The Announcement!

[Chip]

As I mentioned in another topic Humble Teapologies, I had a forthcoming, exciting announcement to make. Well I think I said something like ... "great, stupendous, exciting, awesome ... news that may also prove to be life altering."

Today I can finally share it with you as the official announcements have been made. I have been asked to be a Core Conference Speaker for the upcoming World Tea Expo in Las Vegas on June 1-3, 2012. I will be presenting a timely 60 minute presentation on what else, Japanese Tea at a pivotal time. I have titled it:

A New, Exciting Dawn for Japanese Tea!

This has actually been a goal of mine for a couple years, but with all the events that have hit Japan, I am very excited and motivated to present this at this point in time. I am also most grateful to the folks at World Tea Expo for this opportunity.

You can view my presentation description here: http://www.worldteaexpo.com/index.php/c ... n#japanese

My bio here: http://www.worldteaexpo.com/index.php/c ... ChipCreitz

The World Tea Expo here: http://www.worldteaexpo.com/index.php/the-expo

[iannon]

Awesome Chip! Glad to hear it. I would love to be able to go to that and see you in action.

[Proinsias]

Congrats Chip.

That's just....well....wonderful.

This news has made me happy, can't really imagine how it's made you feel.


Yay!

[Herb_Master]

Can I have your autograph

[Drax]

Wow, that really is great news, congratulations!

I would be tempted to attend, but a date in that time-frame is already taken for a very special retirement ceremony (no, not me ). All the best!

[Chip]

Awesome Chip! Glad to hear it. I would love to be able to go to that and see you in action.

Action ... might be slow mo', ya know ... though I may spontaneously slip into a shincha ditty. It is Vegas after all.

Congrats Chip.

That's just....well....wonderful.

This news has made me happy, can't really imagine how it's made you feel.
Yay!

Yay , I am happy too!!!

Can I have your autograph

If you show, I will sign in matcha!

Wow, that really is great news, congratulations!

Thank you most kindly ... thank you all!!!

[debunix]

The timing does is not quite right for one of my regular trips to Vegas (for work, seriously), but is this the sort of thing that I should make a special trip for?

[iannon]

from looking at the convention website it sems like its an industry only event no? unless i read wrong. looked like you had to be a retailer/wholesaler/etc. to get in?

[debunix]

That's been my impression in the past, but maybe knowing a big wig giving a talk (wink, wink), I could get a pass?

[SlientSipper]

Ah Chip... Glad to hear it.
I am currently living in Las Vegas Nevada right now.

Its a shame that I will be living in Japan by then...
Rats! Rats Rats!

[Poohblah]

from looking at the convention website it sems like its an industry only event no? unless i read wrong. looked like you had to be a retailer/wholesaler/etc. to get in?

That's what appears to be the case. On the pricing page, it says that you need to go through your employer in order to get a pass, and that the type of pass you receive depends on who your employer is.

edit: ninja'd by the chipster
edit2: hey, where did his post go?! Chip posted that some tea bloggers were able to attend as media representatives, but his post vanished

[Chip]

(Sorry Poohblah, I hit submit before answering others as well)

from looking at the convention website it sems like its an industry only event no? unless i read wrong. looked like you had to be a retailer/wholesaler/etc. to get in?

... or "media" which last show I went to included quite a few bloggers (WTE-East in 2011). Media even has its own special pass and category. I actually saw several TCers attending as bloggers.

Also at East were a lot of people simply investigating the possibility of entering the industry or getting started with projections for entering at a date in the future.

Each time I went, it was as a representative of TeaChat. It was not as a seller nor a buyer. Adagio is very careful not to label me as an Adagio employee which would in some eyes create a biased moderator.

That's been my impression in the past, but maybe knowing a big wig giving a talk (wink, wink), I could get a pass?

No, that is my real hair in that photo.

But there are plenty of Tea big wigs there typically. I was a bit awestruck when I first hit the floor and began seeing icons sitting around talking like mere mortals.

Ah Chip... Glad to hear it.
I am currently living in Las Vegas Nevada right now.

Its a shame that I will be living in Japan by then...
Rats! Rats Rats!

Far be it for me to suggest you give up your trip to Japan to attend ... just bring something back for me and all will be forgiven!

from looking at the convention website it sems like its an industry only event no? unless i read wrong. looked like you had to be a retailer/wholesaler/etc. to get in?

That's what appears to be the case. On the pricing page, it says that you need to go through your employer in order to get a pass, and that the type of pass you receive depends on who your employer is.

edit: ninja'd by the chipster

(Sorry Poohblah, I hit submit before answering others as well)

I am sure media is still a category as well. Hopefully they would not nix the bloggers, but I will have to investigate.

[Chip]

The timing does is not quite right for one of my regular trips to Vegas (for work, seriously), but is this the sort of thing that I should make a special trip for?

If you are able to attend and qualify for one of the categories, it is a really big show.

Like I said above, I was pretty awestruck the first time. It was like, "wow, look at all these TeaPeeps."

[Lerxst2112]

Way to go, Chip! I don't know if there will be a trip to NV in my future, but if there is, I know where I'm going!

[Nenugal]

Congratulations, Chip!