World Tea Expo 2025

As the trend for non-alcoholic beverages grows, café and tea business owners have a golden
opportunity to enhance their offerings and appeal to a more educated and health-conscious clientele. Join Dr. CJ Sugita-Jackson, a Certified Nutritionist, Master Herbalist, and expert tea blender, for an engaging workshop designed to elevate your drink menu and boost your business.
"Mastering the Art of Mocktails: Boost Your Business with Innovative Drink Menus" is tailored for businesses without a liquor license but eager to tap into the lucrative mocktail market. This session will provide you with the knowledge and inspiration to create a premium, high-priced mocktail menu that draws in discerning customers seeking sophisticated, non-alcoholic options.
Key highlights include:

• Understanding Your Audience: Learn how to identify and cater to the preferences of health-conscious and sophisticated consumers.
• Menu Design Principles: Discover the secrets to creating a balanced and appealing mocktail menu, incorporating seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients to elevate your offerings.
• Live Mocktail Demonstrations: Watch Dr. Sugita-Jackson demonstrate several innovative mocktail recipes, and enjoy tasting these unique creations to inspire your menu development.
• Marketing Strategies: Gain insights into effective marketing techniques, including social media tips and influencer collaborations, to attract a high-value customer base.
• Physical Takeaways: Leave with recipe cards, ingredient lists, and other takeaways to kickstart your mocktail offerings.

Whether you’re a café owner or tea shop manager, this workshop will provide actionable strategies to enhance your business and delight your customers with premium non-alcoholic beverages.

In today's competitive tea market, sourcing tea directly from origin can offer a significant edge. This session will provide a detailed guide on how to establish direct trading relationships with tea producers, ensuring quality, authenticity, and a unique market position. We'll explore the benefits, challenges, and practical steps involved in sourcing tea directly from its origin.TakeAways:

• Build initial relationships with Growers: 
• Resources on how to make the first contact with tea growers. 
• Logistics and Legal Considerations: Sourcing tea directly involves navigating complex import regulations. 
• The session will provide an overview of the necessary paperwork, permits, and certifications required to import tea in the US. Marketing Your Direct-Sourced Tea: 
• One of the biggest advantages of direct sourcing is the story behind the tea. Learn how to effectively share this story with your customers through your website, social media, and packaging.

This presentation delves into several critical aspects of environmental regulation and consumer protection: PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), California's Proposition 65 (Prop 65), environmental marketing, and recycling issues including Extended Producer Responsibility. A comprehensive approach to environmental marketing, formulation, and packaging is vital for companies aiming to align with current environmental standards and consumer expectations. Understanding these issues helps companies mitigate risks, enhance brand reputation, and contribute to a healthier environment. This presentation aims to equip stakeholders with the knowledge to navigate these regulatory requirements and leverage environmental marketing effectively.
Takeaways (3)
Prop 65, PFAS, and other chemical regulatory issues
Environmental Marketing
Recycling and Extended Producer Responsibility

Unlock the secrets to successful tea marketing with an exclusive workshop hosted by the Boulder Tea Company. Join Sara Stewart Martinelli, owner and master tea blender, and Nathan Pulley, Director of Operations, as they share their expertise in both print and digital marketing. This hands-on workshop will cover everything you need to know to elevate your tea business.
Sara and Nathan will guide you through the nuances of traditional print marketing as well as effective strategies for digital platforms.
This workshop is ideal for tea business owners and entrepreneurs, marketing professionals in the tea industry, aspiring tea brand creators, and anyone passionate about tea and eager to learn more about marketing.

TakeAways:

Learn how to craft compelling stories and engaging content that highlight the unique qualities of your teas.

Discover the art of tea photography, from lighting and composition to styling and editing, ensuring you capture the beauty of your tea products in every shot. 

Build a strong, recognizable brand that resonates with your target audience through branding techniques that create a cohesive and appealing brand identity across all marketing channels.

Kevin will address the reaction of taste receptors as it pertains to hot and cold beverages. Only to bring it forth to why it may be so that some people prefer hot tea brew and some may prefer cold tea brew scientifically.

Takeaways
(1) Science behind temperature tea tasting

(2) Choosing which teas taste better cold or hot

(3) Geographically preference

You must be 21+ to attend, don't forget to bring your valid I.D.

In the world of gourmet experiences, the combination of tea and cheese stands out as a sophisticated and delightful pairing. Join us for an immersive skill building session, where we will explore the principles of food and tea pairing, followed by a sensory tasting session designed to educate and inspire.
This session will begin with an introduction to the fundamental concepts of pairing tea with food, focusing on how different flavors, textures, and aromas can harmonize on the palate. Participants will then embark on a guided tasting experience, sampling a curated selection of teas and cheeses. Through this hands-on session, attendees will not only discover new insights about tea but also learn how to create compelling and complementary pairings.
Furthermore, Fabiola will provide practical advice on organizing similar tea and cheese events in your own business. By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to host their own tastings, enhancing their offerings and attracting new customers with these unique experiences.
Join us for this delectable journey and elevate your tea business by mastering the art of tea and cheese pairing.
TakeawaysUnderstanding Tea and Food Pairing Principles: Gain insights into the core concepts of pairing tea with food, learning how flavors, textures, and aromas can complement each other to create a balanced sensory experience.
Hands-On Sensory Tasting Experience: Engage in a guided tasting of a curated selection of teas and cheeses, discovering new flavor combinations and deepening your understanding of both tea and cheese.
Organizing Tea and Cheese Events: Learn practical tips and strategies for hosting your own tea and cheese tasting events, enabling you to offer unique experiences that can attract and retain customers.
 

Will Guidara, the renowned restaurateur, author, and co-producer of FX’s hit series The Bear, has redefined what it means to deliver exceptional hospitality. As the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, Guidara’s more-is-more philosophy turned the restaurant into a three-Michelin-starred, World’s Best Restaurant winner. His groundbreaking approach—centered on creating a deep sense of belonging— also became a major influence on The Bear’s portrayal of hospitality.

In this keynote, Guidara shares his journey from running one of the world’s top restaurants to shaping one of television’s most celebrated depictions of the industry. He’ll dive into the lessons from his book, Unreasonable Hospitality, and offer actionable insights on team culture, guest experience, and scaling hospitality with heart. Whether you’re looking to elevate your business, empower your team, or create unforgettable moments, this session delivers exclusive wisdom from an industry visionary who has influenced both real-life and on-screen hospitality.

Step out of the Camellia Sinensis world to learn about other botanical supply chains.
The growth in fruit and herbal tea sales has outpaced those of black and green tea in recent years and this trend looks set to continue. Increasing awareness of health benefits and a desire for healthy beverage choices is driving innovation and increasing consumer demand.
Come away from this talk with a broader understanding of the complex supply chains behind individual fruit and herbal tea ingredients before they are used in finished products.
Learn about different production processes for fruit and herbal ingredients versus black and green tea and how they impact quality.
Gain a better understanding of purchasing options for botanical ingredients whether you are a startup, small, medium or large-scale operation.

Takeways:
What are the key drivers of quality when producing botanical ingredients
How do the supply chains work
What are the main things to consider when purchasing botanical ingredients for my business
What are the key drivers of quality when producing botanical ingredients

With the increasing popularity of matcha, the presence of Japanese green tea on the world market is stronger than ever before. Yet despite the abundance of instragrammable green lattes and smoothies out there, much of what Japan has to offer still remains largely undiscovered by the international tea community. Take a closer look, and Japanese green tea will appear surprisingly multifaceted, spanning from the fresh forest-like flavor of a classic Sencha to the nutty roasted aromas of Hojicha and much more in between. New and exciting initiatives such as the single origin tea movement are also taking Japanese tea into unexplored territory, making for new taste experiences previously unavailable. The art of roasting green tea has also being further refined, and is ripe for experiencing. A must for anyone interested in gaining or deepening their knowledge of green tea.

Takeaways:

Explain the background behind the great variety of flavor experiences.

Cover everything from tea plant cultivars to terroir.

Explore the long traditions and new bold initiatives that make the cultivation and processing possible.

Brewing techniques will be introduced,

The secrets behind a good Hojicha

Tasting:
・Cold brewed Single Estate Japanese Tea
・Freshly roasted Hojicha

Years of inflation at the grocery store has made it harder that ever to convince consumers to pay extra for value-added attributes. How can premium tea navigate such a challenging environment and convince consumers to spend on high-quality tea when they are watching every dollar? In this session, we will look at what the rise in grocery prices has done to consumer mindsets and shopping patterns in the last few years and then describe the strategies that are working in the premium space: Leading with wellness, embracing “Little Treat Culture”, and targeting the luxury segment.  It is possible for value-added categories to succeed and tea basically has three options. The first is wellness, because data indicates where consumers are willing to spend extra their top choice is wellness because it is “investing in themselves” and so makes financial sense even in tough times. The second is “Little Treat Culture” or what in traditional economic terminology is known as the “Lipstick Effect” or the idea that if budgets are stretched, people turn to small, affordable splurges to make themselves feel better. The third is to appeal to consumers whose incomes are high enough they do not really feel the sting of inflation, who are not numerous but who do have high spending power. The idea of this presentation is to lay out the consumer mindset as it currently stands and then take them through the routes where premium tea can succeed.

You will better understand how consumers:

• currently shop for food and beverage products
• under what circumstances they will pay more for higher-quality teas  
• what strategies might work for them specifically to appeal to consumers in this environment

a Crémant: Redefining Luxury in Non-Alcoholic Gastronomy
Tea-based RTDs are redefining the non-alcoholic wine category, offering a sophisticated alternative that preserves the complexity and indulgence of fine wines while seamlessly integrating into the refined atmosphere of high-end dining and hospitality. With their carefully crafted complexity, layered flavors, and elegant textures, tea crémants provide a premium experience that appeals to discerning guests. Their wellness-driven appeal, rich in antioxidants and low in sugar, aligns with the growing demand for health-conscious indulgence. Perfectly suited for food pairings, curated menus, and elevated beverage programs, tea crémants bring innovation to the forefront of luxury dining and hospitality, offering a unique way to enhance the guest experience and set establishments apart.

TAKEAWAYS:

1. Beyond Dealcoholization: A New Approach
   
2. Elevating Non-Alcoholic Beverages Without Imitation
   
3. Meeting the Growing Demand for Sophisticated Options
   
4. Tea as a Terroir-Driven Beverage
   
5. A New Chapter for Tea in the Culinary World
   

“Tea tastings aren’t just about sipping a great cup—they’re a powerful tool for growing a dedicated customer base and driving long-term sales. In this seminar, Sean Cyre shares insights from his years at The Cultured Cup, where structured tastings and classes transformed casual tea drinkers into engaged advocates while increasing annual sales by 20%.
Attendees will explore how to create tasting experiences that not only introduce customers to quality tea but also foster loyalty and deepen engagement. Whether you’re looking to attract new customers, train passionate employees, or tap into the next generation of tea professionals, this session will provide actionable strategies to make tastings a core part of your business growth.”
Key Takeaways:

• How tastings drive long-term sales
• How tastings build a loyal customer base
• How tastings train dependable and passionate employees

Join us on Day 1 for an exciting ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the World Tea Expo! Be part of this special moment as we celebrate the start of the Expo Hall, and get ready to step into a vibrant expo hall filled with the finest teas, products, and industry innovations. Sponsored by Tea Capital Shizuoka

Step into the World Tea Expo Hall, your gateway to the latest trends, products, and innovations in the global tea industry. Explore booths, meet top suppliers, and enjoy complimentary samples—all included with your registration pass. This is the ultimate destination for tea professionals looking to grow their business and stay ahead of the curve.

The World Tea Expo conference program brings together some of the most knowledgeable and respected names in the tea industry. Don't miss this opportunity to get your questions answered by our expert faculty at this casual meet-up in the Tea Bar!

Discover a modern twist on traditional ocha-wari (tea-based cocktails) at the Tea Bar, where Wakoen’s finest Japanese teas meet premium spirits. As interest in Japanese tea and shochu grows in the U.S., we invite you to explore this unique fusion of deep umami and refined flavors. Join us for an unforgettable tasting experience that blends tradition with innovation.

Session takes place at the Tea Bar.

Drumroll please! Join us as we announce -- and celebrate -- the winners of the Global Tea Championship 2025!