HOUSTON, Oct. 31, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 4th Annual Houston Port Region Coffee Symposium will be returning to the Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel, located at 1600 Lamar Street on Monday, November 17 and Tuesday, November 18. Themed "Houston Port Region: Coffee Gateway to Latin America!" and sponsored by the Port of Houston Authority, the Greater Houston Coffee Association and the Economic Alliance Port Region, the symposium delivers a stellar lineup of national and international coffee industry experts. Speakers and panelists include veteran planters, producers and distributors, who will share their insight on the region's vast business startup opportunities and trends taking shape as coffee is traded from Houston to Latin America.
The two-day symposium includes morning sessions focusing on the Brazilian perspective of the coffee industry and Houston's increasing influence as the fourth designated green coffee port in the U.S. This will be followed by a luncheon keynote address and afternoon sessions that include a panel focused on getting coffee through customs and a session covering critical tips for small business entrepreneurs.
"The Coffee Symposium is brewing again, and this year it's about Latin America for one key reason -- growth," said Port of Houston Authority Chairman Jim Edmonds. "In 2007, Brazil ranked as our largest coffee importer, followed by Colombia and Mexico, demonstrating Latin America's continued significance to the Houston Port Region's economy. We are pleased to support the industry through this annual event that highlights Houston's role in the global coffee trade."
In addition to Edmonds, who will serve as keynote luncheon speaker, featured symposium speakers include: Alan Kaiser, National Coffee Association; Jose Maria Ribeiro Neto, coffee planter and member, Cooxupe; Don Pisano, American Coffee and chair of the Green Coffee Association Traffic & Warehouse Committee; L.B. Booty, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Vera Braun, Coffee America (USA) Inc.; Matt Braunner, Braunner International; Tammy Deininger, Volcafe USA LLC; Mike Sinclair, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and Scott Singleton, Kadena Strategies, Inc.
On Tuesday, November 18, there will be an optional bus tour departing from the Hilton Americas for Maximus Coffee Group, LP and Cadeco Industries, followed by lunch aboard the M/V Sam Houston. Participants will see the port trade facilities available for the coffee industry. The tour will culminate with an evening dinner as The Economic Alliance Port Region hosts symposium guests and local business leaders at its annual Business Excellence Awards Gala. This year the gala will be held at the new Bayport Cruise Terminal. For more information about symposium registration, the tour, gala and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.javahouston.com or call 281-867-1112, Ext. 13.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Media interested in participating in the tour to support coverage should contact Shanta Mauney at 281-804-8900.
The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, more than 7,700 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage and second in overall total tonnage. The port authority plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. PHA is the first port authority in the world to receive ISO 28000:2007 certification for Port Police and the perimeter security operations at both the Barbours Cut and Bayport Terminals. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange. For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com
Members of the public who wish to speak at a Port Commission meeting will be asked to sign in at the 4th floor lobby area. They may speak when the Chair calls on them during the appearances portion of the agenda and their comments will be limited to three minutes. The public comment protocol is available on the PHA Web site, at: http://portofhouston.com/publicrelations/meetings.html
To access the port's web site photo gallery, please visit http://www.portofhouston.com/publicrelations/publicrelations.html and click the link for PHA Photo Gallery.
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