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pleted online at the official World Coffee Leaders Forum website: www.wclforum.org/registration/01. Last year's event attracted worldwide attention. Approximately 700 attendees from countries around the world gathered in the COEX Convention Center to participate. A total of 20 speakers presented at the plenary and technical sessions last year, including industry leaders such as Robert F. Nelson, president of the National Coffee Association, and Xinia Chaves Quiros, vice minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica. This year's events will take place over three days, allowing for more in-depth analysis of a greater variety of topics. The theme this year is "Global Coffee Industry Issues and the Potential of the Asian Market." Seven plenary sessions are planned, consisting of topics including Asian coffee market insight, coffee leaf rust, changes in market, specialty coffee, coffee price and marketing strategy, relationship, and certification and fair trade. David Veal, executive director of Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE), will lead a discussion on specialty coffee and trends of the European market. Geoff Watts of Intelligentsia Coffee will share his extensive knowledge on developing marketing strategies. Hidetaka Hayashi, president of Hayashi Coffee Institute, will provide insights into the Japanese consumer market, while Christopher L. Gilbert, econometrics professor at Oxford University, will share his research of coffee-price discovery, volatility management, and forecast. These are just a few of the many prominent industry leaders who will again join the Forum and impart their experience and perceptions. Each day's plenary sessions will again conclude with a panel discussion made up of that day's speakers. This three-day forum will also include an array of supplemental events. These include B2B Business Meeting, World Coffee Youth Leadership Forum, World Coffee Adventure Session, Technical Session, and The Coffee Business Tour. The Coffee Business Tour allows participants to experience firsthand the South Korean Coffee Industry by visiting a roasting plant, roastery café, and franchise coffee shop. These activities will provide ample opportunities for industry partners to interact and exchange ideas, cultivate valuable business networks, and have effective collaboration on common platforms. Asia plays an important and expanding role within the world coffee market, both as a consumer and a producer. Japan and Korea are large consumer markets, and China is noted for its great potential. In addition, countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines continue to expand their coffee production and influence. The World Coffee Leaders Forum was created for this reason, to act as a medium of communication for the coffee industry. This year's forum will give particular attention to Asia's role. Looking to the future, the World Coffee Leaders Forum provides a place for leaders of the world coffee industry to meet, share and discuss the newest ideas, trends, and methods of the industry along with the growing roles and responsibilities of Asia. —From staff reports www.baristamagazine.com 21