Reflections from the Coffee Technicians Guild Summit
/
By Marco Serri
The Coffee Technicians Guild Summit has just ended in Susegana, Italy – the first European event dedicated to technicians who daily support the coffee industry. This was an opportunity to share knowledge and experiences among industry experts. Hosted by Astoria, we had the pleasure of spending two wonderful days with technicians coming locally from Italy, as well as America, UK, Greece, Germany, and even from such far distances as Jamaica.
Right from the start, the good atmosphere between the participants made the event serene and pleasant. It was important for all those present to discuss their work and share their experiences with one another. Not only were there technicians who engage daily in coffee machines, but also owners or managers of service companies. All of them contributed to the success of the event by playing skill tests and problem solving.
Insightful and exciting lectures were presented by expert speakers, including: Damian Marshall (Urnex), Steve Murdoch (Costa Coffee), Simon Green (Bunn UK), Marco Wellinger (ZHaW), Sergio Barbarisi (BWT), and Allen Boney (RS Components).
Summit attendees were enriched by new knowledge, useful to their daily working lives. Lectures and sessions emphasized the importance of preventive maintenance and the role of water in coffee machine use and extraction. Sessions on coffee grinders were pivotal importance in deepening the parameters involved in the extraction, understanding the different kinds and benefits of grinders, and how variations in these grinders can affect the grinding of coffee.
An in-depth discussion on the use of various cleaning products by Damian Marshall of Urnex addressed the fundamental importance of daily maintenance – not only of the machine, but also of the grinder, and Allen Boney of RS Components analyzed the measurement tools that technicians should never forget.
The CTG Summit presented a great opportunity for me to get to better acquainted with the Executive Council, of which I have the honor of being a member. I had the opportunity to discuss the future of the event with them and to explore strategies to promote the event and attract more technicians to join the guild.
Reflections and discussions regarding the organization of these events have been at the heart of the exchange of views over this two-day program. Education modules will be broken into three experience levels to span the wide range of talent in the Guild:
- Foundation: For new technicians approaching and entering the coffee industry
- Intermediate: Experienced engineers in the industry
- Professional: Highly experienced technicians who are faced with managerial situations
Through future events, the Coffee Technicians Guild seeks to present opportunities to grow this network of experts, as well as to share knowledge and experiences with one another.