K-Specialty Coffee Branding and Domestic-International Specialty Market Co-Growth Opportunity
Experience with Coffee Brands from 72 Countries, Confirming Global Coffee Industry Trends
The ‘2024 World of Coffee & World Barista Championship Busan,’ hosted by Busan City and the Specialty Coffee Association and organized by Busan Technopark and Exporum, the organizer of the Seoul Cafe Show, was held for the first time in Asia, providing a platform for business and industry exchange.
On the 4th, with participation from 281 companies from 72 countries worldwide and 15,844 domestic and international buyers including 5,123 overseas buyers, the event showcased global coffee industry trends.
The significance of hosting the ‘World of Coffee & World Barista Championship Busan’ this time is special. It was the first time ‘World of Coffee Asia’ was held, and the ‘World Barista Championship’ was held in Korea for the first time in seven years since 2017, adding great meaning.
Additionally, it was significant in that it focused the world coffee industry's attention on the Korean specialty coffee market.
The event featured various companies and associations from the coffee industry, including coffee-producing countries around the world such as Panama, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Uganda, Guatemala, as well as the Indonesian Specialty Coffee Association, German water resource company BWT, and Italian espresso machine brand La Marzocco.
At the ‘Roaster Village,’ where visitors could meet renowned roastery cafes famous worldwide and directly taste famous specialty coffees, the flow of participants and visitors from exhibiting companies was continuous.
As the event attracted high interest from the domestic and international coffee industry, key coffee-related figures also attended, illuminating the venue. At the SCA Lecture Series held on May 2, 14 domestic and international speakers, including 2019 World Barista Champion and Momos Coffee CEO Jeon Ju-yeon, and Yudong Coffee CEO Jo Yoo-dong, shared diverse knowledge and insights about coffee.
Son Mun-ho (32), a barista at a cafe in Busan who visited the exhibition hall on the 3rd, said, “As a coffee professional from Busan, I am very proud that World of Coffee was held in Busan. I was happy to encounter coffees and brands that I had not yet experienced domestically. It was a great opportunity to communicate with various overseas companies.”
The ‘2024 World of Coffee & World Barista Championship Busan’ was an event where the diversity and uniqueness of specialty coffee worldwide could be experienced, and it is expected to bring positive effects such as promoting specialty-related industries and derivative content production, spreading K-Coffee, and enhancing socio-cultural value in the future.
Yannis Apostolopoulos, president of the Specialty Coffee Association, which hosted the ‘2024 World of Coffee & World Barista Championship Busan,’ said in his opening remarks, “I was once again amazed by the interest from the industry and general consumers in the ‘2024 World of Coffee & World Barista Championship Busan.’ Also, under the slogan ‘Coffee City Busan,’ the efforts to make Busan the hub of the Asian coffee market were very impressive. Watching the annually growing coffee market in Korea, I hope this event contributes to Korea establishing itself as a leading country in the coffee industry.” He added, “The Specialty Coffee Association will also strive to expand the Korean market so that Korean consumers who enjoy various coffees can enjoy specialty coffee.”
Meanwhile, at the ‘2024 World Barista Championship Busan,’ held simultaneously with the ‘2024 World of Coffee Busan,’ Indonesia’s national representative Mikael Jasin was selected as the 2024 World Barista Champion. Mikael Jasin will hold the honor of being the world’s best barista and will serve as an ambassador for the Specialty Coffee Association for one year, engaging in various activities to revitalize the global coffee industry.
Mikael Jasin (center), the Indonesian national representative selected as the 2024 World Barista Champion.
The Specialty Coffee Association announced that Jakarta, Indonesia, has been selected as the next host city for the ‘2025 World of Coffee Asia,’ which will be held for three days from May 15, 2025, at the Jakarta Convention Center.
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