Coffee Talk: Pacific Coast Coffee Association 84th Annual Convention, Sept. 15–17, 2016 Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe

High in California’s Sierra Mountains, Squaw Valley was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. The PCCA chooses such settings so their members cannot only enjoy educa­tional speakers, meetings, cocktail hours, exquisite meals, golf and croquet, but also each other’s company in spec­tacular outdoor settings. It’s “Work hard, Play hard” for this West Coast based trade asso­ci­ation that realizes good business can mean making good friends; that sharing memo­rable expe­ri­ences together creates bonds that form trusted working rela­tion­ships.

As Roast Magazine Publisher Connie Blumhardt describes her first convention: “It defi­nitely tilted towards the social end of the scale, and this is precisely why it works…the event felt like a family reunion with plenty of room for the new in-laws… For those who made the real effort, long lasting connec­tions were forged.”

Stir: Pacific Coast Coffee Association Keeps Roasters in the Know

Last year when labor disputes disrupted the West Coast coffee trade the Pacific Coast Coffee Association’s transportation committee, chaired by Dave Weber of Annex Warehousing, kept association members up to date with timely postings during the most critical times of the negotiations.

PCCA has been actively involved in resolving coffee industry issues for decades. Front St. in San Francisco, where PCCA was headquartered, was once the center of West Coast coffee trading. Today most green coffee is offloaded at hub ports in Oakland, L.A., and Seattle-Tacoma.

PCCA continues to offer guidanceon legislative and regulatory challengesalong the coffee supply chain.

The association provides numerous opportunities during the year for members to socialize, network, and learn about the business, said Johnny Hornung, PCCA president and v.p. purchasing and sales at Incasa Instant Coffees in Berkeley, Calif. Annual conventions, holiday parties, cupping competitions, as well as webinars and other ad-hoc events keep members engaged with the coffee industry in the western US, he said.