CoffeeCON: Planning My Day

I've never been so excited for a coffee show!  Just three days away.This May 4th, I will be attending the 2013 CoffeeCON in Chicago, IL, both as a coffee lover and as an official blogger.  I'm excited to share everything I learn with fellow coffee lovers.My day's schedule and workshops are shaping up as follows:9:10 - 11:40 AM: For the Love of CoffeeGeorge Howell, founder of the famous Coffee Connection in Cambridge, MA, and owner of Terroir Coffee, leads an intensive 2.5 hour coffee tasting workshop.  This is a huge hole in my coffee game, being able to pick up and describe flavor accents.[ad#Google Adsense - use me]12:15 - 12:45 PM: Chemex LabI have two different size Chemex pitchers at home.  I have the official instructions on how to use them, but it's no comparison to a professional display of do's and don't's.  I will come home a Chemex master (right now, I'm more of a Chemex journeyman).1:00 - 1:50 PM: Coffee SustainabilityChristy Thorns, Director of Sourcing and Quality Control for Colorado based Allegro Coffee Company, a subsidiary of Whole Foods Markets, leads a discussion on coffee quality and sustainability.  Christy presents an overview of the variables and conditions that lead to great coffee, and the importance of supporting long-term economic and environmental sustainability in coffee growing.  I am very pumped for this presentation.2:00 - 2:30 PM: French Press LabJust like the prior Chemex Lab, I get a professional presentation of the do's and don't's of my personal favorite brewing method, the press pot.3:00 - 3:40 PM: Coffee on the RoadOh heck yeah!  A presentation on how to enjoy great coffee when you're on the road away from home.  I am away from home much of the time.  As I type this, I'm staring at a cup of hotel room no-brand decaf coffee.  I can't wait to share with you, the lessons I learn on how to enjoy great coffee while traveling.4:00 - 4:40 PM: Olfactory DevelopmentAs if the prior For the Love of Coffee segment won't already be a quantum leap for my coffee tasting skills, this workshop will focus on using the sense of smell to identify and appreciate flavor characteristics in coffee.I'm pumped!  A day of coffee education and being surrounded by coffee professionals from each step in the supply chain.  Just three days away!