The Midwest Tea Festival is an annual event that welcomes people from all over to the Midwest-based specialty tea community. Featuring dozens of presenters and vendors, this occasion brings its niche market to the culinary array based in the Kansas City area. With numerous presentations, workshops, and exhibitions to choose from, the tea festival is an immersive experience for anyone with an interest in the taste, history, and culture of tea in America!

Schedule of Events

Tea Lounge

October 21, 2023
12pm - Nepal Tea Collective / ISTea
1pm - Single Origin Teas / Australian Tea / Nepal Tea Collective
2pm - Harney & Sons / Sugimoto Tea / Mrs. Little
3pm - Nepal Tea Collective / Chicago Tea House / Big Heart Tea

October 22, 2023
12pm - Nepal Tea Collective / Chicago Tea House / ISTea
1pm - Nepal Tea Collective / Chicago Tea House / Singel Origin Teas
2pm - Sugimoto Tea / Mrs. Little / ISTea

Classes

October 21, 2023

12pm - The benefits of harboring a positive tea community & how to help the tea community grow—from a blogger and business perspective
Cody Wade + Jenni-Lyn Williams

1pm - The Simplicity of Reading Tea Leaves: A Fun How-To Class
Elizabeth Little

2pm - Immersive tea tourism
Nishchai Banskota

3pm - Tea Cultivation in the Era of Climate Change
James Orrock

October 22, 2023

12pm - Japanese Tea Varieties
Noli Ergas

1pm - Tips for Finding Your Favorite Japanese Teas and Brewing Methods
Akiko Ono

2pm - Tea vs. Tisanes: discover the beauty of mother nature
Emilie Jackson

3pm - Tea Cocktails and Mocktails
Successfully using tea for exceptional mixed drinks!
Rebecca Grzeskowiak

Tea Business Seminar

Is There a Tea Business in Your Future?
"Reading the Leaves: Learning the Ropes of Tea Entrepreneurship"

Before you spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars creating your dream tea business, learn from some of the most experienced tea business pros. They can help you hone your ideas by answering questions that you might not think of asking. Our team is steeped with global diversity, decades of experience and a passion to support new tea entrepreneurs.

October 21, 2023

8am: Open Registration - Meet & Greet - Tea Tasting
?As we gather, tea wholesalers will supply us with samples to sip and consider which teas are the best fit for your business idea. There will also be the drawing for "Elevator Pitch Lottery" later in the day. (Babette Donaldson & Nicole Burriss)

8:30am: "Hobby to Business"
Tim Smith, Owner of The Tea Smith
How do you develop your love of tea from a passionate hobby to a business? (Tim Smith, The Tea Smith)

9:45am: "Sharing Your Passion
For Tea Stacie Robertson, owner of The Tea Market
How do you talk to people who almost nothing about tea to excite and engage them without being a tea snob or overwhelming them.

11:15am: "Getting & Keeping Loyal Customers" Babette Donaldson, publisher of T Ching
Your customers are the foundation of your tea business. Keeping loyal customers who purchase regularly greatly reduces the workload and expense of acquiring new customers.

12:30-3:30pm: Break for lunch and festival fun
You'll have plenty of time to browse the vendor area or to enjoy lunch with some of your new tea-biz acquaintances. But it's a good time to jot down a few questions that you want to ask during our last Q&A session of the day.

4:00-5:30pm: Q&A From the Day + Optional Pitch Sessions (By Lottery*)
We'll divide this time between your burning questions and burning desire to share the unique details of your tea business plan. The pitches will be 2-5 minute descriptions of your business. This is one of the most valuable skills you can hone for entrepreneurial success.

6:00-8:00pm: Jane Austen Tea (Optional)
(Separate ticket required)
Jane Austen themed program. Costumes encouraged. Tea + refreshments included Tea dance lessons Pre-recorded presentation by internationally renowned tea specialist, Jane Pettigrew

October 22, 2023

8:00am: Meet & Greet - "Who Are Specialty Tea Influencers" Exercise - Tea Tasting
As we gather, tea wholesalers will supply us with samples to sip and consider which teas are the best fit for your business idea + Tea Influencers Quiz Game with small prizes. (Babette Donaldson & Nicole Burriss)

9:00am: "The 10 Most Important Things You Need To Know Before Opening A Tea Shop" - Sharyn Johnson, owner of Australian Tea Masters
Sharyn has coached hundreds of beginners in the launch of their shops in more than ten different countries. She continues to follow and support them. In this session, she will share her observations from first-hand experience.

10:00-11:00am: "Partnership Businesses; Co-Locating With Compatible Businesses" - Alex Jackson, Co-Owner Emilie's French Tea
This presentation considers some of the challenges and opportunities for two different businesses to be compatible and even beneficial to each other to share a location and community of loyal customers.

11:30-12:30pm: "Social Media & Content Creation" - Cody Wade, blogger," The Oolong Drunk
What makes good content for your social media? Which platforms are the most valuable investments of your time? How can you motivate employees and customers to help your social media plan?

12:30-3:00pm: Break for lunch and festival fun.
Break for lunch and festival fun.

3:00pm: "Meet The Farmers" Panel-Akiko Ono, Nishchal Banskota, Shalini Agarwal, Shang, James Orrock
Tea farmers from different regions of the world share the challenges of producing Specialty Artisan Teas.

4:00-5:00pm: Final Q&A - Optional
One last opportunity to quiz Tea Pros with your most pressing questions

Date: October 21-22, 2023

Time: 11am-5pm

Location:
Overland Park Convention Center,
6000 College Boulevard,
Overland Park, KS 66211.

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