[On Site] "This Year is Back to Business"... The 11th Seoul Coffee Expo Already Brings Together Over 80,000 Coffee Products

On the 30th, a barista is making coffee beverages at the '2022 Seoul Coffee Expo' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. This exhibition, which showcases the trends in the coffee industry, will be open until the 2nd of next month. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] On the afternoon of the 30th, the venue of the 11th Seoul Coffee Expo held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul was filled with the rich aroma of coffee and the warm scent of freshly baked bread as soon as you entered the entrance.

Despite the COVID-19 situation, the exhibition hall, where 200 participating companies showcased about 80,000 coffee and bakery-related products, was bustling with coffee enthusiasts, aspiring baristas, and prospective entrepreneurs. As the largest coffee industry event in Korea and with many events having been canceled or scaled down due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the organizer explained that there was a strong demand from prospective entrepreneurs and industry workers for the normalization of the exhibition to obtain the latest coffee trend information.

On the 30th, visitors at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, who attended the '2022 Seoul Coffee Expo' were examining products. This exhibition, which provides insight into the trends of the coffee industry, will be held until the 2nd of next month. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The organizer expects about 50,000 visitors nationwide to attend over four days from the day the event opens until the 2nd of next month.

The venue, located on the entire first floor of COEX, which is 2.5 times the size of a soccer field, is filled with various coffee industry-related products ranging from raw coffee beans to bakery and confectionery, fruit juices, tea bags, eco-friendly capsule coffee, reusable cups, unmanned cafes, and robot systems.

On the 30th, visitors at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, attended the '2022 Seoul Coffee Expo' and examined products. This exhibition, which showcases the trends in the coffee industry, will be held until the 2nd of next month. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

In particular, many prospective entrepreneurs of various ages were gathering brochures, business cards, and other startup information in abundance. A prospective entrepreneur named Jung, who came up from Daejeon, said, "I used to run a small travel agency, but after experiencing COVID-19, I closed the business and obtained a barista certificate to prepare to open a cafe." He added, "Since it is difficult to have many employees, I plan to take orders through a kiosk and install a semi-automatic coffee machine."

Another person named Han, who is preparing to run a coffee shop with his fianc?e, was continuously capturing the cafe operation 'tips' from the invited barista at the expo on his camera. He said, "I am researching ways to create unique coffee drinks to operate a competitive cafe," adding, "I also watch the videos repeatedly at home to get used to the techniques."

On the 30th, visitors at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, attended the '2022 Seoul Coffee Expo' and examined products. This exhibition, which showcases the trends in the coffee industry, will be held until the 2nd of next month. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

In line with the trends of remote work activation and non-face-to-face transactions, many visitors ordered coffee beans and bakery products for home delivery at the exhibition site. An office worker named Lee, who has been working remotely for two years, said, "While working from home, I ordered high-quality coffee beans to brew at home and bubble tea concentrate as an afternoon snack." He added, "It was frustrating not knowing the taste when purchasing online, but at the expo, I could smell the aroma and see the products in person before buying, which gave me more confidence."

The event that drew the most attention that day was the barista competition, the ‘2022 Dalla Corte Zero World Super Barista Championship,’ located at the innermost part of the exhibition hall. The baristas’ performances were broadcast live on a large screen on the stage throughout the venue, capturing the full attention of the visitors.