Ethiopian Ambassador to the United States Dr. Samuel Assefa and SCAA Executive Director Ric Rhinehart will sign the Portrait Country sponsorship agreement on Friday, Feb. 15, at the Ethiopian Embassy.

Senior Ethiopian representatives will deliver a welcome presentation during the first day of the conference, May 2 to help “kick off” the 2008 SCAA Conference & Exhibition.

More than 60 delegates from Ethiopia, including coffee farmers and wise ‘coffee fathers’ from the most ancient of coffee cultures will attend, transforming this year’s largest global coffee event into a unique exchange of coffee knowledge. This is the first time an African country has been featured as a Portrait Country, and participants in the 2008 event are set to experience Africa right in the heart of Minneapolis.

The international gathering features participants from every segment of the coffee industry, including coffee producers, exporters and importers, roasters, retailers, manufacturers and baristas. This year’s conference theme, “Roots,” is especially appropriate considering Ethiopia is widely recognized as the birthplace of coffee.

“Our association is pleased and honored to invite Ethiopia as the Portrait Country sponsor at our 20th Annual SCAA Conference & Exhibition in Minneapolis next May,” said SCAA Executive Director Ric Rhinehart. “As Ethiopia has been at the forefront in delivering premium specialty coffee since the very beginning, it is especially fitting for the nation to participate at our `Roots' themed conference in Minneapolis.”

“On behalf of the people of Ethiopia, we are delighted to be chosen as the Portrait Country sponsor at such a preeminent global coffee event as the SCAA’s annual conference. As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia is excited to be such an important part of the specialty coffee industry’s premier conference and exhibition,” said Ambassador Samuel.

He added, “We are thrilled because this gives Ethiopia an unparalleled opportunity to present the fruits not only of our efforts to husband and produce the world’s finest coffees over many centuries, but also our most recent coffee trademarking and licensing initiative to create a new platform of partnership in the specialty coffee industry. We also are very pleased to continue our collaboration with Starbucks Coffee Company, which is helping support our sponsorship of this extraordinary event.”

SCAA is a big coffee trade association, with its members located in more than 40 countries. The SCAA’s annual conference is held in a different U.S. city each year, according to Bussinesswire.com.

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