementary three-day badge to the event at which the workshop will be delivered.
Station Instructors: We’ll recruit volunteers who will be vetted for experience to support you during your workshop, setting-up activities, leading smaller groups of learners, pulling espresso shots, or brewing coffee. Your colleagues and industry peers are ideal for this role, and helping you in this way will entitle them to a discount on their event registration.
Other Workshop Support: SCA staff are here to help you deliver the best workshop experience possible in the lead up to the trade show.
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Proposals for Specialty Coffee Expo Houston and World of Coffee Geneva received by Monday, September 30, 2024 will be evaluated for "early decision," with decisions anticipated to send by the end of October.
Proposals for World of Coffee Geneva will remain open until Friday, January 31, 2025 with final acceptances anticipated to send by early March 2025.
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If your workshop is accepted, we’ll ask for a few more pieces of information from you:
Due ASAP upon workshop acceptance
Instructor Information: A profile picture, short bio, and a signed speaker agreement.
Due 12 weeks before the event
Lesson Plan: A detailed outline of your workshop, including timings and station instructor roles. Download examples here.
Supply List: We will have the basics covered (as detailed above, in the “What is Provided” section) but let us know if you need specific equipment or supplies to run your workshop. Examples include specific coffee requirements, TDS equipment, a copy of the SCA Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel. Note, not all requests can be met.
Station Instructors Needed: Workshops can have up to 36 attendees, so we provide support to Workshop Instructors with Station Instructors. These are volunteers who are vetted for experience in your workshop area or general teaching/training. Generally we recruit anywhere from 1-4 station instructors per workshop. Keep this in mind as you develop your proposal and let us know how many folks you would like to have on hand to help you execute your workshop and workshop activities.
Due 8 weeks before the event
Slide Show / Presentation: No workshop is complete without a presentation to go along with your teaching! We will provide an opening and closing slide for your workshop, but you’ll create the rest. Due when your rehearsal takes place
Printed Materials / Handouts: Most attendees like to have some sort of worksheet or supporting document. These materials can be a summary of your workshop, worksheets, resources that people can refer back to for key learning items, tools, or links to resources they can reference later.
SUBMIT A WORKSHOP PROPOSAL
Read on to find out what we’re looking for in a proposal, recommendations for increasing the likelihood that your proposal is accepted, what we provide, and what will be expected of you as an instructor if your proposal is accepted. Any questions? Drop us a line at workshops@sca.coffee.
Deadline: Friday, January 31, 2025