I’m back from Chicago, and still a bit blown away by my six days there. What shocked me the most (as it did almost everybody) was the energy and interest on the Coffee Fest tradeshow floor last weekend. It was not just that the show was well attended, but many people from all over the country showed gigantic interest in coffee and saw opportunity in 2009. Chris Legler flew in for just a day to give his financial seminar to a standing room only crowd. I think Matt's was the best-attended talk all weekend, and my revamped talk on Ambiance in Your Café also drew more people than the room could hold.

The manner in which David Heilbrunn runs Coffee Fest illustrates how much he truly cares about his attendees and exhibitors. I spent a great deal of time with him the day after the show, and we went over comment forms and explored ways on how to make his shows even better. Earlier in the year, he brought a number of players in the industry to Seattle for a one-day focus group with this same goal in mind. I commend him for this effort and for the effort of his entire staff, including Tamara, Marni and LeeAnn. On March 21 and 22, ABC’s will be putting on the Ultimate Coffee Profitability Seminar at the Seattle Center, and after watching David and his team in action, I realize the planning and promotion that is necessary to make any event a success.

After a conference call this morning with a potential client in Costa Rica, Matt and I will begin to focus on the upcoming United States Barista Championship (USBC). Coffee friends and professionals from all over the country will start to arrive next Wednesday, and there are many great parties and events for them to attend through Sunday. Bellissimo and ABC's are hosting Sensory Skills and Latte Art classes the day before the competition starts, and Bellissimo is the official host at ABC's for the very first event of the long weekend: the "Welcome to Portland Party." Other hosts include Espresso Parts, Nuovo Simonelli, Stumptown and Fresh Cup Magazine. If you are in town for the USBC, come on over!

Seattle… this week, and wow, what a great city. Stacie booked me at the Edgewater Hotel, which is right on the water. From my deck I can see the space needle, Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains; the sunsets are amazing.

The Edgewater is famous for its celebrity clientele. Guess and Led Zeppelin trashed it and the Beatles fished out their window. And now another famous group has stayed at the hotel — Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup!

I am in town to meet with roasters about the upcoming Ultimate Coffee Profitability Seminar in Seattle on March 21 and 22. The coffee people I have been meeting with are fantastic and excited about the seminar and how it can help their client base. I have come up with numerous interesting ideas, and it has been good to get out of the office and have some time to think away from the day-to-day business of running a company. Matt and I are headed to Chicago next week for Coffee Fest, so if you are at the tradeshow, stop by and say hello.

The second two-day Ultimate Coffee Profitability Seminar (UCPS) ended yesterday, and again, it was an overwhelming success. Like the earlier class in January, many of the attendees traveled great distances to learn how to make their coffee businesses more profitable. Chris Legler, the instructor, is a true financial guru who knows what it takes to take your coffee business to the next level of profitability. The next UCPS will be held in Seattle March 21-22, and prior to the seminar, I will spend a great deal of time in Seattle, networking with roasters and other allied companies.

More big news involving UCPS…we have joined forces with David Heilbrunn of Coffee Fest and the seminar will be offered in a one-day format for three days in Las Vegas (June 12-13-14) in conjunction with Coffee Fest Vegas. If you’re interested in attending UCPS in San Francisco, watch our Web sites for the date, which should fall somewhere between the Seattle and Las Vegas seminars.

Don't forget, Matt and I will be at Coffee Fest Chicago, lecturing and exhibiting. We are staying at the W Lakeside, and I hope it isn’t as cold as it was at the same show two years ago. I’m looking forward to visiting with my extended coffee family.

Presently, we are working with five different countries in various ways on various projects. It is likely that this will mean getting the passport out and once again supporting United Airlines.

And finally, watch for our special events — we will soon announce special classes and a party that will be held when the entire coffee community diverges on Portland March 5-9 for the United States Barista Championship (USBC).

The sun is shining in Portland today and very little rain has fallen since Christmas — how nice. We had a lot of meetings this week, and I believe people from six different states came through our office. We spent a lot of time planning programs for the coming year — exhausting, but necessary.

We have a lot of meetings scheduled again next week, including a three-day meeting with one of the largest companies in China. In addition, we will have visitors from Seattle and San Francisco.

The last weekend in January we will host the second Ultimate Coffee Profitability Seminar, and then it’s on to Coffee Fest Chicago at Navy Pier from the 20 to the 22. I love the first trade show of the year and seeing dear friends, many whom I haven’t seen since September of last year.

In March, the United States Barista Championships will be held in Portland…more on that when the event is closer.

Last weekend ABC’s hosted its first Ultimate Coffee Profitability Seminar, led by Chris Legler, Starbuck’s veteran and former Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Barnie’s Coffee and Tea Company. To say the seminar was well received would be an understatement. Below are some comments from attendees:

The Northwest Regional Barista Championship also took place last weekend in Tacoma. Stephen Vick, formerly of Stumptown Coffee and currently working in Rwanda, coached the winner, Alex Pond, each night last week at ABC’s in preparation for the event. Because Interstate 5 was closed, Stephen and Alex had to leave early and take a huge detour to make it to the church on time, but many others who trained at ABC’s were unable to make the journey.

Kevin Fuller of the Albina Press took second and Robbie Britt of Zoka Coffee Roaster, third.

Congratulations Alex and his amazing coach Stephen!

The Bellissimo team is back in the office after a nice long holiday break and ready to jump into the new year with both feet. This weekend The Ultimate Coffee Profitability Seminar, led by Chris Legler, is being held at ABC’s, and you may have noticed we have added a second seminar in Portland at Portland State University on January 31 to February 1.

Matt is headed up to Seattle this weekend for the Northwest Regional Barista Competition, which we co-sponsored in 2006 with Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Dillanos Coffee Roasters and Ghirardelli Chocolate are sponsoring this year’s event. I would love to go, but it’s hard to be two places at one time.

We wish all our friends and associates a wonderful 2009! In a matter of days we will have a new president and hopefully a new direction for the country. The “Bush Countdown Clock” on my computer will soon come off and everyone should rally around the word "HOPE"...