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PANAMA Services discussed challenges in creating responsible supply chains; and the wonderful Sara Morrocchi, whose expertise in production and processing in East Africa is one of the highest levels of any coffee professional, discussed supply-chain monitoring. Finally, I was deeply impressed by INTL FCStone's Chad Trewick's ability to translate the complicated subject matter of risk management for roasters in his session on financials. These intensive sessions were broken up by coffee breaks— coffee breaks like you've never experienced: 2013 World Coffee In Good Spirits Champion Victor Delpierre of France, and 2014 World Latte Art Champion Christian Ullrich of Germany delighted attendees with beautiful coffees made on the Dalla Corte Evo machine in the lobby. Christian and Victor's energy and excitment never wavered throughout the conference, even as they made as many as 300 cappuccinos in a single coffee break. United States Barista Champion Laila Ghambari hopped on the Dalla Corte from time to time as well, making the kind of high- quality drinks that earned her placement in the semifinal round of the World Barista Championship. No wonder her drinks tasted exceptionally good at LTC: She was using the same coffee that brought her those championship accolades, a Salvadoran from Emilio Diaz Lopez's El Manzano estate and Cuatro M, and roasted by Phil Beattie of Dillanos Coffee in Sumner, Wash. Laila, Emilio, and Phil were all at LTC to share the story of how they worked together to succeed at the World Barista Championship level. Their lecture, "Making a Barista Champion," was one of the best attended of the entire conference. After such intensive days of education, relationship building, and idea exchanging, LTC attendees were more than ready to cut loose, and lucky for them, entertainment at LTC is just as reputable as the scholastic program. On the first night, folks gathered for a formal awards ceremony now in its second year called the HarVees. The awards were conceived as a means of recognizing outstanding work by coffee producers, but were expanded this year to include roasters. Ken Davids of Coffee Review presided over the judging of the many submissions, and delivered the awards with a wry sense of humor and impressive accolades. Always one, if not the, highlight of LTC, Sevan's Grill took place the second night of the conference in an open-air lounge beside the ocean. Hosted annually by Sevan Istanboulian of Café Mystique and other coffee business ventures in Montreal, Sevan's Grill puts together phenomenal cuts of meat, top-shelf drinks, and some of the most enthusiastic grill chefs around: coffee roasters who want to cook in honor of the coffee producers with whom they work. The atmosphere at Sevan's Grill is both festive and emotional, as all links of the supply chain come together to break bread in a meaningful way. Our industry seems to be drifting from the traditional trade- show model; though Coffee Fest and the Specialty Coffee Association of America's trade shows will continue to draw crowds of coffee businesspeople on the hunt for products and services, the professionals at the heart of our industry are increasingly seeking nontraditional gatherings of their peers that focus primarily on education and community. This is the hallmark of Let's Talk Coffee. Its success can be tangibly measured in transactions secured and partnerships formed, but impalpably by human interaction and inspiration. This is why LTC sets the standard for conferences in our industry today. Stephen Vick of Blue Bole Coffee excitedly accepted an award at Let's Talk Coffee's HarVee Awards ceremony. The HarVees celebrated excellence among coffee producers and roasters. 42 barista magazine