Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005
Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/609699
the BGE Working Group (the leadership council for the BGE) had been up to over the past year, and what was in the works to come. Further, campers were invited and encouraged to consider running in the coming elections for five open spots in the Working Group. The baristas at camp represented more than 20 countries, with those hailing from the U.K. and the host country, Italy, in the highest numbers. Still, the width and breadth of the continent was represented. Upon registering at the start of camp, baristas were appointed to teams with which they would be identified for the duration of camp. Isa said her goal was that the 20 teams of 10 people each would include baristas on different educational tracks, with a range of skill levels, and coming from different countries. On the first night, teams went through a series of lighthearted challenges designed more for team-building than skill-building: Baristas ran on the beach at dark; cupped extreme flavors including celery, chili, and smoked salmon; poured latte art while blindfolded; and ranked bad beers while honing marketing skills trying to win votes from the judges. Though that first night started with a lot of nervous, shy baristas, the team challenges broke the ice pretty quickly, and soon the baristas were working together as though they'd been friends for years. Vini Arruda from Java Republic in Dublin, Ireland, said he thought part of the success of the event was due to the fact that some people were returning campers from the year before, and they knew there was nothing to be gained by being reserved. "It only takes a few people who are willing to be first before everyone wants to join in," he says. With a goal of doubling the number of campers from the first year to the second, this most recent BGA Camp was a wild success, with attendance very close to 200. The vastly improved organization of the camp, and the smooth flow of the event meant that even though more people were there, camp retained the intimacy and level of personal attention that campers so valued the first time around. Perhaps that's because there was no 100-person cupping like there was in Athens, but most credit surely belongs to the dedicated organizers and the indefatigable group of volunteers. Next fall, there will be a third barista camp. " We're a toddler," Isa says. " We were a baby. Now we're a toddler and we're still learning." The BGE already had plans for more of its smaller local events like Re:Co in Prague in March, and planning will no doubt start for the 2016 camp soon. Isa indicated that the BGE was considering moving the camp to a Northern European location ("I keep thinking of it being in some cabins in the woods," she remarks. Isa points out how important it is, however, to have someone on the ground who can do a lot of the legwork in the camp's future location. For Riccione, that person was Eddy Righi, who suggested the site and found the hotel. His shop, The Coffee Box, also hosted an impromptu end-of-camp party after rain showers thwarted the original plan of a rooftop deck party. The announcement of the 2016 location and dates should come out sometime around the SCAE World of Coffee event, and the World Barista Championship, in June in Dublin, Ireland, with a chance to buy early-bird tickets at the BGE stand. No doubt the third incarnation of BGE camp will be even better than those of years prior, and in all likelihood, extremely sought after as an event to attend. Before they even boarded their transfer buses back to the Bologna airport, campers were already eager to find o ut what next year would have in store. 42 barista magazine