Recent and upcoming events

Specialty Coffee Association Indonesia (SCAI) participated in the 2010 Thailand Coffee, Tea, and Drink Expo from February 18th - 21st at the Bangkapi Mall Convention Hall in Bangkok. SCAI was invited in conjunction with the Thailand National Barista Championship held during the Expo. Two members, Tuti Mochtar, from Santino Coffee, and Mira Yudhawati, from Caswells Coffee, represented SCAI in the Barista event, and helped advertise the association by placing their logo on all promotional materials (backdrop, posters, participants, and t-shirts).

Hundreds of visitors were interested in Indonesian Coffee, especially Arabica coffee. After tasting samples, a number of roasters and retailers expressed interest in purchasing coffee from SCAI producers. There is an excellent opportunity to penetrate the Thailand markets since this year Thailand will allow Asian imports to enter the country tax free.

SCAI also held a Board Meeting on February 24th and completed several
important tasks:
• Review of rules and regulations to be forwarded to the 2010 Annual General Meeting (AGM)
• Job descriptions for the Board of Trustees, Chairman, Executive Director, and Treasurer
• Standard Operating Procedures for budgeting, payment, membership invoicing, and purchasing
• Agreement on 2010 program activities and committee members

Also in February, SCAI members participated in a tasting event to sharpen their sensory perceptions of coffee flavors. The members were tested on levels of sweetness, acidity, and salty flavors. Some members requested to join the formal Q-grader training after participating in this event. Two media outlets also attended: Cikopi who writes a famous blog for coffee lovers and MyCoffee Magazine. Both media outlets explored the possibility of highlighting SCAI activities in their publications.