NEW YORK, June 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- World Tea Expo (#WorldTeaExpo or #WTE17), the leading tradeshow focused on advancing the business of tea, will present the World Tea Awards (#TeaAwards) from 6 to 8:30 p.m. June 14 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas. Nev. The awards program takes place during the B2B conference and exposition, which will be held June 13 – 15 (with a pre-conference program on June 12). The World Tea Awards honors some of the best and the brightest from the tea industry, including Best Tea Industry Innovation, Best Specialty Tea Brand and Best Tea Brewing Device, among numerous other categories. Registration and conference details are available at WorldTeaExpo.com.
In addition, World Tea Expo and the World Tea Awards will present the Country of Origin Award and the John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award (recipient to be announced). The Country of Origin Award will go to the Sri Lanka Tea Board, to celebrate 150 Years of Ceylon Tea.
The 2017 World Tea Awards finalists include (winners to be announced at World Tea Expo):
Best Tea Industry Innovation
Best Specialty Tea Brand
Best Tea Brewing Device
Best Tea Brewing Device (Non-Electric)
Best Retail Tea Shop, Café, Bar
Best Tea Accessory
Best Consumer-oriented Marketing Campaign / Promotion
Best Tea Community-level Campaign
Best Tea Health Advocate
Best Tea Publication
Best E-commerce Tea (or Accoutrements) Website
Best Tea Trade Website (Wholesale)
Best Tea Social Media Campaign
Best Tea Blog
Best Tea Educator
Tea industry leaders Kevin Gascoyne and Bruce Richardson will emcee the World Tea Awards at World Tea Expo. Gascoyne is a British tea taster/buyer, one of four owners of Camellia Sinensis with headquarters in Montreal, and co-author of Tea, History, Terroirs, Varieties. Richardson, owner of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas and Benjamin Press, is a tea blender, author of a dozen books on tea, and a frequent speaker at tea events.
"The World Tea Awards is a perfect arena for us to highlight the accomplishments, developments and key personalities of the past year in tea," said Gascoyne. "An occasion for us to express appreciation and respect for our peers is great for the tea community and the perfect excuse for a party. I am proud to be dusting off my tuxedo again and looking forward to another celebration of the precious camaraderie we share in the tea industry. Congratulations to all the nominees, and we will see you in Las Vegas."
Richardson added, "I've been present for every World Tea Expo since its inception, and I've seen it grow from a few hundred tea enthusiasts to an energetic gathering of tea professionals and vertical market leaders from across the globe. I consider it an honor to be a part of the event's World Tea Awards ceremony that spotlights our industry's leaders."
About Informa
World Tea Expo and the World Tea Awards are part of Informa, the international business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events group. Informa serves commercial, professional and academic communities, helping them connect and learn, and creating and providing access to content and intelligence that helps people and businesses work smarter and make better decisions faster.
Informa has over 7,500 colleagues in more than 20 countries and a presence in all major geographies. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.
SOURCE World Tea Expo