Tea professionals from around the world will gather in Long Beach, California May 6-8 for the world’s most comprehensive tea business trade show. World Tea Media’s World Tea Expo, founded by George Jage in 2003 as Take Me 2 Tea, has grown from the United States’ first premium tea trade show, and a small one at that, to an international gathering toasting tea commerce and agriculture in myriad ways. Every year this show expands, and not just on the exhibitor floor. Reflecting tea’s thriving popularity, this month’s conference is a whirlwind of interactive tastings, skill-building workshops, thought-provoking seminars, awards ceremonies, and tea business 101. A show floor of almost 300 exhibitors showcases the new and innovative alongside legacy companies, many that travel to only one trade show a year.

With global tea appreciation not only growing but evolving, traveling to an event like World Tea is an amazing way to watch current trends and stay up to date on tea’s progress. This year’s classes, for example, cover everything from mobile tea to climate mitigation, tea cocktails, coffee leaf tea, organic certification, and tea blogging, all taught by the industry’s brightest thinkers and educators. A new addition, the Tea Up for Health education track, is aimed at helping tea professionals understand and capitalize on tea’s healthful nature. And the World Tea Awards is back for its second year with a fresh lineup of deserving nominees. If it seems like there’s a lot to celebrate in tea, there is, and World Tea can help you direct the excitement toward fruitful opportunities. ­

—Regan Crisp is Fresh Cup’s associate editor. Visit Fresh Cup at the Expo, at booth #632.