Fresh Cup

MAY 2014

Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.

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42 Fresh Cup Magazine | freshcup.com Baristas hold influence, but TNTs are also a great way for them to blow off steam and have some pure, unadul- terated fun. It puts their professional work in a per- sonal light, allowing them to show off their well-earned chops. Just add the public to this equation and you have organic energy and enthusiasm that you can't get from any other form of marketing. Anyone with a camera or cell phone could snap the photo of a barista executing a winning rosetta that goes viral. With so many people using the web to decide where to spend their dollars, getting genuine brand traction in the cloud is priceless. It's raw, uncontrolled, authentic engagement. The SDCN is really just a catalyst. We plugged into an excitement that was already there. We gave it a venue, so it could shine. But as much as coffee commu- nities can benefit from these types of events, and their organic evolution, TNTs don't happen on their own. We realized early on the importance of establishing a team of dedicated individuals. The better organized your team is, the easier it becomes for roasters, cafés, baristas, and the region's coffee enthusiasts to support your efforts. Like many cities, San Diego was thirsting for an active coffee community. The SDCN came together at just the right moment. Any later, and someone else would have seized the momentum and support. We hope to harness the enthusiasm generated by our barista competitions to encourage and inspire partici- pation throughout the industry. Your city likely has delicious coffee and talented coffee professionals. With the right kind of effort, you can foster that work and be rewarded, as we were, with an excited crowd craning for a glimpse at that magic. NINE BARS J A R E D A R M I J O - W A R D L E May14_magazine.indd 42 4/18/14 10:44 AM

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