SCAA Pulls Out of Pittsburgh. Let's Pull Them Right Back In.

A few days ago we made reference to the Speciality Coffee Association of America (SCAA) "sticking it" to Pittsburgh.  As promised, we're back to shine a little light on an injustice we believe must be righted.

The SCAA had selected Pittsburgh to host its 2011 convention, going so far as to publish the dates on calendars.  The Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau (GPCVB) was certainly excited about landing such a prestigious national event.  So were we, along with other baristas from cities as far away as Baltimore and Providence.

Then the SCAA reneged.  It's going to hold its show in Houston.  Maybe.

In the past week of investigating the cancellation of Pittsburgh as the 2011 host city with SCAA board members and with the GPCVB, we've heard reasons ranging from safety concerns (trucks falling through floors), to large exhibitors who don't want to come here exerting political influence, to the citing of four-year old convention industry reports (nothing to eat nearby!  no taxis!  no hotel rooms!) that are unfavorable to Pittsburgh, to the SCAA believing it will outgrow the convention center by the time 2011 rolls around.

OK, we get the truck falling through the floor, because that was a fact.  But the rest of it, not so much.

We're going to CoffeeFest in Washington DC in a couple of weeks.  We'll be joined there by at least another 20 or so folks from a half dozen or so other Pittsburgh shops, probably more.  Plus we'll be admist thousands of other shop owners from the MidAtlantic region who would love to have a show located someplace they can actually drive to.  And a few influential SCAA members who are going to be reminded over and over that the last time the SCAA was in the MidAtlantic was 1999 in Philadelphia.   That's a decade ago.  Far too long.

So you're saying to yourself,"OK, so the SCAA and/or some of its influential members hate Pittsbugh.  What can I do about it?"

Here's one thing you can do right now.  CoffeeGeek has a poll on its front page asking where the SCAA should hold future conventions.

Pittsburgh is now on that list so you can vote for it.  It wasn't on the original list.  Several of us badgered the host into adding us... and while we started Sunday morning a hundred votes behind the six other cities listed, by Sunday night we were tied for fourth place.

It doesn't matter if you live here or not.  We already know about half of you reading this post don't live within 300 miles of Mt. Lebanon.  Heck, many of you don't even live in the US.  But, most of you are CoffeeGeek members and would likely be attending the SCAA convention in 2011 anyway - so why not do it someplace that's actually fun and green.  If you can post on CG, you can vote. 

For those of you who are local, we're asking you to show some local pride with a vote for Pittsburgh.  If you're a reader of the 21st Street Coffee blog, you were nudged once earlier today.  If you read that and still haven't voted yet, consider this a shove.

Yes, you have to sign up for CoffeeGeek to vote.  It's painless.  Takes but a few seconds and its free.  Besides, there are many other benefits of a CoffeeGeek membership besides getting to vote in this poll.  There is no better site and forum for researching coffee equipment and brewing techniques.  We know a lot of you read product reviews and posts over there anyway.  It's time to stop lurking and join the community!

As we write this, Pittsburgh has 12 percent of the vote, same as Anaheim.  By this time tomorrow we want to see at least twice as many.  While the poll is unscientific and ultimately meaningless on its own, the point of having Pittsburgh among the top cities is to make sure SCAA - and all SCAA members - recognize that this wrong needs righting.  And soon.

Having the SCAA convention in Pittsburgh is a big deal.  SCAA attendees are generally younger, enthusiastic, entrepreneurial and many are interested in sustainable and ethical business practices.  They will go out to different restaurants and bars and coffeehouses every single night they're here (trust us, we've seen it!), spending thousands upon thousands of dollars here.  They're foodies and their bloggers and forum participants.  Their favorable impressions of the city's dining and coffee scene will find its way onto influential culinary blogs and communities, which will in turn influence others to stop thinking of Pittsburgh as a culinary backwater.  Which brings more business and even better restaurants and food and more business and more creativity and more business and so on and so on...

In other words, go vote.  Now.  It's a start.  There will be more to come...

UPDATE: as of 11:24pm this evening, Pittsburgh has passed Anaheim and moved into sole possession of 4th place.  Atlanta next, then Minneapolis.  Vancouver in sight.

Comments

[Chris M]

Boo Hiss. Houston is horrible. Gigantic strip mall end to end and of course home the the *$ that is across the street from a *$. Awesome.

I already voted. Another benefit of being a CG member is access to the Buy/Sell/Trade forum. People virtually give stuff away there.

[Russ]

Bethany and I will be at CoffeeFest also, so count us in!

[Russ]

Woohoo! Third place! Do you think they'll consider holding it up in Beaver Falls?

[Rich]

They held the regionals in Macungie last year. Beaver Falls is a megalopolis by comparison!

[Larry]

The SCAA should consider how many "repeat" conventions Pittsburgh gets. The NRA got half of it's membership to the 'burgh and wants to do it again!

[Casey West]

Voted and made friends vote.