*The Tea Journey Team

It’s only been a week but Penton Group President Fred Linder was gracious in answering five questions on the future of the World Tea Expo and its ancillary business ventures. Linder will oversee World Tea Expo as part of Penton Exhibition Services which supports more than 100 events across five sectors. Linder also runs the company’s New Hope Network.

Penton is a large business-to-business publishing company based in New York. It’s flagship tradeshows include Natural Products Expo (West and East) and the Multi-Unit Food Service Operators Conference. The company also publishes Nation’s Restaurant News, Natural Foods Merchandiser and Supermarket News.

In announcing the acquisition Linder retained the core team that includes Event Manager Samantha Hammer Mitchell, Education Program Manager Monique Hatchett, Customer Service Manager Edie Gillette and Tea Academy Director of Online Education Donna Fellman. Hammer Mitchell is a former Penton event manager. Click here for details of the sale.

Tea Biz: Mr. Linder please share your vision for World Tea Expo and its ancillary educational program, competitions, industry awards and newsletter.

Linder: It’s a bit too soon for me to articulate a strategy for the individual part of the business.

We bought World Tea Media because we like the Tea category and we feel that we can help the industry grow as we have proven in other Food sectors, most notably in the Natural Products industry.

I also think that World Tea Expo is a better fit inside of Penton. We will work with the leadership within the Tea group to evaluate what is working and what may need improvement.

Tea Biz: The tea community wryly observes “there are beverages, and there is tea. They are not the same thing.” During recent years the Expo floor was opened to many classes of beverages from artichoke, coconut and vitamin water to liquid herbal supplements. Will that continue?

Linder: Again, that will be determined in conjunction with the Tea leadership team. From a very general point of view, I am not a fan of diluting, but I also don’t think it’s an all or nothing approach. We have an excellent track record in other industries of making sure that attendees and exhibitors have an authentic experience that is aligned with their and the industry’s expectations, while still allowing for growth and innovation. Authenticity is key.

Tea Biz: The Expo is noted for an exceptional educational program seen by industry veterans as catering mainly to those who want to get into the business. What will Penton do to entice the best and brightest veteran retailers, wholesalers and exporters to attend and share their insights and expertise both from the podium and casually on the exhibition floor? Vendors realized more sales and bigger sales in the past. Attracting premium buyers to the event is the tide that lifts all boats. How will Penton draw quality buyers to the event?

Linder: We have an excellent database across Penton and deep experience with education, most notably, for innovators and entrepreneurs. In addition, our marketing capabilities are second to none. By combining these disciplines with the expertise within the Tea team we will create a winning formula for growth in both quality and quantity. Ultimately, the success of any show is about the right attendees having the right conversations with the right exhibitors through a mix of networking and a vibrant education program.

Tea Biz: Will Penton through its North American Tea Competition take a leadership role in defining and advancing standards for specialty tea?

Linder: At this point I don’t know enough to answer this question. We did have standards programs in other businesses so we are experienced in the mechanics of what that could look like, but what Penton’s role in that might be is an unknown to me at this time.

I will say that although we have owned the business for only a week, I am really impressed by the staff and their enthusiasm and passion for the business and the industry. I will rely on their expertise and guidance a lot on where and how Penton will best fit into aid and abet in the growth of the category.

There’s much to learn, but through our broad experience with education, content trade shows, combined with an understanding of the food and food retailing sectors it will be a very exciting time for all of us. I am very bullish on the future.

BIO

Fredrik M. Linder is an expert in natural products and the health and wellness arena and has a passion for the industry and its mission. Fred’s industry relationships are deep, which allows him to understand where all of the companies and products fit together, how they are trending and gives him direct access to the top leaders in the industry who look to him as a sounding board. He was instrumental in the development of Penton’s data and insight products for the natural products industry. Fred also runs Penton Event Services supporting all Penton best in class events. In addition, Fred is responsible for Club Industry, LDI and the newly acquired World Tea Media assets. Fred serves on several boards including SISO and the Company Council of IADSA (International Alliance for Dietary Supplement Associations). In the past he served on the boards of the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, The Coalition to Preserve DSHEA, Bastyr University, and The Dietary Supplement Education Alliance. In addition to New Hope and the Penton Exhibitions Services team, Fred oversees Club Industry and Live Design. Prior, he was employed with Meredith Corporation, Capital Cities/ABC and Universal Media.

Fredrik M. Linder
Group President, Lifestyle & Penton Exhibition Services
[email protected]

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Tea Biz serves a core audience of beverage professionals in the belief that insightful journalism informs good decision-making in business. Tea Biz reports what matters along the entire supply chain, emphasizing trustworthy sources and sound market research while discarding fluff and ignoring puffery.

Tea Biz posts are available to use in your company newsletter or website. Purchase reprint and distribution rights for single articles or commission original content.  Click here for details.

World Tea Expo was acquired last week by Penton, a large New York based business-to-business publishing company with a portfolio of trade events serving the natural food industry.

The transition of the tradeshow, the North American Tea Championship, the World Tea Academy and World Tea News from Ohio-based F+W Media, A Content + eCommerce Company is underway. Terms were not disclosed.

Penton announced that Group President Fred Linder will oversee World Tea Expo as part of Penton Exhibition Services which supports more than 100 Penton events across five sectors. Linder also runs the company’s New Hope Network.

“An essential element of our strategy is to focus on high-growth sectors and extend leadership positions. World Tea Media is at the forefront of the U.S. tea industry and is poised to double its size over the next five years,” said Linder. “This portfolio of events and digital products perfectly complements our assets. We have the ability to nurture and grow entrepreneurial businesses through our understanding of consumer behavior, product innovation, future trends and exceptional relationships,” he said.

“The show will remain a standalone with World Tea Media operating as a separate entity,” said Kate Spellman, Chief Marketing Officer at Penton.

Key staff members were retained including Event Manager Samantha Hammer Mitchell, Education Program Manager Monique Hatchett, Customer Service Manager Edie Gillette and Tea Academy Director of Online Education Donna Fellman. Hammer Mitchell is a former Penton event manager.

“We’re excited to work with the team at World Tea Media to further extend their value as an information resource for the global tea industry, with an emphasis on the growing specialty, premium tea and healthy beverage segments,” said Linder.

Penton dominates the publishing sector for marketers of natural consumer packaged goods brands, retailers, suppliers, and investors. The Natural Products Expo East and West tradeshows have grown by 20%, according to the release. There were 2,700 exhibiting companies and 634 first-time exhibitors in 2015.

Natural Products West annually draws more than 75,000 attendees to Anaheim. Expo West and the smaller Natural Products East currently host a big selection of tea vendors, many of whom previously exhibited at World Tea Expo. The list of more than 200 exhibiting tea companies includes AOI, Argo Tea, Bigelow, Choice Organic, Davidson’s Organic, Harney & Sons, Hain Celestial, Inko’s Tea, Mighty Leaf, Stash Tea Co., Steaz, Teapigs, Traditional Medicinals, Third Street Chai, Twinings, and Zhena’s Gypsy Tea. Click here for a list of tea exhibitors at the March 2016 Expo West. Click here to see a list of tea exhibitors scheduled to attend the June 2016 World Tea Expo.

The Penton press release explains the company “has created a formula to nurture and grow innovative entrepreneurial businesses in emerging markets into large retailers with mass distribution. Penton also has the ability to tap into large food manufacturers through its leading food brands — Multi-Unit Food Service Operators Conference (MUFSO), Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) and Supermarket News.

Penton will combine its learning’s from both the natural products and food marketplaces to accelerate the growth of tea and beverage companies, according to the release. Penton is a private company owned by MidOcean Partners and Wasserstein & Co., LP. The company “empowers nearly 20 million business decision makers in markets that drive more than 12 trillion dollars in purchases each year,” according to the release.

Jim Ogle, acting CEO at F+W said that when the company acquired World Tea Media “we set our sights on healthy beverage, coffee, and food markets. However, our core competency has been and will remain in our enthusiast, niche communities. We know the World Tea brand and our team is going to be a great fit with our colleagues at Penton.”

F+W is experiencing a reorganization following the departure of Chairman and CEO David Nussbaum. Founded as a traditional publisher, since 2008 F+W has grown its ecommerce business from one store and $6 million in revenue to 31 individual ecommerce stores with expected revenue in excess of $65 million for 2015, according to an interview with Nussbaum in Publishing Executive.

World Tea Expo launched a dozen years ago in Las Vegas. It was operated by George and Kim Frost Jage for a decade before they sold to F+W in January 2012. The couple continued to manage the event through 2013. Two years ago the show moved to Long Beach, Calif., where the latest edition was produced last May.

World Tea on the Road scheduled for Oct. 10-11 in Boston was canceled. The next roadshow is a Chicago event scheduled for Nov. 7-8. Click here to register.

Ten years ago the show was among the fastest growing in the U.S. Exhibitors numbered more than 300 and attendance topped 5,000 but has since declined. Expo retained a reputation for superior retail training and its educational program however and has spawned several related services including the widely distributed weekly World Tea News, tea championships and tea academy.

World Tea Expo

The next Expo will return to Las Vegas June 15-17, 2016 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Pre-conference programs begin June 13-14. There are currently 150 exhibitors listed for the show. World Tea Expo focuses on the premium tea segment including Chinese, Taiwan, Indian and Korean exhibitors as well as many U.S. based tea vendors. Firms purchasing significant space on the show floor include International Tea Importers (ITI), Teas Etc., QTrade Teas & Herbs and similar mid-sized tea importers and blenders. Attendees include buyers with purchasing influence representing grocery chains, mass merchandisers, independent retailers, tea shops and coffee houses from the U.S. and 46 countries.

World Tea Academy

An online tea certification and education program for professionals launched in 2014. It is managed by Donna Fellman. The program has graduated 233 students from 29 countries. The majority who enroll are from the U.S. and Canada. Courses cost $325 to $400. “Test only” certifications are $125. There is a core curriculum presenting courses on essentials and advanced courses. Some of the more popular are the biochemistry of tea, presentation and blending, and understanding tea culture.

North American Tea Championships

The next competition is the 2015 Packaged Single Service Class which for the first time will accept K-Cups. The entry deadline is Oct. 30. Click here for a list of the Spring Harvest Class winners July 30-31.

World Tea News

Launched in 2005, the newsletter was distributed to 2,000 readers every two weeks. Founder George Jage described a mission “to deliver clear, concise updates on trends, breaking news and product releases. Buyers have limited time and they need brief but focused information to best understand this increasingly popular and powerful beverage category,” he said. The newsletter was re-launched in 2011 with delivery to 14,000 readers. The next weekly issue is scheduled for delivery Tuesday.

Sources: World Tea Media, F+W, Penton.

? ? ?

Tea Biz serves a core audience of beverage professionals in the belief that insightful journalism informs good decision-making in business. Tea Biz reports what matters along the entire supply chain, emphasizing trustworthy sources and sound market research while discarding fluff and ignoring puffery.

Tea Biz posts are available to use in your company newsletter or website. Purchase reprint and distribution rights for single articles or commission original content.  Click here for details.