Key takeaways
- Producer & Roaster Discussion board (PRF) hosts industry-leading occasions in coffee-producing international locations yearly, connecting producers with worldwide roasters.
- The twelfth version will happen on 18 & 19 March 2027 at Polyforum Chiapas in Tuxtla, Chiapas – the primary time the occasion will happen in Mexico.
- PRF Mexico will host the sixth World Roasting Contest, the eighth Chilly Brew Espresso Championship, the third World Cupping Championship, the third Soil of Excellence Espresso competitors, and Producer-Roaster Matchmaking.
- Speaker functions for PRF Voices are open now.
- The occasion will even coincide with the 2026 World Espresso Awards World Championship, the place the world’s greatest roasters will probably be introduced.
On 18 & 19 March 2027, the twelfth version of Producer & Roaster Discussion board, the most important and most prestigious espresso occasion in Latin America, will happen at Polyforum Chiapas in Tuxtla, Chiapas, Mexico.
The 2-day discussion board brings collectively a worldwide neighborhood of producers, roasters, merchants, baristas, and {industry} specialists. Each occasion gives alternatives to community, alternate concepts, construct lasting enterprise relationships, and style among the world’s greatest coffees.
Along with a specifically curated PRF Voices programme, workshops, and cuppings, PRF Mexico will host the sixth World Roasting Contest, the eighth Chilly Brew Espresso Championship, the third World Cupping Championship, the third Soil of Excellence Espresso competitors, and Producer-Roaster Matchmaking.
The occasion will even coincide with the 2026 World Espresso Awards World Championship, the place regional Gold Champions will compete for the title of the world’s greatest roaster.
Learn on to search out out extra about what’s taking place on the occasion and how one can apply to grow to be a speaker.
Study extra about PRF right here.
PRF continues its success
For over a decade, PRF has performed a number one position in connecting worldwide patrons with among the world’s greatest espresso producers. The 2-day discussion board gives a platform to construct long-lasting relationships, deal with key {industry} points, promote innovation within the world espresso sector, and facilitate inexperienced espresso gross sales.
“PRF is without doubt one of the greatest platforms for roasters to satisfy producers,” says Darius Vėželis, the CEO of Vero Espresso Home in Lithuania, a Gold winner on the 2025 GCA Europe. “It’s essential to know the nation that you simply’re shopping for espresso from, in addition to operations at origin and the way the provision chain works.
“At PRF, you possibly can meet in individual, and you’ve got time to speak and alternate concepts with espresso professionals at origin, in addition to roasters from different international locations,” he provides. “I first attended the occasion in El Salvador in 2023, and have since developed relationships with Salvadoran producers and roasters from all around the world.”
5 international locations have hosted the discussion board up to now: El Salvador, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia. Final 12 months’s version, held in El Salvador, attracted greater than 4,116 individuals, together with greater than 1,146 producers.
Over 372 inexperienced espresso patrons and roasters from the US, the UK, Greece, Georgia, Bulgaria, Austria, Belgium, Guatemala, Lithuania, Canada, Spain, France, Nicaragua, Colombia, Australia, Poland, Costa Rica, Italy, Brazil, Kenya, Eire, Switzerland, and Romania additionally attended, making it one of many espresso {industry}’s most world occasions.
With market volatility persevering with to form the espresso {industry}, roasters need extra management over their provide chains and nearer ties with producers. Consequently, occasions like PRF have grown in prominence.
MTPak Espresso, a number one world provider of custom-printed espresso packaging, is the PRF Diamond Sponsor. The corporate has partnered on a multi-year deal to sponsor future occasions.
“We’re proud to be the Diamond Sponsor of PRF Mexico, in addition to the sponsor of the Sourcing Journey Expertise (STE),” says Mark Zhou, the founding father of MTPak Espresso. “As long-standing supporters of the worldwide espresso neighborhood, our partnership with PRF at this stage displays our ongoing dedication to producers, roasters, and the relationships that energy the espresso provide chain.
“We again an occasion that places transparency, collaboration, and significant connections first, and we look ahead to participating within the conversations that matter most within the years forward.”
PRF heads to Mexico
In March 2027, the occasion will debut in Mexico, a rustic that’s shortly creating a repute for its distinctive espresso high quality and a dynamic specialty espresso store scene.
The nation is without doubt one of the world’s prime 11 espresso exporters. The USDA forecasts Mexico’s manufacturing volumes to extend to 4.1 million 60kg baggage within the 2026/27 harvest interval.
“There was such sturdy demand from worldwide roasters for PRF to happen in Mexico,” says Andrea Melo, the COO of PRF. “Many roasters particularly requested the chance to construct new sourcing relationships right here and uncover what Mexican producers have to supply.”
Mexico grows largely shade-grown arabica, together with high-quality varieties like Typica, Maragogype, Catimor, and Catuai, in addition to extra distinctive coffees like Garnica and Marsellesa.
The USDA additionally predicts that the nation’s home espresso consumption will enhance all through 2026/27, supported by its fast-growing specialty espresso scene.
“In Mexico Metropolis and past, cafés serve distinctive espresso and provide stellar hospitality,” Andrea says. “The nation’s barista scene is aggressive; many are participating in nationwide and regional competitions to continually push themselves to enhance.”
A burgeoning specialty espresso tradition and high-quality espresso manufacturing place PRF Mexico as a serious worldwide assembly level. Over 4,500 Mexican and worldwide espresso professionals are anticipated to attend, together with roasters from greater than 45 international locations, making PRF Mexico the most important version up to now.
Supporting Mexico’s espresso sector
PRF Mexico is anticipated to generate greater than US$15.5m in enterprise alternatives, with not less than US$1.82m anticipated to be retained in Chiapas to assist the native espresso sector. The occasion will even create over 300 direct and oblique jobs.
OBIIS (One Large Island in House), a farm-direct mannequin that buys espresso from producers, is a PRF Gold Sponsor and a long-time accomplice. OBIIS works with producers in Chiapas and screened the La Fortaleza documentary at PRF El Salvador, spotlighting the success and challenges of the area’s espresso producers.
The Instituto del Café de Chiapas (INCAFECH), a part of the State Authorities of Chiapas, Mexico, fosters, develops, and promotes the area’s espresso {industry}. INCAFECH is a PRF Gold Sponsor and the Host Nation Associate.
“In the present day, in Chiapas’ espresso sector, there’s higher curiosity in high quality, traceability, sustainability, processing and, above all, producing higher added worth throughout the area itself,” says Carolina Espinosa, Mission Administration and Advertising at INCAFECH. “We’ve additionally seen higher involvement from producers and organisations looking for to enhance their processes, differentiate their coffees and entry markets that recognise not solely the standard of the product, but in addition its origin and the story behind it.
“PRF Mexico permits us to showcase not solely our espresso, but in addition our areas, our variety, our processes and the work of our coffee-growing households to a world viewers,” she provides. “This would be the first time that PRF has been held in Mexico, and Chiapas would be the host. This offers us the chance to place the state on the worldwide espresso map and to welcome patrons, roasters, and professionals from totally different markets.”
Practical specialty espresso model Purity Espresso is a long-term accomplice and the PRF Bronze Sponsor.
Volunteer Sponsor and specialty espresso importer Copan Commerce will host a cupping session and unique networking actions for volunteers.
Which competitions will happen?
Constructing on over a decade of success, PRF will debut in Mexico with an occasion line-up that guarantees worth for all attendees.
Competitions have grow to be a staple of each version, showcasing the newest improvements and tendencies from throughout the provision chain. The championships that may happen are:
- The sixth World Roasting Contest, sponsored by Cropster – prime worldwide roasters showcase pure roasting abilities and experience to compete for the technical and other people’s alternative prime spots.
- The eighth Chilly Brew Espresso Championship – a choose group of rivals display their experience in crafting distinctive chilly brews and signature drinks.
- The third World Cupping Championship, sponsored by PDG Media – rivals put their sensory abilities to the take a look at in a high-stakes cupping problem, evaluating aroma, flavour, acidity, physique, and stability with precision and pace.
- Soil of Excellence Espresso by Belco – the competitors highlights the significance of soil well being and regenerative agriculture in producing distinctive espresso.
Extra info on how one can apply to compete will probably be introduced within the coming weeks.
World Espresso Awards World Championship 2026
The 2026 World Espresso Awards (GCA) World Championship, a contest recognising the world’s greatest roasters and the producers who develop their coffees, will happen at PRF Mexico.
All through 2026, GCA has hosted a number of regional editions, together with:
The European version will happen in October. The entry equipment is right here, and all samples should be acquired by 21 October 2026.
The Gold winners of every class of all regional competitions will compete on the World Championship, the place producers who’ve grown their coffees will be a part of them. With profitable roasters and producers from six areas attending, this can mark PRF’s and the GCA World Championship’s greatest editions but.
The general champion will probably be topped through the GCA awards ceremony on the night of 19 March. There will even be a VIP dinner on the identical night.
“For almost 30 years, we’ve targeted on the identical query: How can we make higher espresso tomorrow than we made as we speak?” says Vytautas Kratulis, founding father of Huracán Espresso, topped the World’s Greatest Roaster on the 2025 GCA World Championship.
“Profitable the GCA allowed us to inform that story to a a lot wider viewers,” he provides. “The GCA award opened doorways in locations the place our story merely hadn’t reached earlier than.”
Tickets to the World Espresso Awards Annual Dinner and Ceremony are open to all PRF attendees and can be found now. You should purchase tickets and discover out extra info right here.
The dinner provides attendees a uncommon probability to community with leaders from throughout the specialty espresso {industry}, together with award-winning roasters and Cup of Excellence-winning producers.
“Being a part of the World Espresso Awards as a choose was an actual honour,” says Sandra Tamayo, high quality assurance supervisor at Ambera in Colombia and a Q grader. She was a Sensory Choose on the GCA US & Canada and Latin America, and has additionally judged the Greatest New Product competitors at WoC San Diego and regional competitions in Colombia.
“I believe typically roasters hesitate to enter competitions as a result of they don’t understand how their espresso will probably be acquired,” she provides. “The GCA contains totally different classes and preparation codecs, so every espresso has an opportunity to indicate its strengths in the way in which that fits it greatest.”
What else is going on at PRF Mexico?
The 2-day discussion board will embody an exhibition space the place attendees can community with main Latin American and worldwide corporations and organisations, together with producers, exporters, roasters, importers, and café homeowners.
The Producer-Roaster Matchmaking programme, sponsored by Algrano, will even return after its launch on the 2025 Honduras occasion. The programme is designed to attach producers and roasters within the devoted Matchmaking Zone: an area for significant conversations and new relationships between roasters and producers, proper on the coronary heart of the exhibition.
Roasters, producers, and merchants could have the chance to satisfy potential companions in a fast, structured pace networking format. Algrano will assist information contributors all through the method, providing provide chain experience, logistical assist, key monetary info, and reside translations.
Like different PRF occasions, the 2027 discussion board will embody workshops and cuppings hosted by a few of Latin America’s greatest producers and merchants, showcasing the area’s espresso variety.
There will even be an Espresso, a Brew, and a Chilly Brew Bar for attendees to strive distinctive coffees from Mexico and past.
Speaker functions
Each PRF occasion hosts the PRF Voices programme: a specifically curated lineup of lectures and panels led by among the {industry}’s foremost and well-known specialists.
During the last decade, audio system from 36 international locations have participated, discussing numerous matters throughout the espresso provide chain. These embody:
- Progressive Composting Methods for Espresso Producers (Bob Fish and Michelle Fish – OBIIS)
- The Science of Roasting for Practical Advantages (Ildi Revi – Purity Espresso)
- Espresso Fundamentals and Value Danger Administration: Navigating Market Volatility (Tomás Araujo – StoneX, US)
- Fluctuating Pricing and Shifting Sourcing Methods: An Importer’s Perspective (Abraham Castro – Ally Espresso, US)
- Leveraging Computational Simulation to Optimise Espresso Drying, Storage, and Roasting (Jaime Daniel Bustos – Universidad Surcolombiana, Colombia)
- Understanding Inexperienced Espresso Logistics: Overcoming Challenges and Constructing an Environment friendly Provide Chain (Afshin Roshanian – Artisan Espresso Gear, Romania)
English and Spanish audio system are invited to use for PRF Voices. Preferrred candidates ought to have a robust background within the espresso {industry}, over 5 years of expertise of their subject of curiosity, earlier PRF participation, public talking abilities, and recent perception into key tendencies and challenges in as we speak’s espresso sector.
Extra info is obtainable right here, and you may apply to be a speaker right here.
PRF’s first occasion in Mexico on 18 & 19 March 2027 will construct on 12 years of facilitating significant connections between producers and roasters.
Worldwide tickets and Sourcing Journey Expertise tickets, which can run from 14 to 17 March 2027, are that can be purchased right here.
You’ll be able to keep updated with all bulletins for PRF right here, or by subscribing to the publication right here.
Picture credit: Producer & Roaster Discussion board
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