LONDON (March 1, 2010) – Colombia has been selected to host the 12th annual World Barista Championship, which will be held in combination with the 2011 EXPOESPECIALES conference in Bogota. Seven countries vied to host the 2011 event. “Choosing a winner from the very competitive site proposals we received was an extremely difficult task for the WBC board,” commented WBC Executive Director Cindy Chang. The World Barista Championship (WBC) event is the annual destination for barista champions hailing from more than 50 countries. In each national competition and dozens of local and regional preliminary events, baristas prepare espressos, cappuccinos and original signature drinks to exacting standards for a panel of international judges. “We are delighted to host the 2011 Championship” said Luis Muñoz, CEO of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia -FNC- “It will be an opportunity for baristas and visitors to keep discovering the world of Colombia Coffee, and also to support our domestic coffee consumption program” “The barista movement is worldwide,” said Ric Rhinehart, Executive Director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, which co-owns the WBC alongside the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe. “We are delighted to see the event take place in a coffee producing country for the first time in its history.”

About World Barista Championship UK Ltd. The World Barista Championship is the preeminent international coffee competition. Founded by the Specialty Coffee Associations of America and Europe, the event organization promotes excellence in coffee, advancement of the barista profession and engages a worldwide audience with an annual championship that serves as the culmination of regional and national events held in more than 50 countries. The 2010 World Barista Championship will be held June 23-25, 2010 at Olympia Exhibition Centre in London. For more information, visit the WBC website at http://www.worldbaristachampionship.org # # #