WORLD OF COFFEE SAN DIEGO 2026:

The Roaster's Complete Playbook

If you run a roastery whether you're a one-person operation or a growing team — World of Coffee San Diego is the one event a year where the whole industry lands in the same building. New equipment, new suppliers, new ideas, old friends and conversations you've been putting off over email for eleven months.

This year has an extra charge to it. The Specialty Coffee Expo, the show this community has gathered at for 30 years, officially becomes World of Coffee. New name, global alignment, biggest floor ever. And the industry has plenty to talk about: prices, processing trends, new quality frameworks, sustainability debates that are actually getting uncomfortable.

We're going. Here's everything we think roasters need to know before they pack their bags and their cupping spoons.

1. A New Name, A New Era: What Actually Changed

The SCA rebranded after 30 years. The Specialty Coffee Expo is now World of Coffee, aligning North America with the global events the SCA already runs in Europe, Asia, Central America, and the Middle East. Same show, same community, now part of a worldwide network.

Practically speaking for attendees, the biggest changes are scope and scale. This is projected to be the largest floor ever — 130,000 sq ft of exhibitor space, up from 116,000 in Houston. The show is also adding features that were previously Europe-only, including a stronger Producer Village presence and more internationally diverse programming.

2. The Show Floor: A Roaster's Cheat Sheet

Six hundred booths is genuinely overwhelming. Here's how to think about it if roasting is your world — and you'd like to still have legs on Day 3.

Roaster Village: Sold Out, And That Tells You Something

The Roaster Village is a curated space where small and medium roasters (under $5M revenue, SCA members) showcase their coffees through live brewing—and it’s sold out. That says a lot about the demand to be present and visible.

For attendees, it’s one of the best places to taste a wide range of coffees quickly, discover roasters from new regions, and have real conversations about sourcing and style—without the pressure of the main floor. Make time for it each day.

Producer Village: Brand New to North America

A genuine first for the North American show, the Producer Village puts origin producers and distributors directly on the floor—face to face, not behind an exporter or in a brochure.

For roasters focused on traceability and understanding what’s behind their coffee, this is time well spent. Even without sourcing directly, these conversations make it easier to work with importers and tell a stronger origin story.

Cupping Rooms: Free With Your Badge, Use Them

Public cuppings run throughout the show and are included with every badge. These aren’t casual tastings—they’re often led by importers and producers showcasing specific lots, processes, and origins. Aim for at least one per day. It’s the fastest way to recalibrate your palate and discover coffees beyond the booths.

And if you want to end the weekend on a high note, we're hosting our own Brazil Cupping Experience on Sunday April 12 from 10–11am — fresh Brazilian lots, producers in the room, and a proper send-off before the floor closes. Grab a spot here.

Coffee Business Lounge: For Real Conversations

A quieter space just off the main floor, designed for meetings rather than demos. If you have supplier check-ins or want to sit down with a prospect, this is the place. Schedule it in advance — it fills up.

Colombia: Portrait Country Activation

Colombia is this year’s featured origin, with Café de Colombia activations across the show—tastings, programming, and a strong presence on the floor.

If Colombian coffees aren’t currently in the lineup, this is the year to explore them. The SCA’s traceability agreement with the FNC, signed last year, starts to take shape here—with the first real outputs of that partnership.

Equipment & Tech: What to Watch

The main floor is where brewing and roasting technology lives. Based on what's been trending and what exhibitors are bringing:

• Roasting automation: Brands like Yoshan, Aillio, and CoffeeCrafters are expanding the accessible end of the market. If you're a small roaster thinking about your next machine, this is the year to compare.
• Grinder innovation: Precision and consistency at the single-dose end of the market continues to move fast (Timemore, Kinu, DiFluid are on the floor)
• Single-serve brewing: Still the area with the most product launches. Expect new pour-over and immersion designs alongside updated auto-brewers from FETCO and others.
• Water filtration: Pentair Everpure is a Diamond sponsor; water quality is increasingly part of how serious roasters talk to cafés about extraction
• Packaging: Sustainability-driven materials and design innovation are both showing up. The Coffee Design Awards display (more below) previews this nicely.

3. Competitions: Why Roasters Should Pay Attention

World Latte Art Championship

The headline competition in San Diego. Competitors from around the world pour live in the exhibit hall—the level of skill is genuinely impressive, and the pressure is real. Even if competitions aren’t your focus, it’s worth catching at least one round—a strong reminder of the craft behind the industry.

Best New Product Awards

This is the competition most directly relevant to roasters making purchasing decisions. Exhibitors submit genuinely new-to-market products, equipment, packaging, ingredients, technology — and the winners are often the most interesting stops on the floor. Find the display and walk it slowly.

Coffee Design Awards

A gallery-style exhibit of packaging, branding, and visual identity from around the world. It’s become one of the most inspiring areas of the show, with a clear shift from minimalist white bags to more story-driven, expressive design. Worth a stop if you're thinking about your own packaging—or just want to see what’s catching attention right now.

4. Programming Worth Planning Around

Green Coffee Connect: Free, Hall C, Booth #4456

A dedicated space for the green coffee community—importers, exporters, producers, roasters, and traders. Bilingual (English/Spanish) and running all three days, with guided tastings, expert conversations, and open networking.

New this year: reserve a table for 30-minute meetings. Bring roasted samples, use the brewers and grinders on hand, and connect without chasing people across 130,000 sq ft of show floor.

Looking to connect? Book a quick time with the JA Coffee team we promise not to make you chase us across 130,000 sq ft of show floor.

A few sessions not to miss:

• Fri 10:30am GCC Networking and Connections: Free Space A dedicated open session to connect informally, meet new peers, and continue conversations from earlier in the day.
• Fri 4:00pm SIP & GREET: Welcome Cocktail. Welcome cocktail celebrating Green Coffee Connect’s unique space and the people behind it—an informal moment to meet new faces, and reconnect with the coffee community.
• Sat 10:15am Conversation with Albert Scalla: An open Q&A following his Friday session on Brazil’s mega-crop and what it means for pricing. No formal presentation — come with questions.
• Sat 1:15pm Redesigning Sustainability:  A genuine conversation about what sustainability models actually work at the producer level, using the SCA’s How-to Guide as a framework.

Full GCC schedule: usa.worldofcoffee.org/green-coffee-connect

Workshops

For a deeper dive, World of Coffee offers hands-on workshops on cupping, roasting, sourcing, and market dynamics. Smaller groups, practical learning, and real takeaways—beyond what you’ll get on the show floor. They require an additional fee and advance registration, with limited spots and no on-site sign-up. A few worth considering:

• Less Chaos, More Clarity: Time Management & Organizational Skills for Coffee Professionals. A practical session focused on bringing more structure and clarity to the fast-paced, often chaotic reality of working in coffee.
• Introduction to Cupping: A hands-on introduction to cupping, focused on building core sensory skills and a consistent approach to evaluating coffee.
• Inside the Roast: Essential Coffee Roasting Concepts for Beginners: A clear, practical breakdown of key roasting concepts, helping build a solid foundation and better consistency in the roaster.
• Recognizing Freshness, Staleness, and Age in Roasted and Green Coffee : A focused session on identifying freshness and aging in both green and roasted coffee, with practical cues you can apply right away.

Full workshop list and booking: usa.worldofcoffee.org/workshops

5. Around the Show: Events You Shouldn't Miss

The official show runs April 10–12 but World of Coffee week goes well beyond the show floor. For a few days, the entire industry is in one place, and the social calendar fills up fast. From official events to brand-hosted gatherings and the spots where “everyone ends up there.” here’s what’s happening around it.

Thursday April 9 Cup of Excellence: Legends of Excellence Reception

The CoE team announces the 2026 Legends of Excellence Winning Producers on the Centre Terrace before the show even opens. Free to attend, food and drinks provided, and there’s a Comandante raffle. A genuinely good event — and the perfect way to kick off the week. Arrive Wednesday or Thursday morning so you can actually enjoy it. 

Get you ticket here

Friday & Saturday: Community Happy Hours

Both show days close with a Community Happy Hour in the Exhibit Hall Community Lounge. Part of the SCA Guild events, these informal gatherings bring people together over drinks and conversation—no RSVP needed. The end-of-day energy is different—more relaxed, better conversations. Don’t bolt at 4pm—this is often where the best connections happen.

Learn more: https://usa.worldofcoffee.org/sca-guild-events

Saturday April 11 — IWCA Breakfast

The International Women’s Coffee Alliance Breakfast runs from 8:00–9:30am. It’s a separate ticket, bringing together industry professionals for networking, fundraising, and conversation around equity in coffee.

This year’s keynote is Helen Russell, co-founder and Executive Chair of Equator Coffees and a leading voice in values-driven sourcing. Worth the early alarm.

Tickets & info: IWCA Breakfast at World of Coffee San Diego

CQI 30th Anniversary Luncheon

The Coffee Quality Institute marks its 30th anniversary with its annual luncheon during the show. The ticket includes a one-year membership to the CQI Insider program, with proceeds supporting development work in producing countries.

Relevant for roasters following Q-grader training and the evolving SCA/CQI dynamic—CQI is refocusing on producer programs as the SCA takes on the Q-Grader curriculum, with candid conversation expected around what that means for the industry.

Tickets are available through the CQI Luncheon page and the WOC registration portal.

GCC Welcome Cocktail — Friday April 10

The Green Coffee Connect area (Booth #4456, Hall C) hosts a Welcome Cocktail Friday at 4pm, informal, bilingual (english/spanish)l, and open to anyone on the floor. A good landing point at the end of a busy first day if you want to meet origin-side people in a relaxed setting.

Sunday April 12 — Brazil Cupping Experience & Meet the Producers ☕ (That’s Us)

We’re hosting a cupping on Sunday morning, April 12 from 10–11am, right at the San Diego Convention Center. Fresh Brazilian coffees, the producers who grew them in the room, and an hour to slow down and actually taste before the show floor closes out for the year.

It’s the kind of session where you taste a coffee, ask where it’s from, and the person who planted the trees is standing three feet away. Spots are limited, worth booking ahead.

Register here: World of Coffee — Brazil Cupping Experience & Meet with Producers

Exhibitor & Brand Happy Hours — All Weekend

Every year, brands and importers host evening events, rooftop gatherings, dinners, and tastings around the official show. These aren’t centrally listed, but word travels fast on the floor. Check social media leading up to the show (#WOCSanDiego), talk to your suppliers about what they’re hosting, and keep your evenings flexible.

Some of the events we’re seeing include:

• Covoya & Roast Magazine Party: Gaslamp District at Rustic Root, starting at 6 PM. Rooftop gathering with a strong industry crowd.
Details Here 
• Eversys Cocktail Party: The Gutter at The Lafayette Hotel. Cocktails, snacks, and a more curated evening setting.
Details Here
• Goldchild After Dark (April 10–12): Coffee & spirits listening experience at Goldchild. A different pace from the usual happy hour.
Get your Ticket 

6. What the Industry Is Actually Talking About

Beyond the official schedule, here are the conversations that are going to follow everyone from booth to booth and into the evening events.

Coffee Prices — Finally Coming Down?

The market has been brutal for two years. Brazil's record crop could offer some relief in 2026, but the timing is uncertain, quality distribution matters, and roasters still holding expensive forward contracts are watching carefully. Expect this to dominate casual conversations everywhere.

The CVA Is Changing the Language of Quality

The Coffee Value Assessment is no longer just an SCA project — it's being adopted by origin countries and is starting to influence how green coffee is evaluated and priced. If you're not familiar with how it differs from the old scoring system, getting up to speed before the show means you'll get more out of the sourcing conversations.

Experimental Processing — Maturity, Not Hype

The co-fermentation wave hasn't crested — but the conversation is maturing. Roasters are now asking harder questions: which profiles actually move on their menu? How do you explain yeast inoculation to a retail customer without losing them at "yeast"? What's the premium ceiling for processed lots? These are better questions than three years ago, and the show will have real answers.

AI and Automation in Roasting

This is the year AI tools for roasting profiling, inventory management, and customer communication start showing up in serious ways on the show floor. Not hype — practical tools. Keep your eyes open at the tech booths and in the lecture schedule.

Sustainability Under Pressure

Certifications are being questioned. The economics of direct trade are being stress-tested by high prices. The definition of what "sustainable sourcing" means for a small roaster is genuinely unsettled. The show will have honest conversations about this — and roasters who engage with them will be better positioned to talk to their customers.

7. How to Actually Work the Show

Three days sounds like a lot. It goes fast. Here's how to get the most out of it.

Before You Go

• Register now if you haven't: usa.worldofcoffee.org. Early bird closed March 1 but registration is still open.
• Book workshops immediately: they sell out and there is no on-site registration. Pre-registration is mandatory.
• Download the World of Coffee app before you leave home: It has the floor map, full schedule, and exhibitor list.
• Review the exhibitor list and build a priority shortlist: 600+ booths with no plan = three days of wandering and a tote bag full of brochures you'll never read.
• Email the suppliers and partners you need face time with now: Propose specific meeting windows and suggest the Coffee Business Lounge.

On the Floor

• Hit your top-priority booths on Day 1. High-traffic exhibitors get crowded and reps get tired, go early.
• Save discovery browsing for Day 2 and 3, when you have a feel for what you're seeing.
• Attend at least one cupping session per day, it keeps your palate calibrated and you'll taste things you'd never find otherwise.
• Take notes as you go, not at the end of the day. Context evaporates fast when you're seeing 50 booths.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Seriously. The floor is massive and the sample cups are small, you will walk further than you think.
• Use the Coffee Business Lounge for anything that needs focus. It's quieter than the floor and designed for real conversation.

Getting Value Out of Lectures

• Check the published schedule the evening before and mark your sessions. Popular talks go standing room.
• Arrive 10 minutes early for anything you genuinely want to attend.
• The Q&A is where the real insights happen, stick around.
• Don't try to pack in five lectures a day. Two or three good ones with time to walk the floor in between is the right pace.

See You in San Diego

We'll be at the show, talking to producers, roasters, visiting the floor, sitting in on sessions, and catching up with the people who make this industry worth showing up for. We'll post a full recap after the event with what we actually saw, what surprised us, and what we think it means for the year ahead.

If you’re going to be there, come find us, or better yet, book some time with us. There’s always something interesting to taste and talk about, and we promise to keep it efficient. The floor waits for no one.