Rise and shine, weekenders! This Saturday, Sept. 29, is International Coffee Day—an unofficial day of worship for many meeting professionals. So, put on your comfiest pajamas, set your slippers by your bed and prepare to wake up nice and slow, savoring your favorite brand of beans or cuppa joe. We’ll provide the reading materials. ’Cause the best part of waking up is with three new coffee destinations in your meetings cup.
A Double Shot of Novelty in Austin, Texas
Austin Convention Center is serving up customizable, gourmet local brew—from a self-serve coffee robot. The Coffee Haus, designed by Austin-based coffee solutions company Briggo, is a large, automated coffee bar of sorts, using high-quality ingredients and on-demand service to strike that sweet spot between novelty and efficiency. The concept has already taken off at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and three other Texas locations. It will serve attendees in the north entrance of the convention center during all public and private events. Guests can order ahead using Briggo’s mobile app or customize their order in person and on screen.
A Caffeine Crawl Through Indy’s Indie Coffee Shops
If you haven’t visited Indianapolis lately, you might not be aware that this heartland city has made a name for itself in the realm of serious coffee-making. We’re talking small-batch artisan roasters, community nonprofit shops and latte artists so good that they’re getting the best to come to them. Seriously—Coffee Fest, the B2B trade show for coffee professionals, is coming to Indianapolis in May 2019. As for the industry that most relies on the coffee industry (that’s us, meeting profs!), there are plenty of opportunities to get your attendees buzzing. Book a coffee cupping (tasting) class at Tinker Coffee Co. or get inspired by the 6th annual Caffeine Crawl, taking place in Indianapolis on Oct. 20. There will be 15 stops, at the best coffee, tea and chocolate shops—with jog- and bike-friendly routes available.
Door Delivery in Durham, North Carolina
Nearly adjacent to Durham Convention Center is The Durham, a boutique hotel serving the tech companies and academics that come to meet in the university-framed Research Triangle Region. It’s also serving an alternative to the hotel room coffee experience. You know the one—where gurgling coffee pots resembling relics spit out a nice brown mud for you to doctor up with dehydrated creamer and sugar alternatives. But not at The Durham. The hotel has partnered with local, sustainability focused Counter Culture Coffee to bring guests a selection of freshly ground beans delivered to their hotel room each morning. Wake up and smell the happy attendees.
