The Los Angeles Coffee Festival's Lab program featured an exciting line-up of interactive demonstrations, workshops, talks and tastings from industry experts,including the likes of The NoMad Hotel's Ryan Bailey and Devocion's Maya Albert.
The Lab is a place of discovery. Discover the current industry trends, gain top tips for setting up a coffee shop, explore the history of coffee or relax with a drink and learn something new.
2023 Programme coming soon!
Check out 2019's robust line-up below.
11.30am | Adjusting the Margins for Unique Coffee Offerings – Lindsey Mesta, Frinj Coffee
12.15pm | The Future of Coffee Shop Design – Cameron Fry, Liqui Group
1.00pm | How Water Impacts the Quality of Your Espresso – Keith Black, WaterWise
1.45 | The Alchemy of Milk & Coffee: What's In Your Cup & How it Got There – Anna Dair, Straus Family Creamery and Sam Sabori, Intelligentsia
2.45pm | The Roasters Panel – Andrew Sinclair, MadLab Coffee (moderator), Edward Cutcliffe, Little Marionette, Sam Sabori, Intelligentsia and Adam Strauss, Unity Coffee
3.45pm | From China to Colombia: A Brief Overview of Specialty Tea Origins – Brendan Shah, Chado Tea
4.30pm | Have a Cup, Save a Pup – Darren La Borie, Muddy Paw Coffee
5.15pm | Coffee Machines, What’s Next? – Noah Goodman, Gruppo Cimbali (moderator), David Crescenzo, Astoria, Sarah Dooley, Slayer Espresso, Tom Rolleri, Mahlkonig and Tony Ruiz, Ikawa
10.00am | Hyper-Normalization of Culture – Stuart Forsyth, Minor Figures
10.45am | How to Make Better Espresso at Home – Dave Bise and Ben Blake, La Marzocco Home
11.30am | Plant Milks: Discover What’s Better for You – Ashley Koff RD, Califia Farms and Tess Masters, The Blender Girl
12.15pm | Activism & Coffee – LaRayia Gaston, Love Without Reason
1.00pm | Antes de la Tostion: La Importancia en la Frescura del Cafe en Verde* – Maya Albert, Devoción
*talk presented in Spanish
2.00pm | CBD & The New Craze – Naram Khoshaba, EXO CBD
2.45pm | The Super Coffee Grind: From Dorm Room to Shark Tank – Jordan DeCicco and Patrick Schwarzenegger, Super Coffee
3.30pm | From China to Colombia: A Brief Overview of Specialty Tea Origins– Brendan Shah, Chado Tea
4.15pm | Tasting Profiles: How to Develop Your Palate – Savanah Phillips, San Diego Coffee Training Institute
5.00pm | The Baristo Cocktail Experience & Beyond – Mike Nardelli, Licor 43
5.45pm | Craft Cocktails - Oban & Coffee – Nick Crutchfield, Oban Craft Whisky
10.00am | Sensory Experience with Cacao — Patricia Tsai, ChocoVivo
10.45pm | Women in Coffee – Erika Vonie (moderator), Maya Albert, Devoción, Debbie Wei Mullen, Copper Cow Coffee, Kristi Persinger, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Stephanie Alcala, Freelance Sustainabilty Consultant, Sarah Dooley, Slayer Espresso
11.45am | How to Make Better Espresso at Home – Dave Bise and Ben Blake, La Marzocco Home
12.30pm | The Importance of Sustainability in the Coffee Industry – Stephanie Alcala, Freelance Sustainabilty Consultant
1.15pm | A Sommelier’s Approach to Coffee – Ryan Bailey, The NoMad Hotel and Maya Albert, Devoción
2.15pm | From China to Colombia: A Brief Overview of Specialty Tea Origins– Brendan Shah, Chado Tea
3.00pm | Tasting Profiles: How to Develop Your Palate – Savanah Phillips, San Diego Coffee Training Institute
3.45pm | Living The Dream: Opening Your Own Cafe – Kristi Persinger, Stumptown Coffee Roasters and John Imig, La Colombe Coffee