Monthly Archives: June 2015

Roundle Table India and Ladies Circle India Felicitates 12 ‘true legends’ from Karnataka in Bangalore

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Sports

Seagram’s 100 Pipers Music CDs in association with Pride of Karnataka, an initiative of Round Table India and Ladies Circle India felicitated 12 ‘true legends’ from the state.

Ashwini Nachappa and Pramoda Devi
Ashwini Nachappa and Pramoda Devi

Among those felicitated were Priya Mani, Ricky Kej, RK Misra, Prasad Bidpa, Manoviraj Khosla, Shukla Bose, Ashwini Nachappa and Robin Uthappa. Kartik Mohindra, Business Head, International Brands, Pernod Ricard India, said, “True legends are successful people who lead a positive change on society. The True Legends awards recognizes and felicitates successful personalities who have risen above the material pursuits of success, and believe in giving back to humanity. Each True Legend story is very inspiring and will forever be remembered for good.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bengaluru / TNN / June 19th, 2015

Den Thimmaiah emerges fastest driver

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports

DenThimmaiahKF17jun2015
Bengaluru :

Den Thimmaiah of Kodagu emerged as the fastest driver at the second edition of Maruti Suzuki Autocross Championship at Supernova Arena in Bengaluru on Sunday. Thimmaiah won three races which included four podium finishes.

Results: Diesel Cars (2000 cc): 1. Den Thimmaiah (1:19.56), 2. A.R. Shabbir (1:25.90), 3. Lokesh Gowda (1:27.63).

Swift Open: 1. Den Thimmaiah (1:20.52), 2. A.R. Shabbir (1:23.39), 3. Mohd. Farook (1:23.44).

Indian Open (1600 cc): 1. Den Thimmaiah (1:19.56), 2. Lokesh Gowda (1:20.44), 3. Syed Salman (1:21.10)

1401cc to 1600 cc: 1. Syed Salman (1:20.96), 2. Den Thimmaiah (1:22.59), 3. Mohd. Farook (1:23.06).

4X4 Gypsy-1400 cc: 1. Shahid Khan (1:31,44), 2. Darshan Gowda (1:37.50), 3. Rohit Jacob (1:45.14).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / Thursday, June 11th, 2015

P.S. Muthamma is Lokayukta Special Public Prosecutor

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders

MuthammaKF14jun2015

Mysuru :

Advocate P.S. Muthamma (Kaliyanda Muthamma Poonachcha) has been appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor of Lokayukta in Mysuru, according to an order issued by the Lokayukta Office in Bengaluru.

Muthamma was earlier serving as Special Public Prosecutor for the Fast Track Court in Mysuru.

A resident of Seshadri Iyer Road in the city, Kaliyanda Muthamma Poonachcha is a native of Kolakeri near Napoklu in Kodagu district.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Monday – June 08th, 2015

When the Pitch is Right

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports

National Award-winning filmmaker Sandhya Kumar’s documentary looks at the Kodava hockey festival that takes place in Coorg every year

A still from Hockey in my Blood; filmmaker Sandhya Kumar
A still from Hockey in my Blood; filmmaker Sandhya Kumar

In the summer of 1997, the head of the Kuttappa family, Pandanda Kuttappa, hosted the first Kodava Hockey Festival in his village Karada in Coorg. The first edition of the hockey “tournament” for the Kodavas — a martial-tribal community that belongs to Coorg — had 60 families competing for the title. In the 18 years since, the annual event has grown to become the largest hockey tournament in the world, with over 200 Kodava families taking part in it.

It was in 2012 that National Award-winning documentary filmmaker Sandhya Kumar first heard of this tournament. While the subject intrigued her, it wasn’t until she visited Coorg for a wedding later that year that she decided to explore it through her work. Kumar then got on board Deepti Bopaiah, a Kodava keen to chronicle what had come to be a tradition among her people, and began research for her next project. After close to two years of work, the 52-minute documentary, Hockey in my Blood, is now complete. “India doesn’t offer much scope for releasing non-fiction films. So I hope to tie up with sports and educational organisations to screen it across venues in India apart from taking it to festivals,” says the Bangalore-based filmmaker whose docu short O Friend, This Waiting!, on Devadasis, won the National Award in 2013.

In Hockey in my Blood, Kumar tells the story of the tournament chiefly through the extensive preparations the Kodavas put into organising the festival. One of the key voices, therefore, is a member of the family that has been selected to host the festival in 2013. Considering it a big honour, he has quit his job four months ahead of the festival to oversee the preparations, such as sponsorships, readying the ground and other nitty-gritties. “The month-long event takes place every year between April and May. It’s soon after children’s exams and also when the work on coffee plantations is minimal. So it allows the Kodavas to practise and also attend the matches,” explains the 33-year-old.

The timing is important because the Kodavas living away from their ancestral land travel from wherever they are — even foreign shores — to Coorg in order to participate in the festival. Each year, close to 220 teams (family clans) participate in the tournament for a cash prize of Rs one lakh and the trophy.

Kumar says the national hockey team, over the years, has had over 50 Kodava players, and some have even been Olympians. “But how did hockey emerge to be such an important sport in Coorg is a question no one could answer, it’s as if it’s always been there,” Kumar says.
That there is no age or gender bar to participating is one of the biggest highlights of the tournament.

This is captured in the film through the voices of 16-year-old Prajwal, considered one of the strongest players on the Palanganda team, and Priya Bopanna, who was made the captain of her team the very first year she participated.

Kumar adds that married women, in fact, have the option of playing for their paternal or husband’s team and can choose their side every year.

However, most importantly, the documentary conveys that the festival, although taken seriously by the Kodavas, is mostly a means to have a good time, losing isn’t a big deal. “Many of them return to Coorg for the festival. It’s a way for them to strengthen their bond with their extended family and the ancestral land,” explains Kumar who is open to screening invitations through the titular Facebook page of the film.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Lifestyle / by Dipti Nagpaul D’Souza / June 05th, 2015

ASI to take possession of Madikeri Fort, Palace

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) hascome forward to take possession of the Madikeri Fort and Palace.

The move was in the wake of relocation of Government offices functioning to Deputy Commissioner’s office recently.

To begin with encroachments at the Fort premises will be evicted by ASI.

A team of officials of ASI led by Chandrakanth, Zonal Officer of ASI, Mysuru, conducted a survey at the Fort premises.

On observing new buildings coming up at the Fort premises, Chandrakanth decided to discuss the matter with District Administration authorities before taking further steps as the new buildings had violated the norms of ASI.

Additional Deputy Commissioner C Satish Kumar, officials of Revenue Department, Taluk and Municipal Office assisted in the survey process.

Speaking to press persons here today, Mr Satish Kumar said that the District Administration had taken the decision to hand over the Fort and Palace to ASI long back after the relocation of government offices.

He added that all encroachments would be cleared.

The Fort and Palace are the living testimonies of the history of kingdom of Haleri dynasty.

In 1924, the then British-ruled government handed over the Palace to the District Commissioner of the then Central Department of Archaeology.

From then till now the government offices were functioning at the Fort premises

UNI BSP MSP GM 1929
source: http://www.news.webindia123.com / News Home> India / Madikeri – Wednesday, June 10th, 2015

Coffee country is new tourism cash cow

Business & Economy

More than a decade after homestays became a part of Kodagu’s tourism circuit, the state government is looking at a slice of the pie by introducing a steep fee and regulating them.

This is a direct fallout of the increasing tourist flow to the district, which has led to the brisk growth of homestays. Tourism department officials said the government decided to issue guidelines and regulate them not just for revenue, but also to curtail illegal activities and fleecing of tourists in some illegal holiday homes. Not long ago, a homestay owner too was attacked and robbed near Gonikoppal in Kodagu by a gang posing as tourists.

Welcoming the new guidelines, Shashi Monappa, a homestay owner, said the de partment of tourism should also undertake a survey to identify homestays and bring everyone under its ambit in the interest of tourism in Kodagu.

While the average number of tourists visiting Kodagu hovered around 4-5 lakh a year in 2005, it has now touched around 25 lakh a year. “Of these, at least 70% opt for homestays,” a tourism department official in Kodagu said.

Tourists have little choice because the Karnataka government has been not able to match the unprecedented footfalls in terms of infrastructural facilities and there aren’t many budget hotels available in Madikeri to meet the growing rush. So homestays have come to the rescue of people looking for budget accommodation.

While 249 homestays are registered, another 300 are waiting for registration.”Besides, there are more than 1,500 unregistered homestays doing good business,” officials added. They have been classified as `silver’ and `gold’ depending on the ambience, type of facilities and range of services offered.

Tata Coffee Ltd, the largest coffee plantation company in Asia, has not remained immune to the business opportunity . It has already converted a few mansions under its ownership into holiday homes. The expansion of homestays in Kodagu has been attributed to the progressively declin ing returns from coffee cultivation, which has nudged many marginal coffee estate owners to promote homestays that need minimum investment.

Many traditional coffee growers who own traditional bungalows, especially those built in the colonial style of architecture, have transformed it into an affordable hospitality zone.

Shashi Monappa of Maithili Home Comforts at Madikeri said the concept of homestays gained momentum in 2005.

Asha Sagar, who started Nest 15 years ago at Gonikoppal, said such homes offer tourists an affordable choice. While a oneroom facility in a decent hotel in Madikeri costs Rs 1,500-3,000 for 24 hours, homestays offer a two-room, four-bed family facility , including breakfast, for Rs 1500-5,000 per day.

Interestingly , there is no dull season for the homestay business in Kodagu. “Even during peak monsoon, people love to spend time here and enjoy nature’s bounty . But tourism is more vibrant during weekends, holidays and long vacations,” said Karumbaiah of Ajantha Homestay at Madikeri.

However, those in the business are not amused with the new tourism guidelines.”It’s wrong to say we have year-long business. There are certain seasons and each season doesn’t last more than a few weeks,” said Ajith Devaiah, a home stay owner in Pollibetta.

TIMES VIEW

With homestays turning into the preferred option for lakhs of tourists in Kodagu, it is high time the government stepped in and regulated the business. Rampant commercialization has led to peak-season fleecing and shortchanging of tourists.In such a scenario, rules should rein in such informal setups which offer a perfect solution between a home and a resort. The tourism department should ensure safety measures and records, but not misuse the regulations to exploit this budding sector. Regulation will work to the advantage of all stakeholders: the tourist, the homestay operator and the government.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bengaluru> Namma Metro / by Manu Aiyappa, TNN / June 10th, 2015

Top Grads: Grand Haven High School announces top 10 in class of 2015

Education, Nri's / Pio's

Grand Haven High School has announced its top 10 graduates of the class of 2015. (MLive file photo)
Grand Haven High School has announced its top 10 graduates of the class of 2015. (MLive file photo)

Grand Haven, MI

Grand Haven High School has announced its top 10 scholars in the class of 2015.

Varun Biddanda finished at the top of the class and Adam Greer finished second. Here are the top 10 graduates listed according to class rank:

Varun Biddanda
Varun Biddanda

Varun D. Biddanda, son of Dr. Bopi and Kavitha Biddanda. He was an all-conference varsity tennis player, concertmaster for the chamber orchestra, a member of Science Olympiad, winner of the Norbert Muller Concerts Competition and recipient of the Harvard Book Prize Award. He plans to study biology in college.

Adam Greer
Adam Greer

Adam J. Greer, son of Jay and Patti Greer. He was a member of the National Honor Society leadership team and the Youth Advisory Council; an all-district, all conference honorable mention varsity soccer player; president of the Catalina Club; an AP Scholar; October Rotary student; and distinguished academic leader; and participated in chamber orchestra, GOTAK, Science Olympiad, swing dance club, Interact Club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He plans to study biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan.

Lauren R. Richardson, daughter of Tom and Jordan Richardson. She participated in color guard, winter guard, National Honor Society, chamber orchestra, dance and the ultimate Frisbee club; was a Rotary student of the month; and earned an AP Scholar Award. She plans to pursue a business-related degree.

Stephanie R. Shantz, daughter of Bob and Cindy Shantz. She was captain of the varsity swimming and varsity water polo teams, an officer in the Catalina Club, a member of the National Honor Society, an academic-all-state athlete and a Rotary Student of the month and won numerous scholar-athlete awards and the Outstanding Junior award from Michigan State University. She plans to attend the University of Michigan, California-Berkley or Stanford University to study industrial and operations engineering.

Elinor J. Scholtz, daughter of John and April Scholtz. She participated in Science Olympiad, geology club and National Honor Society; was co-chair of the Youth Advisory Council for the Grand Haven Community Foundation; was senior drum major for the marching band; and was first chair flute in wind ensemble and pit orchestra. She plans to attend Vanderbilt University to study communication of science and technology.

Justin L. Merriman, son of Brian and Maria Merriman. He participated in National Honor Society, varsity cross country and the Celtic music group GOTAK; was viola section leader of the chamber orchestra; was president of the Buccaneer Original Swing Society; and was Rotary student of the month. He plans to pursue a degree in computer science.

David C. Kooistra, son of Bill and Shelley Kooistra. He participated in National Honor Society and student senate; was first chair bass in chamber orchestra, for which he received superior ratings at the state level; was captain of the Catalina Club; and was captain and goalie of the water polo team, receiving all-conference, all-regional and all-state honorable mention awards. He plans to attend the University of Michigan’s school of kinesiology to study movement science.

Brent M. Petersen, son of Paul and Stacey Petersen. He participated in National Honor Society and track and was captain of the cross country and varsity hockey teams, earning academic all-state honors in both. He plans to attend Cedarville University to study mechanical engineering.

Erin L. Crandle, daughter of Marci and Dave Hammond. She was Rotary student of the month, had multiple pieces of art in the Grand Haven High School art show, received several scholarships and was a finalist in Michigan State University’s ANRDS Scholarship competition. She plans to attend MSU to study food science.

Schaefer E. Thelen, son of Rex and Gwen Thelen. He participated in National Honor Society and track and field, was captain of the varsity football and basketball teams, was sports editor for the Bucs Blade, finished fourth in the state VFW Voice of Democracy contest, was a four-time Michigan Interscholastic Press Association first-place winner, and was a Centralis Honors Scholarship winner. He plans to attend the University of Michigan to study business.

Lynn Moore covers education for MLive Muskegon Chronicle. Email her at lmoore8@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

source: http://www.mlive.com / MLive Muskegon Chronicle / by Lynn Moore / Grand Haven, Michigan – June 09th, 2015

Miscellany – A shrine of bells and anecdotes

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

PalangalaKF12jun2015

A shrine of bells and anecdotes

Palangala, a remote village in Kodagu retains its pristine environment, despite creeping urbanisation. Palangala holds a special place in my heart since it is where my mother’s family lived. As children, we used to visit our maternal grandparents, and I have pleasant memories of this village.

One of the happy memories I have is that of a shrine atop a hill named Malethirke. My parents were devotees of this shrine and it was an annual tryst to visit the temple during our summer vacation. The only way to get to the temple those days was by walk through thick wooded mountain terrain. It used to be an arduous walk of more than a kilometre along a winding beaten path.

One particularly interesting story connected with this shrine is the attack by Tipu’s troops during the late eighteenth century. The Kodava warriors were outnumbered and were unable to stop the marauders. They hid in the forest and prayed for divine intervention. Their prayers were answered, and according to lore, swarms of rock-bees attacked the troops and chased them down the ghats. There is evidence of this attack in the form of remnant of an old sword which was abandoned by the soldiers.

I recently visited the shrine with my wife. There is now a reasonably motorable road to the top. The location of the shrine is serene and peaceful. It’s a temple to Lord Shiva, Parvathy and Ganesha. Legend has it that the Pandavas spent their ajnathavasa here. Lord Shiva is said to have appeared to the Pandavas at this spot. Three uneven stones represent Shiva, Parvathy, and Ganesha in an open tree-covered platform. This is the sanctum-sanctorum. There is no set structure. The priest puts it succinctly: “The sky is the roof of this temple, the mountains are the walls, trees are the adornments, and the birds provide the music.” There is also a pond nearby which has potable spring water.

Another interesting story is that of St Annes Church in Virajpet, which was first built in 1792 during Dodda Vira Rajendra’s reign, who welcomed the Christians displaced by Tipu. When the church was under construction, the spire kept collapsing every time it was built. The Italian architect could not figure out what was going wrong.

A local person advised the architect to make an offering of a bell to Malethirke temple, in order to overcome the problem. The architect followed this advice and was amazed when the spire stood steady at the first subsequent attempt. Even to this day, devotees take vows and offer bells to this temple. The surroundings of the temple is full of bells festooned around it.

Another form of offering by the devotees who take vows, is by way of earthenware figurines. There are piles of figurines of horses, cows, dogs, and human forms offered over the centuries. I took in the divine beauty of nature as the priest went about the various rituals. Savouring the payasam as prasada brought back happy memories of my earlier visits to this beautiful shrine.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / by C P Belliappa / June 09th, 2015

Silver medals for Poovamma and Liksy

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports
M.R. Poovamma. — FILE PHOTO
M.R. Poovamma. — FILE PHOTO

Femi Ogunode shatters his own Asian 100m record with a 9.91s

M.R. Poovamma, the fastest qualifier in the semifinals, retained her 400m silver while Liksy Joseph came up with an inspired performance for the heptathlon silver with a personal best as India’s women athletes did themselves proud at the 21st Asian athletics championship here on Thursday.

Purnima Hembram, a former Asian junior champion, followed Liksy for the women’s heptathlon bronze, and in the men’s section, G. Lakshmanan won the 5,000m bronze bettering his personal best by nearly 14 seconds.

Qatar’s Femi Ogunode did what he had been promising for some time by lowering his own Asian 100m record to a stunning 9.91s. That should make him the fifth fastest man in the world this year.

The Nigeria-born Ogunode had set the previous mark of 9.93 while winning the Asian Games gold in Incheon last year.

There were disappointments too for India, with both the country’s eight-metre long-jumpers, Ankit Sharma (7.76m) and K. Prem Kumar (7.69m) finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

Ankit was in the medal range for a brief while before going down. An eight-metre jump would have fetched them gold, for it was with a 7.96m that China’s Goa Xinglong took the top spot.

Poovamma, the Asian Games bronze medallist who has a personal best of 51.73s, was in fact quicker in Wednesday’s semifinal which she topped with 52.94s. Her silver, behind China’s Yang Huizhen, came in 53.07s.

Arokia Rajeev, also an Incheon Asiad bronze medallist, was seventh in the men’s 400m while Srabani Nanda was fifth in the women’s 100m.

The women’s sprint relay team finished fourth and the men sixth. Suprisingly Manikanda Arumugam, who had helped the team to qualify for the Asians in 39.11s in the controversial trials in Bengaluru recently, was not part of the men’s relay squad which finished in 39.67s.

Qatar’s Mohamad Al Garni, who had won the men’s 1,500m on Wednesday, completed a distance double by taking the 5,000m title.

The results:

Men: 100m: 1. Femi Ogunode (Qat) 9.91s [Asian record, OR: 9.93, own, 2014 Asiad, Korea], 2. Zhang Peimeng (Chn) 10.15, 3. Reza Ghasemi (Iri) 10.19. 400m: 1. Abdelilah Haroun Hassan (Qat) 44.68s, 2. Yousef Ahmed Masrahi (KSA) 45.14, 3. Sato Kentaro (Jpn) 46.09, 7. Arokia Rajeev (Ind) 46.65. 5,000m: 1. Mohamad Al Garni (Qat) 13:34.47s [MR, OR: 13:39.71], 2. Albert Rop (Brn) 13:35.26 [BMR], 3. G. Lakshmanan (Ind) 13:36.62 [BMR]. 4x100m relay: 1. China 39.04s, 2. Hong Kong 39.25, Taipei 39.35, 6. India (Jyothi Shankar Debnath, Krishna Kumar Rane, Amiya Kumar Mallick, Abdul Najeeb Qureshi) 39.67. Long jump: 1. Goa Xinglong (Chn) 7.96m, 2. Ted Hooper (Tpe) 7.80, 3. Tang Gongchen (Chn) 7.79, 4. Ankit Sharma (Ind) 7.76, 5. K. Prem Kumar (Ind) 7.69. Pole vault: 1. Zhang Wei (Chn) 5.60m, 2. Yamamoto Seito (Jpn) 5.50, 3. Huang Bokai (Chn) 5.50. Hammer throw: 1. Dilshod Nazarov (Tjk) 77.68m, 2. Ashraf Amgad Elseify (Qat) 76.03, Wan Yong (Chn) 73.40.

Women: 100m: 1. Fukushima Chisato (Jpn) 11.23s [MR, OR: 11.24], 2. Viktoriya Zyabkina (Kaz) 11.34, 3. Wei Yongli (Chn) 11.46, 5. Srabani Nanda (Ind) 11.48. 400m: 1. Yang Huizhen (Chn) 52.37s, 2. M.R. Poovamma (Ind) 53.07, 3. Anastassiya Kudinova (Kaz) 53.41. 5,000m: 1. Bethlhem Desalegn (UAE) 15:25.15s, 2. Alia Mohammed Saeed (UAE) 15:28.74, 3. Daria Maslova (Kgz) 15:42.82. 4x100m relay: 1. China 43.10s [MR, OR: 43.41], 2. Japan 44.14, 3. Thailand 44.73, 4. India (Sini Sahadevan, M.G. Padmini, Srabani Nanda, Dutee Chand) 45.72. Discus throw: 1. Su Xinyue (Chn) 63.90m, 2. Tan Jian (Chn) 62.97, 3. Lu Xiaoxin (Chn) 62.30, 6. Navjeet Kaur Dhillon (Ind) 51.66. Heptathlon: 1. Ekaterina Voronina (Uzb) 5,689 pts, 2. Liksy Joseph (Ind) 5,554, 3. Purnima Hembram (Ind) 5,511.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / Wuhan – June 05th, 2015

ExpoEspeciales 2015, the Most Important Specialty Coffee Expo in Latin America and the Caribbean

Coffee News, World Opinion

Bogota, Colombia (Marketwired via COMTEX) :

Under the motto, “Colombia, a renovated vision,” the 8th edition of the International Specialty Coffee Expo, ExpoEspeciales Cafe de Colombia, will be held from October 15 to 18, 2015 in Corferias, the most important exhibition and events center in Bogota, Colombia.

ExpoExpeciales Cafe de Colombia has become the most important international specialty coffee expo in Latin America and the Caribbean, due to the number of attendees each year, the high caliber of its academic agenda, the relevance of industry-related topics, and the opportunity to network at the highest level, thanks to its business matchmaking forum.

ExpoEspeciales is organized by the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) as part of its value added strategy, in order to promote the production of the highest-quality coffees from different regions of Colombia, the country that produces the world’s best Mild Washed Arabica coffee.

ExpoEspeciales is also a propitious platform for consumers and coffee industry professionals that attend from different countries across Latin America, as well as buyers from Asia, North America and Europe.

ExpoEspeciales, which takes place every year in different cities of Colombia, integrates the entire coffee value chain and brings together farmers, traders, buyers, visitors and coffee lovers in one single place.

In addition to being an excellent showcase for coffees from different Colombian regions, this expo is also a platform to present and spread market trends and innovations on a national and global scale. It features spaces that facilitate commercial, cultural and academic exchanges, as well as sharing of experiences and knowledge between industry participants.

For the second time, the expo will host the business matchmaking forum, organized by the FNC and ProColombia (formerly ProExport, the Colombian government’s agency for promotion of non-traditional exports, attraction of foreign investment and positioning of Colombia as a world-class touristic destination).

Producers, suppliers and distributors of products and services will be able to get in contact with buyers and companies interested in learning about offers and business models that can make them grow within the coffee industry.

International Convention of the Women’s Coffee Alliance

This year, within the framework of ExpoEspeciales Cafe de Colombia, “Coffee & Trade Beyond Barriers,” the IV Convention of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA), will be held. It is organized by the IWCA itself and the FNC.

This educational and networking forum, to be held on October 15 and 16, will attract more than 300 members of the international coffee sector, including producers, exporters, importers, roasters and baristas, as well as industry analysts and IWCA chapter members from around the globe. A broad selection of subjects that impact men, women and families involved in the seed-to-cup process will be explored.

“The IWCA represents coffee-growing women from producing countries to empower them, make them visible, get support programs and show the importance of women in the coffee value chain,” Ana Maria Lleras, coordinator of the FNC Coffee-Growing Women Program, explains.

10th Colombian Barista & 5th National Cup Tasters Championships

It is worth highlighting the 10th Colombian Barista Championship and the 5th National Cup Tasters Championship, two other events of great tradition that will take place within the framework of this important expo. The barista champion will represent Colombia at the 2016 World Barista Championship, which will be held in Dublin, Ireland.

The 5th National Cup Tasters Championship awards the professional coffee cupper who demonstrates speed, skill and accuracy to distinguish the taste differences in specialty coffees. The winner will represent Colombia at the World Cup Tasters Championship.

Varied Academic Agenda

A rich and varied academic agenda, with top-notch speakers, will allow attendees to familiarize themselves with relevant industry issues, such as the diversity of Cafe de Colombia, the FNC’s specialty coffees strategy and industry trends, among others.

Other events enriching the academic agenda include food pairing shows and the traditional Q meeting, co-organized by the FNC and the Coffee Quality Institute, as well as activities under the “Toma Cafe”, Colombia’s National Program to support coffee consumption led by FNC.

A bit of history

ExpoEspeciales was first held in 2008, in the city of Neiva, Huila, and was created to strengthen the industry and encourage greater dynamism in the coffee business.

With great success every year, this event promotes a coffee-growing region of Colombia. 2015 will mark the expo’s 8th edition, with a steadily growing number of attendees. Other cities that have hosted the expo include Ibague (2009), Pasto (2010), Bogota on two previous occasions (2011, 2013), Popayan (2012) and Medellin (2014). The 4th edition, which was held in 2011 in Bogota, brought together more than 19,000 people, as this event was held in conjunction with the World Barista Championship. In 2015, the Colombian capital will once again serve as the venue for the event.

This annual expo traditionally features the following exhibitors:

— Coffee growers and associated industry groups (cooperatives,
associations).
— Departmental Coffee Growers Committees.
— Manufacturers and distributors of machinery for the coffee
post-harvest processing, equipment and supplies for the industry
(threshers, roasters) and coffee shops.
— Threshing and roasting companies.
— Exporters.
— Non-governmental and industry supporting entities.
— Financial institutions.
— Certifiers, among others.

As visitors and buyers:

— Coffee growers.
— Representatives, managers and professionals of the coffee sector.
— Coffee roasters and traders.
— Cup tasters.
— International buyers.
— Academics.
— Professional baristas from establishments such as hotels, restaurants,
coffee shops and bars.
— General public.

For more information visit: www.expoespeciales.com

source: http://www.marketwatch.com / Market Watch / Home> Real Estate> Press Release / Marketwire LP / June 09th, 2015