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Green buying and roastery

SCA Expo 2025: A guide for roasters and producers

Whether you're sourcing green coffee, showcasing your harvest, or just soaking in the energy, SCA Expo 2025 is the place to be.
This guide breaks down everything you need to plan your schedule, taste the right coffees, hit impactful lectures, and build meaningful relationships across the supply chain—especially if you're a roaster or producer. Don’t just attend: make it count.

PUBLISHED:
April 22, 2025
Author:
Algrano

The Specialty Coffee Expo 2025 (April 25–27 in Houston) is the highlight of our coffee calendar. A place to spark new ideas, gather intel, and build real relationships across the supply chain. From roasters and producers to exporters, importers, and baristas, thousands come together to connect, learn, and celebrate the craft. Oh, and the World Coffee Championships are happening too—so you know it’s the place to be.

Whether it’s your first time or your fifth, here’s how to get the most out of it. Let’s dive in!

1. Go with a game plan

Before hitting the show floor, get clear on your goals. Are you hoping to:

Roaster:
  • Find new green coffee suppliers?
  • Look for tools that help you roast better or control quality?
  • Learn more about financing, sustainability, or sourcing strategies?
Producer:
  • Connect with new roasters or partners?
  • Share your coffees with roasters through cuppings or samples?
  • Learn about market trends and how things work at destination?

Write down your goals. Then browse the Expo full schedule and exhibitor list. Highlight the booths, sessions, and cuppings that align with your focus.

🔎 Pro tip: Use the Expo’s mobile app to bookmark sessions and avoid zig-zagging through the halls.

2. Tackle the show floor with purpose

The Expo features 600+ exhibitors. That’s a lot. You won’t see them all. Prioritise the people who align with your goals.

As a roaster:
  • Green coffee importers and exporters with fresh crop offerings
  • Roasting equipment and quality control tech
  • Platforms for sustainability, traceability, and financing
  • Packaging and logistics partners
As a producer:
  • Roasters and importers who match your values
  • Digital tools for traceability or relationship management
  • Export/logistics support providers
  • Marketing or financing services to help grow your brand

🎯 Don't miss: Roaster Village. That’s where new connections happen.

🤝 Start the convo: Not sure what a booth offers? Just ask. Whether it's tech, tools, packaging, or coffee, every conversation is a chance to learn something useful or spark a future connection.

3. Get to cuppings and tastings early

Cuppings are the heart of the Expo. They fill up fast. If you want to taste something or talk to someone, be there or sign up early.

For roasters:
  • Taste new lots from importers, cooperatives, and direct exporters.
  • Use cuppings to shortlist coffees and make sourcing decisions on the spot.
  • Take notes, then follow up right after with the people behind the coffees you liked.
For producers:
  • Cuppings are a chance to receive real-time feedback from buyers.
  • At your own cupping, make sure to connect with roasters.
  • Pay attention to what coffees are getting people excited—it’s valuable intel.
  • Bring your own spoon! Forgot? Swing by the Algrano booth—extras are limited, so don’t wait.

🎟 Don’t miss: our booth cupping takeovers! With special guests hosting cuppings of fresh harvest lots.

Pro tip: Treat each cupping as a conversation starter. Ask others at the table what stood out to them. You’ll learn as much from each other as from the cups.

4. Hit up the right lectures and workshops

Kick things off with Using new data sources to reshape credit access for coffee producers (April 27th, 1–2 PM, Room 351DEF), where Algrano’s CFO Florian Schaffner and Fernando Patiño from Majestic Coffees break down how marketplace data is unlocking financing at origin. Then dive into the Expo’s packed schedule of lectures and workshops on:

🔍 Sourcing, Sustainability & Origin Impact

💼 Business & Operations

🌍 Market & Finance

5. Don’t just network: build relationships

Everyone’s at the Expo to talk. Anyone can hand out a business card. What you want is a relationship.

  • Attend informal events: dinners, happy hours, after-hours meetups → join us for our Algrano, Mountain Harvest &  Sancoffee party at Las Perras Café on Saturday the 26th, from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM!
  • Ask thoughtful questions and listen more than you pitch.
  • Follow up within a week—personally. Not with a generic sales email.

6. Discover direct sourcing opportunities with Algrano

Want to source more transparently? See how producers and roasters are building real partnerships? Come find us.
Visit Algrano’s full Expo schedule → Producer takeover cuppings, workshops, lecture and meetups.

Final thoughts

To get the most out of the SCA Expo 2025:

  • Plan your schedule ahead of time
  • Choose lectures that align with your goals, not just the big names
  • Cup coffees and connect with intention
  • Follow up with purpose

The Expo isn’t just a trade show. It’s a launchpad for your business future.

Make it count.

Booth #2325 – Meet the Algrano Team

Don’t miss a thing! Add Booth #2325 to your calendar and make Algrano your first stop at SCA Expo 2025. We can’t wait to meet you there!

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