World Tea Conference + Expo 2020

Statistics tell us that 84% of new businesses fail within two years. Tea Business Boot Camp is presented by a team of industry professionals with decades of experience of diverse experience to help you become one of the 16% who succeed. Are you hoping to join the tea industry or just starting out? This intense day of tea specific business courses offers you the inside scoop. Whether you are testing your dream or revitalizing a struggling start-up, Bootcamp offers tools for a better understanding of this industry and the nuts and bolts of practical logistics to create a solid foundation for your very own style of tea company. If you are just starting and haven't had any Basic Tea 101 courses we strongly suggest World Tea Academy Core .01 & .02 and whatever else that you can fit in before the Conference.

Session Schedule

Babette Donaldson - Emcee

10:30 - 11:00am: Introduction & Welcome Drinks & Snacks

11:00 - Noon: Is This Really What You Want to Do? - What is driving your decision to start a tea business? Is it something that can be molded into a solid business plan or would you be happier keeping your passion for tea as a hobby? Before you draft your business plan, choose an inventory, design your logo and branding or create a marketing calendar, you need to consider your WHY. So, we will begin Tea Business Bootcamp by looking at the real tea industry. We have the questions you should consider as you travel beyond the first flush of your creative process.
Babette Donaldson

Noon - 1:00pm: Building Your Business Plan - Nervous about not knowing where to start your tea business? You can transform your Big Idea into a profitable tea business by building a confidence-building, rock solid business plan. Go from panic to prosperity and profitability - one step at a time - it all starts with your business plan.
Jennifer Peterson

1:00 - 2:00pm: Lunch

2:00 - 3:00pm: 20 Essentials for Marketing Your Tea Business - The heart of your business success lies in its marketing. Attracting customers requires marketing. Without marketing, your business may offer the best products or services in your industry, but none of your potential customers would know about it. Marketing aims at finding out what consumers want, then planning a strategy for and developing a product experience that will compel consumers to buy it. In this session, you will learn the essential components of a strong marketing strategy, from evaluating opportunities in the changing market environment to engaging customers, with actionable tips for the tea industry.
Maria Uspenski

3:00 - 4:00pm: Brick & Mortar vs. Website: Location vs. Visibility - You have an online store and are contemplating the next step of a brick and mortar shop. There are key decisions, such location and lease, that will absolutely make or break your business success. Additionally, there are several other hidden land mines the wise small business owner needs to consider and plan for. You will no doubt make mistakes but, let us help you avoid the big ones. If you are going to do this, you need to be "all in."
Michelle Pierce Hamilton

4:00 - 4:30pm: Snack

4:30 - 5:30pm Breaking Even Instead of Breaking Bad - One of the most asked questions is what do I charge? Bill will share practical tools and techniques to help you decide where you need to set your prices.
Bill Waddington

5:30 - 6:30pm: Mastering the Art of WOW
"Wow!"
"Oh-My-Goodness!"
"Incredible!"
When is the last time your customers have used these words to describe your company? Your products? Your service? If the answer is never or not very often, then this presentation is sure to get you and your team fired up and on the right track! Customers are no longer "woo'ed" by the idea of simply buying goods and services, but instead are more interested in companies that are going above and beyond to tell a story, create added value or connect with them in genuine and tailored fashion. Both startups and existing large corporations are now given the challenge of getting their brand values across to consumers quickly and effectively at the mercy of crippling reviews and extremely high customer expectations. To do this, a business or entrepreneur is now tasked with the responsibility of distinguishing a vibrant atmosphere, honest relationship building and products and services that are undeniably unique throughout the marketplace. In this presentation, author, Tea Master and award-winning entrepreneur Daniel Lewis will help expose the secrets of a generation that just wants to feel that they are valued
Daniel Lewis

OPTIONAL NO HOST DINNER after the session is over.
 
Included with Tea Guru Pass

Origins Tasting Tour is an experience of the senses from around the world. Join the tour to learn about the beautiful tea estates and the delicious teas that they produce. Sip your way across the globe and learn why every country has a different take on tea.

Included with: Tea Guru Pass

Business Boot Camp Advanced has a more detailed series of tea specific business courses and mentoring sessions. A varied group of successful professionals from the tea world give a series of in depth lectures on the many aspects of taking your company to the next level. This second level course also offers participants the opportunity sit-down with our veteran tea industry professionals to discuss issues specific to their own businesses in an afternoon of group of mentoring sessions. Boot Camp Advanced helps you navigate the complexities of the business world with tools to strengthen and guide your existing tea business to the next level or to develop your start-up business strategy for a successful future.




Session Schedule
Kevin Gascoyne - Emcee
8:00am to 8:30am -- Light Breakfast with Introduction & Welcome

8:30am - 9:30am --- The Future of Tea (What You Need to Know)


Where is the Tea Industry going these days?  What are the latest tea product trends? How much do I need to adapt my offering to follow these new products? A veteran taster and tea business owner takes a look at the important features of our industry’s landscape and the elements that really matter to a growing tea business.  Kevin Gascoyne



9:30am - 10:30am – Choosing the Right Words to Sell Your Teas



Branding doesn’t stop at your choice of logo and tag line. How you describe your individual teas can make the difference between a customer who is eager to try your tea, and someone who may just pass it by. We'll talk about what you need to say and how to make what you say stand out.  Bring samples of your descriptions for sharing and discussion. – Virginia Utermohlen Lovelace
10:30am - 10:45 -- Quick Break

10:45am - 11:45am -- Regulatory & Legal Concerns



In this session, Shabnam Weber, President of the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada, will walk you through the rules of running your business. You will get an understanding of the importance of the issues that affect you and your company, no matter its size. Outcomes: Outline of government regulations – How regulations affect your business – How to navigate your way through understanding the rules.  Shabnam Weber

11:45am - 12:45pm – Opening a Teashop and Building a Brand – Opening a Teashop VS Building a Brand - Opening a Teashop can be hard but if you want to take it to the next level, then you have to think about building a brand, which is not always the same thing.  Andres Jurado and Cecilia Corral will share their experience, strategies and some tips and hints for building your own brand. Cecilia Corral Osorio & Andres Jurado Rivera Torris

12:45pm - 1:45pm -- Lunch Break

1:45pm - 2:45pm --- The Profitable Perks of Personality-How to infuse your personality into your business to jumpstart success. “The Secret to Succeeding in Business is In the first to letters of Business… Bu!”  A mantra that Tea Master and personal Brand expert Daniel Lewis has used over the last 9 years to build an a multi award winning tea business. What happens when you remove “the Steve Jobs” from “the Apple’s” of the world… You end up bringing them back. Removing personality from your business can often result in the downfall of any company. So, how does one incorporate personality into their business? Step 1… Join the session and leave the rest up to Daniel! --- Daniel Lewis

2:45pm - 3:15pm ----Quick Wrap-up/Summary of the speakers by Kevin Gascoyne

3:15pm - 3:30pm --- Last Break

3:30pm - 5:00pm --- Group Breakout sessions (There will be 10 tables with a mentor at each table to answer questions) Feel free to move about the room and meet the different mentors.
The mentors are as follows please find their bios listed throughout the conference schedule:
Suzette Hammond, Kevin Gascoyne, Daniel Lewis, Cecilia Corral Osorio, Andres Jurado Rivera Torris, 
Jennifer Petersen, Babette Donaldson, Maria Uspenski, Michelle Pierce Hamilton, Bill Waddington


Included with Tea Guru Pass