UPDATE: Some more details have been provided on the North Central and South Central Regional Barista Competitions. Both will be held at one singular event in Chicago at the end of March and will take place either on March 23–25 or March 30 – April 1st. Though this is one event, two regional titles will be given away for the Barista Competition and the Brewers Cup. South Central competitors who are unable to make it to Chicago will be offered 8 exclusive spots to Round 1 of USBC in Portland. This is an opportunity to join two communities together for one great event and we look forward to seeing everyone there! Dates will be confirmed by the first week of February. 

We are excited to announce that we've secured the majority of dates and locations for the United States Barista Championship (USBC) & Regional Barista Competitions (RBCs) for the 2012 cycle! We're working on finalizing two of the events, as noted below, but we'll announce that information shortly as well. Noting that the Regional Barista Championships Program is our only structured regional event program taking place annually, we hope to utilize these events moving forward as opportunities to gather our community and engage with and present to specialty coffee consumers. SCAA director of community and events, Marcus Boni, comments, "As we move these regional competitions forward, the focus will be hosting events that are not only the regional barista competition, but also a gathering of like minded coffee enthusiasts focused on a common message of respect for the product they serve, the people who help produce it and the consumer who purchases it."

We're also implementing some changes to the Brewers Cup program, evolving it with a new presentation element in round 1, and the Barista Competitions. (You will be able to read about these changes in the Rules and Regulations, to be posted on the USBC website shortly. Revised World Barista Championship documents can be found here). We're also working to create opportunities to engage with other industry and consumer events, often more of a two day schedule, and further define and shape our consumer message and programs. We will continue to operate with very small production costs while maximizing sponsorship value and overall program brand awareness. With that, we give you the 2012 competition schedule:

NORTH WEST (WA, OR, AK, ID, MT, WY): January 27-29 in Tacoma, WA

SOUTH EAST (KY, VA, TN, NC, SC, AL, GA, FL, DC): February 9-11 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA

NORTH EAST (OH, WV, DE, PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, ME, MD): February 24-26 in conjunction with Coffee & Tea Fest in New York, NY

SOUTH WEST (HI, CA, NV, AZ, UT, NM, CO): March 8-11 in Santa Cruz, CA

NORTH CENTRAL (ND, SD, NE, MN, IA, WI, IL, IN, MI): TBD, location TBD

SOUTH CENTRAL (KS, MO, OK, TX, AR, LA, MS): TBD, location TBD

USBC (National Event): April 19-22, 2012 at the Oregon Convention Center, held in conjunction with The SCAA Event in Portland, OR

Registration details will be available shortly. Please check the USBC website at www.usbaristachampionship.org for the latest Regional Barista Competition info!

Have you wondered how you would go about hosting or organizing an event with the help of the Barista Guild? We recognize that organizing and promoting a local event can be challenging and we want to help our members succeed in building a stronger, more connected barista community through our new BGA Member Driven Event program.

What is the Member Driven Events program? Put simply, it’s our chance to support BGA members all around the country who host and organize events that benefit the barista and coffee community.

How does it work? Real simple. First, once you decide you’d like to host an event, head over to the events page on the BGA website and where you can read up on the pre-qualifications for hosting a Member Driven Event (don’t worry-they’re simple!) and access the online request form. Your BGA Chapter Rep will be in touch with you shortly (think 24-48 hours) after submission to assist you with promotion of your event and accessing the official Member Driven Event logo.

Want to host an event but not sure where to start? You’ll want to contact your Regional Chapter Rep. Who’s your Regional Chapter Rep? Find the complete list of Chapter Representatives on the BGA website. He or she can help you understand the and can provide support and pointers on how produce a successful event. Your rep will also do their best to be in attendance at your event, but if they cannot attend, will work to send another representative in their place. The BGA will also provide support through online promotions and a follow-up afterwards to see how everything went.

Let us know about your next event! If you’re ready to get started visit the BGA website events page for all the details and a link to the request forms.