The Specialty Coffee Chronicle
November/December 2007

A Chat with Mark Inman, the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s 2008 Conference Chair

Interview by Aaron Kiel

For more than 18 years, Mark Inman has been a strong voice in the specialty coffee industry
for issues concerning sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, green entrepreneurship and social justice. His tireless campaign to improve environmental and social conditions in the coffee industry, as well as voicing his support for the small farmer movement, has taken him from local classrooms in the United States to remote coffee laboratories in the hills of Esteli, Nicaragua.

Inman’s own company, Taylor Maid Farms, has been considered a “working experiment” to test the boundaries of the sustainable business model, and he has kept an ongoing “open door policy,” for those interested in learning from his trials and tribulations. Taylor Maid Farms is an organic, shade-grown and fair-trade coffee roaster, based in Sebastopol, Calif.

In addition to his work at Taylor Maid Farms, Inman—who currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA)—is SCAA’s 2008 conference chair. The Chronicle talks with Inman to get the scoop on SCAA’s upcoming conference and exhibition, to get his perspective on the conference theme of “Roots”, and to get a preview of some of the hot topics and themes for the Minneapolis event.

Question: Tell us about the conference theme for this year and why it was selected?
Answer: The theme for this year’s conference, “Roots,” revisits the foundation of the specialty coffee industry: regional, independent, forward-thinking coffee companies joining together to share information, ideas and strategies, while creating a culture driven by quality. A lot has changed over the years since those historical gatherings. Specialty coffee has transitioned from a fragmented niche market to become the primary segment of the coffee market. While that is a lot to be proud of and it would be easy to rest on those laurels, I never want us to lose sight of how we arrive at this place—by encouraging a culture of creativity, togetherness while building a strong network of regional companies that encompass the values and traditions of their communities.

Over the past years, the SCAA has celebrated and featured companies who’ve evolved from local or regional companies to national or multinational corporations. While this focus has been appropriate, it has left many dynamic local and regional companies out of that spotlight. Personally, I have been most impressed during my 20 years in this industry by the innovations and efforts of numerous local and regional coffee companies. I would like to focus that spotlight on these pioneers this year.

Question: What is your role as SCAA conference chair?
Answer: Basically, the role of the conference chair is to create the concepts, messages and theme for their specific conference, and work with a committee of their peers to flesh out these pieces as well as add features and activities that will make for a memorable experience. A successful conference is one that sticks, one that you remember throughout the years. For me, some of the most memorable conferences were Denver in 1998, San Francisco in 2000 and Seattle in 2005.

Question: What’s new and exciting for the 2008 event?
Answer: There are many new and exciting items that will be featured at this year’s conference. We will be offering more interpreted educational offerings ever at an SCAA event. Our keynote address will be interpreted for the first time ever and we will be offering a “drop-in” language school each morning before conference. This will allow attendees to learn basic phrases and coffee-specific terms in English, Spanish and Portuguese. We will be holding the 4th Annual Sustainability Day, which has not been held since 2000 when we were in San Francisco. We have changed the name and nature of the “Amigo’s del Café” track. Finally, we will be introducing a new track titled “Agroecology.”

Question: Why is the 2008 conference a must-attend for the industry?
Answer: First off, for our producers, who rarely have the opportunity to attend the SCAA conference, we have built a very powerful offering with our “Agroecology” track that intends to deliver concrete results—true nuts and bolts techniques, tips and methods to improve their farms. This offering is also very beneficial to baristas, retailers and roasters who are forming relationships with producers and are working in tandem to build better coffee. This focus will offer a common language and the scientific method to build that better cup.

Question: Do you see the industry amalgamating, and is that reflected in the conference curriculum?
Answer: Yes, which I believe is a wonderful evolution of our industry. It seems that in the past 10 years each segment has realized that they are intrinsically linked. This year’s conference encourages the segments to blur. Baristas could glean a log by attending the “Agroecology” track, while producers could learn a lot about new trends in the American market by attending the “Retail” track. Ideally, each presentation should contain members from each segment, opening up a rich informational and educational exchange.

Question: Tell us about the overall focus of the conference curriculum in ’08.
Answer: The focus will be on regional, small to mid-sized businesses, producers all the way through retailers, which is the majority of our membership base as well as the majority of the specialty coffee market. We will be making significant efforts to give these regional companies tools to become cornerstones of their communities. From our keynote speaker to our numerous expert presenters, attendees should leave with their hearts full and their heads hurting.

Question: What does the 2008 Conference Committee hope to accomplish with next year’s event?
Answer: Our committee has two main goals for the 2008 conference and exhibition. First is to bring the feeling of being at a coffee origin to the halls of the conference center. By bringing back the “Portrait Country,” we hope to remind attendees that they are a part of a unique industry that includes people from numerous countries and cultures. This is not like a plumbing or dental conference, it is deeper and richer. By featuring Ethiopia, which ties in beautifully with our conference theme, attendees will have an opportunity to experience the birthplace of coffee as well as explore their roots as a participant in this complex industry. The second goal is to deliver concrete results to attendees who participate in our labs and lectures. To use our producer segment as an example, we have placed an emphasis in our La Vida Verde, Agroecology and Sustainability tracks to delivering practical do-able methods to develop better soil, increase their biodiversity, manage their natural resources, increase their coffee quality, develop lasting relationships, improve their yields, and improve the quality of their lives.

Question: What are you looking forward to the most at the 2008 conference and exhibition?
Answer: Me, personally? I am looking forward to talking with members about this year’s conference experience to gauge if I actually delivered what they needed. It is important that we build on our successes and are not creating tracks, programs or concepts that members do not find valuable. This will help make next year’s conference in Atlanta even better. I also am looking forward to speaking with as many members as possible about their thoughts about the future of the SCAA. It is important to remember that while my work as conference chair will be coming to a close, I will be starting a new job as the SCAA board president the following day. It is my hope to involve the membership on that process and take careful notes on their feedback, ideas and hopes.

Question: Thanks for your time. Last question: What’s your best advice for SCAA members who want to take full advantage of their conference participation?
Answer: In my experience, as a new member at conference, Houston 1994, the best way to get the most out of it is to explore a little bit of everything. I think that too many attendees settle in to one or two areas or just attend events that are relevant to their segment, and lose sight that the conference offers a wide range of educational opportunities. Take a skill-building class, wander the tradeshow floor, check out a sampling of or lectures and make sure to spend time mingling and making a personal connection. After all, attending the SCAA conference and exhibition is not the sole reason why many of us have remained in this industry, it is the connections to others and getting the sense of being a part of something larger than our own businesses that keep us coming back each year.