UPDATED: April 16th 2024
What’s up beautiful people!!
Super stoked to write about my attendance of the World Tea Expo 2024 in Las Vegas.
Where do we start?!
My passion for tea – oh boy – I believe that’s whooole other article that I will write about soon.
Tea is such an incredible beverage – it recalibrates and realigns my life daily – making me the best possible human being I can be as a father, web design agency owner at Lovepixel Agency and overall human being.
Why Tea? Whether I need a gentle nudge to get into action (caffeine) or the slow pull to relax and unwind (L-Theanine) – tea has it all.
Soo let’s talk about my visit at the World Tea Expo 2024 and the current state of affairs of the tea industry.
I love business and tea – with this blog article I want to bring you the amalgamation of both in this blog article – I will give you my experience and assessment of the tea industry and of course of all the wonderful people I met along the way (there are many.)
It’s value packed with insights, new tea discoveries and at the end I’ll also list my Top Favorite Exhibitors of this year’s tea expo.
Time to get yourself a cup of tea & sit down to read this fabulous adventure of mine at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas.
World Tea Expo 2024 – Day 0
Day 0 Schedule – World Tea Expo 2024 – March 17th
| Time | Event | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00am – 6:00pm | World Tea Expo Beverage Challenge (Judging) | Director: Ravi Pillai |
| 12:00pm – 5:00pm | Registration/Badge Pick-up | |
| 1:00pm – 5:00pm | NEW! Tea Primer Certification: Covering the Basics | Speakers: Kyle Stewart |
| 5:30pm – 7:00pm | Meet & Greet Welcome – Open to All | Speakers: Jeni Dodd, Chris Anderson |
Arrival in Las Vegas
I arrived late afternoon on Sunday March 17th, in Las Vegas for the expo. The Uber pickup in the parking structure of the airport was interesting how you get assigned a lane/number when you get out. My hotel was The Signature by MGM on the strip. I got a sweet deal and booked it via Airbnb. The room had a great view and a nice bathtub – which for me is always important when going to events like this – to unwind and chill, recharge at the end of the day – with a cup of tea of cours.
After arriving, I went to the Expo hall and met my new friend John Terzi. We connected before the flight through the World Expo Conference app. I saw that he likes tea and spirituality – bingooo – those are two of my favorite subjects in the world – another fellow tea spirit. We became tea friends for life during the expo. @terzigram – Check him out for tarot and or tea leaf readings – such a kind soul.
Meet & Greet Welcome
At 5:30 PM, we went to the opening session with Jenny Dot and Chris Anderson. They led a quiz to help people get to know each other. We drank Darjeeling tea to start the event. It was fun but not that many people were there yet, so it didn’t really give a reflection of the real expo vibe.
I met Kevin Gascoyne from Camellia Sinensis and other great people too, like Ravi Pillai (Director of Quality and Development at DavidsTea.com – what an experienced soul in the tea world. There is something to be said for people who have been in the industry for over 10-15 years – they just know the plant, the way of tea, the way of life. After 7 p.m., when it ended, I connected with some more fellow tea lovers.
Tea for me, is all about connecting with people, being present and hearing their stories. It’s an amazing plant that brings us together, humanity as a whole.
At 9PM, after an event at the expo building, me, John (@terzigram), and Juan from OrTea (@orientalteacn) went to have dinner. We enjoyed a nice meal at an Indian restaurant and then went back to our hotel rooms. This was the end of day zero at the Expo.
World Tea Expo 2024 DAY 1
Day 1 Schedule – World Tea Expo 2024 – March 18th
| Time | Event | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30am – 6:00pm | Registration/Badge Pick-up | |
| 9:00am – 5:00pm | Tea Business Incubator | Speakers: Jeni Dodd, Sherolyn Sellers, Doyle Mullins, Don Mei, Tania Stacey, Kym Cooper, Tamay Shannon |
| 9:00am – 6:00pm | World Tea Expo Beverage Challenge (Judging) | Director: Ravi Pillai |
| 10:00am – 2:00pm | Tea Business Incubator Advanced – Business Strategies | Speakers: Billy Dietz, Greg Lui, Nishchal (Nish) Banskota, Don Ho, Kevin Gascoyne |
| 6:00pm – 7:30pm | Opening Night Reception – Open to All! |
Day 1 at the World Tea Expo 2024 starts
Starting at 9 AM, the Tea Business Incubator Sessions kicked off, offering pearls of wisdom on launching and growing your tea venture.
Honestly, I wish the actual expo had OFFICIALLY kicked off today because this day felt a bit empty. Doors & Exhibitions were only open starting on Day 2. However the excitement was high.
The two most important sessions today were:
Tea Business Incubator (for people intending to start a tea business)
Tea Business Incubator Advanced (for people who have a tea business already)
I did gain soooome insights, but it wasn’t as valuable as it could be especially for passionate, young tea entrepreneurs like myself.
For example, I attended the Tea Business Incubator Advanced group with Kevin Gascogne and Nishchal from Nepal Tea Collective. Some of the topics discussed made me realize how outdated the the tea industry can be at times. People were asking whether to collect email addresses of their customers – hello, it’s 2024! Yes, building an email list for your business is one of the most valuable assets you can have in the digital age.
3 Types of Online Traffic
There are 3 types how to get traffic online:
- Traffic you buy from others (advertisement, traffic you pay for)
- Traffic you borrow from others (partnership, corporate workshops etc.)
- Traffic you build by yourself (Organic Social Media, Organic SEO, Email also belongs in this category)
This is online marketing stuff a little off-topic, but I feel it’s important – I’m very passionate about this because I want people to grow their passions and make money doing what they love.
Why do I talk about this? I own a web design and marketing agency in which I do this day in day out.
Anyheww – let’s continue 😊
The Elephant in the Room – Growing an audience for tea
Many tea business owners seem to be 5-10 years behind on technology. The elephant in the room was that so many people wanted to know HOW TO build a brand online, HOW TO monetize your tea brand online but there wasn’t enough focus on that aspect IMHO.
The Tea Business Incubator session had people eager to learn about online branding and marketing. Instead, there was a presentation on financing – important, yes, but not what most attendees needed. We should’ve been discussing online advertising costs and strategies for e-commerce and direct people’s attention where it really matters: how to attract traffic to your tea brand.
I truly believe the tea industry needs to shift its focus towards online sales and marketing strategies. Especially in the US market, where the tea industry is relatively small compared to other countries. Here are some statistics.
Tea Industry VS. Coffee Industry
Let’s dive into some tea vs. coffee talk – I’m talking about market size and social media presence, my friends!
So, coffee’s market size in the US is estimated to be around $80 billion in recent years, while tea’s is around $12 billion. That’s like, a sixth of coffee’s size! And you can totally see it on social media too – not many peeps are posting about tea, and brands aren’t getting the reach they want.
Now don’t get me wrong, we’ve got our tea aficionados (like ME who have fallen head over heels for the leaf and all its amazing properties. But compared to coffee lovers? Tea just does NOT have the same impact or reach.
How industry size affects Marketing for tea
Take tea influencers vs. coffee influencers, for example. There are waaay fewer tea influencers out there, and they don’t have nearly as much reach as their coffee counterparts.
This wasn’t really touched on during the sessions I attended at the expo, but it’s super important for anyone starting a tea brand. You gotta think: how can you monetize your brand amidst this scattered and fragmented online presence?
It’s tough to make an impact when there aren’t many tea influencers to work with. But hey, that’s where us young tea-lovers come in! One of my goals with this blog post is to start an influencer network so we can team up and approach brands together.
We’ve gotta grow the audience for tea!
Sure, it’ll never disappear ’cause tea is the most drank beverage after water BUT I do not see a big cultural movement of tea unlike coffee – and then again maybe it does not need to.
However there is a part of me that would love to see tea succeed and impact more lives. It’s such an incredible beverage with so many health benefits – which people are getting more aware of – which fuels the recent growth in the tea industry, thankfully.
Building a Tea Influencer Network
To further expand the impact of tea I made it my mission on the expo and beyond: Building a tea influencer network so we can collectively approach tea brands and bring them to market.
If you’re interested in becoming a tea influencer, shoot me an email – it’s still in the forming stages but I believe the young generation needs to step up here and share the radiance that tea holds online.
Opening Night Reception – World Tea Expo 2024
And then, my friends, at the end of day one – from 6 to 7:30 PM – we had this super-duper fun evening reception that was open for everyone to join in on the fun. It took place at the Fuhu Bar in Resorts World Hotel, and oh boy, it was a blast!
This pre-expo networking session was the perfect opportunity to mingle with some amazing peeps I hadn’t met yet but spotted them during the party. I brough my portable tea brewer, but they also had free wine if someone fancies that.
The place was packed with attendees (like sardines!), but that didn’t stop us from having a fabulous time. And guess what? It was outdoors! Nighttime in Las Vegas is just divine – not too cold, not too warm – simply perfect.
One of the highlights? Meeting THE Jeff Fuchs @jefffuchstea, whom I absolutely adore and admire. He’s such a fabulous guy, and a father, and a traveler, and a tealover and and and…
Sidenote:
Jeff Fuchs is an explorer, author, and tea merchant renowned for his deep engagement with the tea cultures of Asia. He is best known for being the first Westerner to travel the entirety of the ancient Tea Horse Road AND write a book about it “The Ancient Tea Horse Road: Travels With the Last of the Himalayan Muleteers”
It’s one of the globe’s oldest trade routes. Through his journeys, Fuchs has immersed himself in the traditional tea practices of remote mountain communities, gaining unique insights into the cultural significance of tea in these areas.
He now hosts a new series on Amazon Prime called “It’s a Beautiful World” by Global Heros.
Definitely worth checking out!
So yeah, that pre-expo networking at Fuhu Bar was an absolute blast and set the tone for an unforgettable World Tea Expo experience.
Go get yourself a cup of tea and keep reading, we’re just getting started!
WORLD TEA EXPO 2024 – DAY 2
Day 2 Schedule – World Tea Expo 2024 – March 19th
| Time | Event | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30am – 6:00pm | Registration/Badge Pick-up | |
| 8:00am – 8:30am | Keynote: Inspiring the Next Generation of Tea Lovers | Jeff Fuchs |
| 8:30am – 8:50am | World Tea Expo Beverage Challenge – Winners Announced! | Director: Ravi Pillai |
| 9:30am – 10:15am | A Journey From Tradition to Innovation: Tea’s Timeless Transformation | Desiree Nelson |
| 9:30am – 10:15am | Authenticity in a Social Media Age | Don Mei |
| 9:30am – 10:15am | Clone Wars: Ten Tea Cultivars You Should Know | Will Battle |
| 9:30am – 10:15am | Conscious Commerce: Empowering Customers Through Responsible Sourcing | Chris Olsen, Kelly Amoroso |
| 9:30am – 10:15am | Promotion of Tea: A Global Perspective | Shabnam Weber, Dr. Sharon Hall |
| 9:30am – 1:30pm | Tea Incubator Skill Building: Explorations into Sensory Language | Carine Baudry |
| 10:30am – 11:15am | Assamica Producers’ Collaboration | Wouter Verelst, Kevin Gascoyne |
| 10:30am – 11:15am | China Tea Market Analysis; How to Connect Business | Kate Ba |
| 10:30am – 11:15am | Driving Data Purity Through Traceability | Daniel Friedman |
| 10:30am – 11:15am | How to Break Into Fine Dining | Brian Friese |
| 10:30am – 11:15am | Identifying Issues in Sustainability & Traceability in Tea | Nishchal Banskota, Jason Walker, Michael Ham, Elizabeth Whitlow |
| 10:30am – 11:15am | Practical Tea Chemistry: Food Preservation With Tea | Phil Attee |
| 11:30am – 12:15pm | 8 Ways to Grow Your Tea Shop by Re-Thinking Your Strategy | Scott Lyttle, Becky Lyttle |
| 11:30am – 12:15pm | Brews and Stews: Everyday F & B Applications for Your Tea Chemistry Experiments | Lisa McDonald |
| 11:30am – 12:15pm | Implementing Sustainability & Traceability in Tea | Jason Walker, Michael Ham, Shabnam Weber, Briana Buckles |
| 11:30am – 12:15pm | Sustainability in Tea: Fad or Necessity | Peter Goggi |
| 11:45am – 12:00pm | Red Carpet & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony | |
| 12:00pm – 6:00pm | Expo Hall – Tea Bar + Beverage Samples | |
| 12:00pm – 6:00pm | Expo Hall Hours | |
| 1:00pm – 2:00pm | Keynote Meet and Greet with Jeff Fuchs | Jeff Fuchs |
| 1:00pm – 4:00pm | Networking at Tea Bar | |
| 2:00pm – 2:45pm | World Tea Academy Update and Reunion | Sharyn Johnston |
| 4:00pm – 5:00pm | Mei Leaf YouTubers Meet Up | Don Mei |
| 6:00pm – 8:00pm | First-Time Attendee Happy Hour | |
| 6:30pm – 8:00pm | Industry Networking Happy Hour | |
| 7:00pm – 8:30pm | Kevin Gascoyne’s Rare Teas | Kevin Gascoyne |
| 7:00pm – 8:30pm | Tea & Chocolate Pairing/A Match Made in Heaven | Stijn VanSchoonlandt (Limited to 100 attendees) |
We kicked off the morning with a buzzing keynote address by Jeff Fuchs @jefffuchstea inspiring the next generation of tea lovers with tales from his tea adventures at 8:00 AM.
Throughout the day there were sessions like “A Journey From Tradition to Innovation” and “Authenticity in a Social Media Age,” where tea professionals shared insights on blending tradition with modernity and crafting a unique online presence. However I felt the REAL value on how to actually generate traffic/monetize your tea brand or site could have been better covered.
Why do I say this? Because I feel there are so many amazing souls out there loving tea, promoting tea but not really getting the attention and traction they deserve.
At 12PM Noon the Expo hall with all exhibitors opened – FINALLY – time to see all the vendors & try all superb teas. I entered the hall with the one and only Don @meileaf_don from MeiLeaf.com
The Expo Hall became a hub for connecting, sharing, and celebrating the love of tea. My favorite part was talking to vendors and trying their tea of course – sooooo good. I can’t tell you enough how many amazing teas there in the world/at the World Tea Expo 2024.
Tasting around the world at the World Tea Expo 2024
From Tawainese Oolongs – especially their Roasted Oolong – by ShenXian, I made my way over to the Japanese Green Teas, like Fukamushi Sencha by Osada Seicha.
Ceremonial & Imperial Grade Matchas by Marumatsu were next.
After that, more deliciousness (did you know Japan also makes some excellent black tea?).
I got to try some Japanese Blacks teas and I have to say I looove their flavor profile – Japanese Blacks taste less intense than the ones we’re used to (Earl Grey, Breakfast Blend etc.) due to the gentler processing and NOT using Assam Black tea – Camellia Assamica (which is used in a lot of Breakfast blends etc.).
BIG thanks to @matcha_moustache + @sugimoto_tea_company for the amazing tea flight tasting of the Japanese Greens!!
Kevin Gascoyne’s Rare Tea Tasting
In the evening at 7PM I had the honor and privilege to be part of Kevin Gascoyne’s Rare Tea Tasting limited to about 20 people. It was a whole experience. The entire seminar/tasting room was dark, only candle light on the tables. A very sensual and intimate experience. Just you and the tea. No talking between attendees. Just listening to instructions and tasting the rare leaves. These teas we had there were TRULY outstanding and you could taste the level of quality.
Pictures from Rare Tea Tasting (was only allowed to take after lights were turned on – it was very magical with lights off – here you go:
#WorldTeaExpo2024 #WorldTeaExpo #TeaInnovation #NetworkingBliss #TeaTales #CultivarCuriosity
#WorldTeaExpo2024 #TeaLoversUnite #TeaBusiness #TeaTimeAllTheTime
WORLD TEA EXPO 2024 – DAY 3
Day 3 Schedule – World Tea Expo 2024 – March 19th
| Time | Event | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30am – 5:00pm | Registration/Badge Pick-up | |
| 9:00am – 9:45am | How to Dominate in the New Reality | Greg Lui |
| 9:00am – 9:45am | How to Navigate and Profit with Tea in E-commerce | Matthew Barry |
| 9:00am – 9:45am | Step into a Sustainable Tea Future | Nishchal (Nish) Banskota |
| 9:00am – 9:45am | Tea and Technology: AI The Next Disruptive Brew? | Stijn VanSchoonlandt |
| 9:00am – 9:45am | Teas’ Journey Inside Your Body | Jia Li |
| 9:00am – 1:00pm | Tea Flights | William Karis, Patricia Graells, Daniel Lewis, Joyce Maina, Lydia Kung, Nishchal Banskota, Kimiko Uriu, Thuy-Giao Tran |
| 10:00am – 10:45am | Charting the Course of Tea Trends | Suzy Badaracco |
| 10:00am – 10:45am | Essential Insights for Success in the Ready to Drink Market | Tania Stacey, Kym Cooper |
| 10:00am – 10:45am | Steeping Success: Crafting Effective Educational Programs | Justine Duquette, Melissa Duquette |
| 10:00am – 10:45am | Tea Defects: Learn What Can Go Wrong in Tea Processing | Wouter Verelst |
| 10:00am – 10:45am | WINE & TEA: Elevating Hospitality Experiences | Fabiola Ruggiero |
| 11:00am – 11:45am | Adapting to Adaptogens | Dr. Nada Milosavljevic |
| 11:00am – 11:45am | Flavoring 101: Exploring Its Place In The Tea Industry | Billy Dietz, Michael Petrone |
| 11:00am – 11:45am | From Leaf to Logo: Trademark Management for Tea Business Owners | LaBrae McMillan |
| 11:00am – 11:45am | Retail Meets Hospitality: Welcoming Your Guest | Eduardo Molina Anfossi |
| 11:00am – 2:00pm | Tea Business Incubator Advanced – Business Strategies – Encore Session | Ravi Pillai, Don Ho, Jeni Dodd, Kevin Gascoyne |
| 12:00pm – 5:00pm | Expo Hall – Tea Bar + Beverage Samples | |
| 12:00pm – 5:00pm | Expo Hall Hours | |
| 2:00pm – 3:00pm | Sample winning teas from the 2024 World Tea Expo Beverage Challenge | |
| 2:00pm – 3:00pm | Speaker Meetup |
Day 3 of the World Tea Expo 2024 – brewing with excitement, the last day – can you believe it?!
I feel like it just started.
The doors opened early, welcoming attendees to a day filled with insightful sessions and interactive experiences.
This morning was little education heavy – I did not attend every single one of these sessions, since a lot of them were time overlapping as you can see so I can not speak for all.
The agenda was packed with topics ranging from sustainable tea farming to the latest trends in tea technology, offering something for every tea enthusiast.
One of my favorite was the „Step into a Sustainable Tea Future“ talk by Nishchal (Nish) Banskota from nepalteacollective.com, shedding light on eco-friendly practices and how we can all contribute to a greener tea world.
A great example of that is @wildorchardteas – one of the first to be Regenerative Organic Certified Producers in the tea space.
Day 3 of the Expo was all about soaking every little bit up.
I went to all the stands I didn’t get a change to really explore and have an interaction with their owners or representatives. The tea world has so much variety to offer and it was a true delight to connect with people on a deeper lever this day. Cruising through the stands I met
- Ana @ana.likes.tea
- Chase @davidsteashareaday another Tea Enthusiast & Educator
- Neldon @teawithneldon from TeawithNeldon.com
It was super nice to connect although very briefly, all of them are such tea wizards – Neldon especially for Chinese tea.
Another serendipity was to run into Sharyn Johnston from Australian Tea Masters. She is such a light in the tea industry. They offer so many courses, tasting and education around tea – definitely check out their website. I call her the “Angel of Tea”, because of the gracious vibes she radiates.
On my way to the tea bar I found another Gem in Taiwanese Oolongs – Silk and Jade. Their Silk Oolong was sooo smooth – awch, if one could one convey taste in words. Right behind the tea bar was Love & Obey Tea @loeytea_offical – his business is faith based and I loved his perspective on life and of course tea. We’re all here to walk each other home (in a spiritual sense).
Another highlight was to try Vietnamese Wild Bud Tea by TeaJTea.com – their founders Thuy & John are such kind people, a real testament to the kindness of the tea industry people. They are special let me tell you. And this Wild Bud Tea sometimes also called Dragontail Tea – out of this world!
Bubble Tea
Haven’t gotten to it but on Day 3 one thing I definitely didn’t want to miss was the Bubble Tea Machine by Botrista – who doesn’t like Bubble Tea?!
I mean as a purity worshipper and tea lover you might get offended and in my opinion it’s not REAL tea but let’s be honest: A lot of tea beverage chains opening shop out there currently are Bubble Tea places. We can’t deny their existence – it’s how many American find their way into tea. Bubble tea is a gateway tea.
The U.S. bubble tea market size was valued at $434.11 million in 2022 & is projected to grow from $464.29 million in 2023 to $750.59 million by 2030. Juuuust FYI. Almost doubling by 2030 in US.
Source: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/u-s-bubble-tea-market-107501
Want more stats? Explore more Tea Industry Trends & Forecasts
Towards 5PM you could notice the “spirit of departure” by the exhibitors – they started to give things away and leave you with samples whereas yesterday they were still more clingy to their merchandise. That was kinda nice – John from Teabloom.com gifted me a glass double-wall insulated tea pot – so kind of him.
These are the characteristics that are just different in the tea community I feel. This is not JUST a commercial event, although most of its content was, but it is a place where tea lovers come together to share their Love and appreciation for this special plant.
My Top 9 Exhibitors on the World Tea Expo 2024:
Last but not least my list of my favorite Exhibitors for different reasons, but mainly due to my love for tea 😉
| Company | Origin | Reason why? | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shen Xian Tea | Taiwan (R.O.C.) | Outstanding Roasted Oolong | https://www.shenxiangroup.com/ |
| Osada Seicha | Japan | Impeccable Sencha | https://osadateajapan.com/ |
| Sugimoto Tea | Japan | Excellent Green Tea | https://www.sugimotousa.com/ |
| Marumatsu Tea | Japan | Matcha | https://www.marumatsu-tea.co.jp/en/ |
| Seven Teahouse | China | Lychee Black/Oolong Authentic Flavoring (untouched by unnecessary additives) | https://seventeahouse.com/ |
| JingWei Fu Tea | China | Probiotic Post-fermented Jing-Wei Fu brick tea (spores grow inside tea) – read study | http://www.jingweifuteausa.com/ |
| Zheng Shan Tang | China | Delicious Lapsang Souchong | https://lapsangstore.com/ |
| Wild Orchard | Korea | All Teas Regenerative Organic Certified (in addition to USDA Organic) | https://wildorchard.com/ |
| Nepal Tea Collective | Nepal | Nepali Chai – uh-mazing | https://nepalteacollective.com/ |
| Teabloom | USA | Amazing Glass Teaware | https://teabloom.com |
Conclusion
As the final day of the World Tea Expo 2024 winds down, I find myself reflecting on the whirlwind of experiences and connections that have steeped together to form a rich tapestry of memories.
What stands out to me the most is not just the teas I’ve tasted or the knowledge I’ve gained, but the people I’ve met. Connecting with fellow enthusiasts, from industry veterans to those just starting their tea journey, has been the highlight of my time here.
Their stories and experiences have enriched my own, reminding me that at the heart of the tea community is a genuine spirit of camaraderie and collaboration.
As I prepare to leave Las Vegas, I carry with me not just a suitcase filled with tea samples but also a mind buzzing with ideas and a heart full of gratitude.
This expo has reaffirmed my belief that tea is more than a beverage—it’s a medium for connection and a source of continual discovery.
So here I am, signing off from the World Tea Expo 2024, filled with excitement for the future and a renewed commitment to contribute to the tea community in meaningful ways.
I’m eager to put into practice the insights I’ve gathered and to continue the conversations that have only just begun. Here’s to the adventures that await us in the world of tea.
Until next time, keep steeping and keep dreaming.
May the Love of Tea be with you,
Christian
PS: If you know any tea influencers that want to be part of the tea influencer network – reach out via email below – I’d love to connect:)
[email protected]
#WorldTeaExpo2024 #TeaJourney #InfusedWithPassion
Before you leave, have a look at their brochure in convenient flippable PDF format – yay!
