Nick wrote:If you look to the SCAA as an association to fulfill your needs, I think you're going to be disappointed.

barry wrote:the trouble is, that comment can be applied to professional membership as well.

best post of the week

ken

Recently I was reading about the volunteer opportunities at the SCAA conference:

The Minneapolis 2008 presenters were selected by the Conference Committee in June 2007. If you are interested in being a presenter for Atlanta, Georgia, 2009, complete the "2009 CALL FOR PRESENTERS." The submission deadline is May 19th, 2008.

...which reminded me of this thread. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I would like to resubmit this proposal. I'll contact Jim/Bob to see if they're interested. Wish us luck (we'll need it).

Whad'ya know, a Jim Schulman post!

Hi Jim! See you tomorrow, hopefully.

another_jim wrote:I think events may have overtaken our proposal: now we have $200 per pound roasted coffees and $7000 home machines on which to pull them. The only question is we're in a crema bubble economy; or whether it's for real.

Hi, Jim.
Yes, events have moved swiftly in the last two years. The growth of artisan roasters and shops has been explosive and not just in major cities. The mainstream press has taken wide notice. Here is a current slide show of Third Wave shops from Forbes with well-informed commentary (yes "Forbes"): http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2008/04 ... 8food.html.

The Conference Committee moves in mysterious ways. I have had several "sure thing" proposals shot down in the last few years. This year they accepted one proposal only after re-titling it, dropping two of my partners and adding a new one. Yes, they often tear apart and recombine proposals. Then they invented a whole second program I never proposed and asked me to give it (I agreed).

Anyway, last year I wrote a little eulogy for the cMember program to be read as one of the tributes at a Long Beach Conference dinner for Ted Lingle. They did not have time to read all the tributes, but Ted wrote me a warm thank you note after he read it:

I am a relative newcomer here, and I wouldn't be here at all, if it weren't for Ted. Ted opened the door four years ago in Boston for coffee-loving consumers to sit at the feet of the legends of the industry and learn from them. I know that decision has not been universally popular at SCAA. But, I would like the people here to know that it not only brought consumer taste leaders into the fold, but opened new career paths to people who are making valuable contributions to the industry as professional cuppers, inventors, consultants, green brokers, retailers and even one lawyer.

So, from the bottom of my heart: Thank you, Ted!

Once again I submitted two proposals to the SCAA 2009 conferences and once again they were rejected. Oh well, below are my proposals as examples of what attendees will not be learning.

Do's and Don'ts of Effective Consumer Websites

• Today consumers expect suppliers to have information about their service and offerings available from the web. Who among us doesn't Google before buying? And yet the Internet it littered with poorly designed, awkward, or just plain ugly websites. This session will survey the common mistakes of ineffective websites and offer practical solutions.
  
  Note: Attendees are invited to submit their websites as one of the session's "do's" and "don'ts" case studies. If your website is selected, the session will include specific suggestions on how your site's visitor experience could be improved.
  
  Learning Goals for Attendees:
  
  • Recognize common problems of ineffective consumer websites.
  • At the end of the session, attendees will be able to cite specific "do's" and "don'ts" of effective consumer websites.
  Key Points:
  
  • Effective consumer traffic means sales; unpleasant and ineffective consumer website experiences mean lost sales.
  • Common mistakes of website design pervade the Internet; don't let your website be one of the "don'ts" cited in this session.
  • You don't have to spend a ton of money. Instead, learn what isn't working and fix it. Don't pay someone to revamp the entire site!

Teach Your Website the Google Dance

• Every serious player in today's Internet-connected world simply must have a website to act as the portal to the enterprise's offerings. Whether your company's website is purely informational or is an integrated e-commerce site, you already know websites are expensive to create. What can you do to assure your investment is noticed by search engines like Google?
  
  This session will introduce the basic elements of an effective search-engine friendly website. The presenter will define and clarify common terms you'll hear in search engine optimization (SEO) circles. At the end of this session, you'll have a firm idea of what areas of your website need attention and the difference between SEO hype and sound SEO advice.
  
  Webmaster tools for creating a health, search-engine friendly website, most of which are free, will also be demonstrated.
  
  Note: Attendees are invited to submit their websites for one of the session's "search engine friendly" case studies. If your website is selected, the session will include specific suggestions on how your site's search engine traffic could be improved.
  
  Learning Goals for Attendees:
  
  • Understand the basic contributors of search-engine friendly website.
  • At the end of the session, attendees will be able to cite specific. "do's" and "don'ts" of websites optimized for search engines.
  • Learn what free tools are available for helping webmasters collect traffic data and act upon a basic analysis.
  Key Points:
  
  • Websites are expensive to create. If they're worth creating, they're worth making search engine friendly.
  • Poorly designed websites draw less traffic; most errors are painfully obvious once understood.
  • Tools are available to help; correcting basic mistakes can dramatically improve your site's search engine placement for a modest investment in time and effort.

A much needed offering. One I would attend.
The problem is organization committees are usually not made up of attendees.

another_jim wrote:Yep. Specialty coffee is nothing like wine, cars, theater & movies, restaurants, music, Scotch, bourbon, beer, or barbecue. It doesn't depend one bit on enthusiasts. It can get by supplying the coffee for the early bird specials at Florida dinner theaters.

Hearty Burgundy, Pinto, Showgirls, Del Taco, Cluny, Virginia Gentleman, Bud Light, McRib
Seems identical

John P wrote:A much needed offering. One I would attend.
The problem is organization committees are usually not made up of attendees.

???