What Coffee Fest does

Coffee Fest is a B2B trade show platform serving the specialty coffee, tea, and beverage industry, founded in 1992 and headquartered in Tacoma, Washington. The company operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Clarion Events, Inc., with customer service operations in Shelton, Connecticut, and produces four annual multi-day events across major US markets: Los Angeles (August 21-22, 2026, LA Convention Center), Dallas-Fort Worth (October 17-18, 2026, Fort Worth Convention Center), New York (March 7-9, 2027, Javits Center), and Chicago (June 11-12, 2027, Navy Pier). Each event draws more than 100 exhibitors and several thousand attendees, with show floor features including the Cupping Corner, Roasting Hub, Tech Lab, Business Building Essentials, Latte Art Venue, Conversation Corner, Coffee Skills Series, and Connections Lounge. The company also owns and operates the Latte Art World Championship Open, a recognized barista competition featuring 64 elite competitors across the annual circuit.

Coffee Fest's technology stack supports in-person event operations through a mobile app for show navigation and exhibitor information, the Converge+ lead retrieval system for exhibitor ROI tracking, and the MapYourShow platform for floorplans and exhibitor directories. A signature physical asset is the Big Red Roast Rig, a 40-foot custom Peterbilt box truck converted into a mobile roasting lab and espresso bar featuring La Marzocco, Fetco, Mazzer, Mahlkonig, and Mill City Roasters equipment for live demonstrations. Content production includes over 120 hours of education programming per flagship event across business operations, roasting and green coffee, and skills training tracks, plus The Drip, a quarterly newsletter and blog.

The business model derives revenue from four streams: attendee registration fees (General Admission badges, Gold/All Access Passes, and Team Bundles), exhibitor booth sales supported by an Exhibitor Resource Center, branded sponsorship packages across education tracks and special venues, and paid workshop and Hands-On Barista Training fees ($49-$199 per class). Distribution is direct sales for exhibitors and sponsors, and self-serve online registration for attendees. The company maintains a network of strategic and marketing partnerships with industry suppliers including Mill City Roasters, Monin, Oatly, Torani, Cafe Imports, Synesso, Barista Magazine, Roast Magazine, and Toddy Cold Brew, alongside a channel partnership with Connections Housing for attendee accommodations.

Name

Coffee Fest

Legal name

Clarion Events, Inc.

Website

https://www.coffeefest.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Coffee Fest promotes coffee trade shows offering vast and relevant coffee education and business development programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Registration Fees: Revenue generated from attendee registration fees including General Admission badges and All Access Pass/Gold Pass tickets. Badges provide exhibit hall access, complimentary education sessions, and discounts for the New York Restaurant Show.
2. Exhibitor Booth Sales: Revenue from companies purchasing exhibition space at Coffee Fest events. Includes access to the Exhibitor Resource Center with tools, checklists, and order forms.
3. Sponsorship Packages: Revenue from branded sponsorship opportunities across various event features, education tracks, and special areas like the Latte Art Venue, Cupping Corner, and Roasting Hub.
4. Workshop and Training Fees: Additional revenue from paid workshops ($49-$199 per class) and Hands-On Barista Training sessions that require separate purchase beyond General Admission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Coffee Fest organizes and operates multi-city B2B trade show events for the specialty coffee, tea, and beverage industry, held annually across US cities including Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, New York, and Chicago. Each event features an exhibit hall with 100+ vendors, 120+ hours of education content across multiple tracks, and hosts the Latte Art World Championship Open competition.

Product overview

Coffee Fest is a business-to-business event platform that organizes trade shows and conventions for the specialty coffee, tea, and beverage industry. The core offering consists of multi-day trade show events held across US cities (Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, New York, Chicago, and others) featuring exhibit halls with hundreds of vendors, paid and free education sessions, and the Latte Art World Championship Open competition. Attendee badge tiers include General Admission, Gold Pass/All Access Pass, and Team Bundles. The show floor features specialized areas including the Cupping Corner, Roasting Hub, Tech Lab, Conversation Corner, Business Building Essentials, Coffee Skills Series, and Connections Lounge. The company also publishes The Drip, a quarterly industry newsletter and blog, and manages The Market for curated merchandise sourcing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 exhibitors and several thousand attendees per event, providing significant networking and business development opportunities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Mill City RoastersflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Exclusive Roasting Education Sponsor of Coffee Fest. Mill City Roasters operates the Big Red Roast Rig (40-foot mobile roasting lab) at show floors, providing live roasting demonstrations, espresso bar, and hands-on roasting education classes covering topics from introduction to roasting to designing commercial facilities.
• Cafe ImportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCupping Corner sponsor, hosting daily coffee cuppings to help attendees build sensory skills and experience unique coffee offerings. Features exclusive cupping demonstrations and competitions open to all attendees.
• Ghost Town OatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBarista Playground sponsor, supporting interactive and educational opportunities for baristas at Coffee Fest events.
• Synesso (Middleby Coffee Solutions Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTech Lab collaborator and Barista Playground sponsor. Provides expert technicians and trainers for equipment troubleshooting, maintenance training, and pressure profiling education sessions. Also hosts espresso machine installation and maintenance workshops.
• Dillanos Coffee RoasterscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness Building Essentials track sponsor. Provides educational content on hiring, culture, sales, and business operations. Co-presents with Barista 22 on signature drinks and business fundamentals.
• Barista 22coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness Building Essentials track co-sponsor. Provides syrups, sauces, powders, and fruit smoothie bases expertise. Co-presents on topics including Signature Drinks and business building with Dillanos.
• Monin Gourmet FlavoringscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation Sponsor at Coffee Fest Los Angeles. Presents on drink trends, flavor development, and menu strategies for specialty coffee businesses.
• The Original OatlycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation Sponsor. Supports hands-on barista training on alternative milk steaming science and latte art techniques.
• ToranicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation Sponsor specializing in flavored syrups and beverage development education for coffee professionals.
• Roast MagazinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation Sponsor and Roasters Forum host. Provides roasting industry insights and facilitates discussions on pressing specialty coffee topics.
• Lotus Plant PowercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation Sponsor. Presents on energy drink integration, digital marketing success, and profit optimization for coffee shops.
• Barista MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation Sponsor covering specialty coffee success stories, industry trends, and barista career development.
• Toddy Cold BrewcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation Sponsor specializing in cold brew education including Cold Brew 101 sessions and equipment demonstrations.
• Two Leaves and a BudminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation Sponsor focusing on tea education and tea-based beverage development for coffee shops.
• Pacific Barista SeriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation Sponsor supporting barista training on alternative milk science and texture techniques.
• Connections HousingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial housing partner for Coffee Fest events. Manages hotel reservations with exclusive show rates for attendees. Contact: [email protected], phone 725-238-3419.
• New York Restaurant ShowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located event partnership. Coffee Fest New York is located side-by-side with the New York Restaurant Show, with discounted badge cross-registration available.
• Clarion EventsflagshipOthersParent company and corporate headquarters. Clarion Events, Inc. operates Coffee Fest as part of its portfolio of food, beverage, and hospitality events. US office: 973-251-5040, us.clarionevents.com.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA): Operates the SCA Expo, the largest US specialty coffee trade show and Coffee Fest's primary competitor. Both serve the same B2B audience of roasters, cafe owners, and baristas with education, exhibit halls, and competitions; SCA is larger and globally focused.

Regional players

• World of Coffee (SCA Europe): European specialty coffee trade show organized by the Specialty Coffee Association. Highly comparable B2B event format with competitions, education, and exhibits, but operates in Europe, making it a regional peer rather than direct competitor in the US.
• HOST Milano: International B2B hospitality and coffee trade show held in Milan, Italy. Comparable in combining coffee equipment, barista competitions, and education programming, but focused on the European and broader international market.
• Coffee Association of Canada: Canadian coffee industry trade association that hosts industry events and expos. Comparable audience of coffee professionals and roasters, but serves the Canadian market rather than competing directly in the US.
• Tea & Coffee World Cup: International coffee and tea trade exhibition held in various Asian and European cities. Comparable format of B2B exhibition with competitions and education, but primarily serves Asian markets rather than North America.

Emerging players

• Barista Hustle: Online coffee education platform with growing in-person workshops and events targeting the same barista and cafe operator audience. Highly comparable in education-first value proposition, but primarily digital rather than trade-show based.
• Roast Magazine & The Roast Summit: Roasting-focused industry publication and event host that partners with Coffee Fest (Roasters Forum). Comparable in serving the specialty roasting segment with education and events, but operates at smaller scale and primarily as a media-led platform.

Others

• Perfect Daily Grind: Specialty coffee industry media and events company providing editorial content, podcasts, and some in-person programming. Comparable audience overlaps with Coffee Fest attendees; functions as both an information source and adjacent event organizer.
• Coffee Talk (Media Concepts Inc.): Specialty coffee industry trade publication and event/media organizer. Comparable in serving the coffee professional audience through content and industry events, but its primary focus is media rather than large-scale trade shows.

Direct peers

• New York Restaurant Show: Co-located B2B trade show for restaurant and hospitality operators, with which Coffee Fest New York is already partnered. Comparable in exhibitor/sponsorship model and audience overlap, and provides direct co-marketing and cross-registration opportunities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coffeefestshow
• Facebookfacebook.com/coffeefest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coffee-fest
• Instagraminstagram.com/coffeefestshow
• TikToktiktok.com/@coffeefestshow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coffee Fest