2025 NCA Convention Program

Note: The Convention program is subject to change. All activities will be held at the Marriott Marquis Houston unless otherwise noted.

You spoke, we listened. The traditional NCA Annual Convention schedule is shifting in March. The 2025 NCA Convention program will kick off on Thursday afternoon and will wrap up at 11:30 am on Saturday. This eliminates the need for an additional night at the hotel and allows you to depart midday Saturday to enjoy the rest of your weekend.

View the Floorplan

Wednesday, March 5

9:30 am – 9:50 am

NCA Annual Meeting of Members

Thursday, March 6

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Java Lounge & Event Hub: Featuring coffee service and afternoon cash bar service

Friday, March 7

7:30 am – 5:00 pm	Registration: General Information
7:30 am – 5:00 pm	Java Lounge & Event Hub: Featuring coffee service and afternoon cash bar service Sponsored by Neumann Gruppe USA
8:00 am – 9:15 am	International Women's Coffee Alliance (IWCA) Breakfast Ticketed event. Pre-registration required. Limited tickets available. Speaker: Blanca Castro, IWCA
8:15 am – 9:15 am	Breakfast with Tabletop Partners (Tabletop viewing) Sponsored by Cadeco
9:30 am – 11:00 am	Opening "Main Stage" General Session State of the Association & Keynote Presentation Speaker: Bill Murray, NCA President & CEO Keynote Speaker: Sebastian Terry Sponsored by FreshBrew Group
11:00 am – 3:00 pm	Community Support Activity - Teddy Bears for Kids Drop-in for a hands-on charitable activity supporting the local community (approx. 10-minute participation time) Sponsored by Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA
11:00 am – 11:30 am Tabletop viewing until 12:30 pm	Coffee Break with Tabletop Partners Sponsored by Community Coffee Company
11:30 am – 12:15 pm	Concurrent Breakout Sessions Logistics: Current Challenges and Long Term Outlook Facing the Coffee Supply Chain Speakers: Ricardo Arias, Port of Houston; Kornelia Tiede Valdés, Commodity Supplies; William Brauner, Brauner International.; Thomas Hartley, Hartley Transportation Premium Coffee: Understanding the 2025 Consumer During Anxious Economic Times Speaker: Matthew Barry, Euromonitor Sponsored by Hood Packaging Accelerated Technological Advancement: AI Tools to Increase Productivity and Reduce Costs Immediately Speaker: Alan Lai, ProfilePrint
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm	NCA Luncheon and Awards Ceremony Luncheon Sponsored by Louis Dreyfus Company. Origin Charity of the Year Award sponsored by Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee. Individual Recognition Awards sponsored by Eight O’Clock Coffee.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm	Tabletop Viewing Open
2:15 pm – 3:00 pm	Concurrent Breakout Sessions Consumer Class Actions: Strategies to Evolve and Adapt to New Threats Speaker: Rory Collins, Faegre Drinker Sponsored by Oracle NetSuite From Routine to Ritual: Tracing Generational Shifts in Coffee Habits Speaker: Kelsey Girard, Mintel Sponsored by Fres-co System USA, Inc. Leveraging Digital Technologies: Automation Solutions for Coffee Operator Success Speakers: Bruce Wright and Chairil McClain, BUNN Sponsored by BUNN
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm	Coffee Break with Tabletop Partners Sponsored by Westrock Coffee Company
3:30 pm – 4:15 pm	Concurrent Breakout Sessions Cold Brew: Safety and Compliance for Retailers and Commercial Manufacturers Speaker: Mark Corey, PhD., National Coffee Association Coffee Market Fundamentals & Price Perspectives Speaker: Andre Acosta, Marex Solutions Processing of Recyclable Coffee Packaging: Evolving Requirements for Recyclable Materials Speaker: Ellen Reichmann, Syntegon Technology
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm	Next Generation Coffee Leaders Session EUDR: Deforestation, Traceability and You Open to all registered NCA Delegates Speakers: Gilbert Gatali, AFCA; Marcos Antonio Matos, CeCafe; Bill Murray, NCA; Krisztina Szalai, SCTA Sponsored by F. Gavina & Sons, Inc.
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm	Evening Reception with Tabletop Partners Sponsored by StoneX Financial Inc
7:00 pm – 11:30 pm	Night-on-the-Town Following a full day of official NCA activities, enjoy time with colleagues to explore Houston. Transportation provided by NCA.

Saturday, March 8

8:00 am – 11:30 am	General Information
8:00 am – 11:30 am	Java Lounge & Event Hub: Featuring coffee service and refreshments Sponsored by Neumann Gruppe USA
8:15 am – 9:00 am	Breakfast with Tabletop Partners Sponsored by Fetco
9:15 am – 10:15 am	Closing "Main Stage" Keynote Session: U.S. Economy and Markets in 2025 Speaker: Scott Clemons, CFA, Brown Brothers Harriman Sponsored by Brown Brothers Harriman
10:15 am – 10:45 am	Coffee Break Sponsored by LavAzza Group Americas
10:45 am – 11:30 am	Concurrent Breakout Sessions The Future of Decaf: Embracing the Shift in Consumer Needs with Technology and Innovation Speaker: Jan Schwital, CR3 Coffee Group Navigating Global Coffee Market Volatility: Economic Outlook and Strategic Insights Speaker: Kona Haque, ED&F Man Consumer Psychology Reveals 3 Habits of Highly Effective Categories & Brands Speaker: Mary Mathes, Alpha-Diver
11:30 am	Farewell Grab & Go Lunch