Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005
Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/686001
P U L L : E V E N T S highlighting the company's cutting-edge coffee processing and agronomy practices, and the efforts by the team of Makers to ensure coffee of the highest quality. One of the films was shot at a Ninety Plus–owned farm in Panama, while the other followed the journey of the Makers through Ethiopia. So visually stunning were the films that it made perfect sense when it was revealed they were shot by the same crew that works with famed sport moviemaker Warren Miller. The films were screened in a rented theater on the first night of the Hotelex show, and the response from the sold-out audience was so positive that Ninety Plus and Jas Caffe decided on the spot to schedule a 10-city tour of the films across China. Back at the show, the World Coffee Championships were well underway. World Coffee In Good Spirits (WCIGS) shared a stage with the World Latte Art Championship (WLAC), and competitors from each contest enjoyed performing with customized machines from sponsor Astoria. In fact, the winner of the WLAC went home with one of the competition machines, while the WCIGS victor was awarded a beautiful custom two-group from Astoria. This year, 36 countries were represented in the WLAC, while 16 competed in the WCIGS championship. Meanwhile, in a separate hall and stage, 35 national champions vied for the title of World Cup Tasters Championship (WCTC). Ultimately, Juan Gabriel Céspedes from Costa Rica mounted a successful defense of his 2015 WCTC title, and walked away with the championship after missing only two cups throughout the entire competition. Dongho Lee from South Korea came in second, while Mateusz Petlinski of Germany finished in third. In another repeat championship performance of a sort, Greece captured the WCIGS title for the second year in a row when Michalis Dimitrakopoulos of Underdog Coffee finished in first place. Slovakia's Martin Hudak took second, and Berg Wu of Tawain placed third. Over at the World Coffee Roasting Championship, Alexandru Niculae of Romania won the international crown, while second went to Dmitrii Borodai of Russia, and third to Matthew Robley-Siemonsma from the United Kingdom. Among the loudest cheers of the event were those reverberating throughout the competition space when the top three champions of the WLAC were revealed to all hail from East Asian countries. Um Paul of South Korea won first place, while Qi Li of China came in second, and Minako Yoshizumi of Japan finished in third. Following the conclusion of the show and the competitions, the baristas were invited to a party with a vintage theme. That might have meant bell-bottom jeans or bespoke tweed sports coats in other environments. In Shanghai, however, it meant something altogether different as many of the Hotelex staff arrived wearing beautiful and elaborate traditional Chinese dress clothes. —Kenneth R. Olson At top: Hotelex employees in traditional Chinese dress dance at the closing-night barista party following the event. Center: This is how you get people to try your milk samples at Hotelex—put a person in a cow costume, and presto! Samples and sales will surely follow. Bo om: Michalis Dimitrakopoulos (le ) is announced as the World Coff ee In Good Spirits Awards Ceremony. Martin Hudák of Slovakia places second. 28 barista magazine