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NKG Roaster Day 2021: real encounters
in a virtual setting
NKG Roaster Day 2021: real encounters
in a virtual setting
Usually, planning an NKG-event starts long before the actual “date of happening”. Searching for a suitable location, organizing catering and accommodation for guests or booking flights, just to name a few things that need to be organized well in advance.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, as we all know, planning with time lead is nearly impossible, as well as organizing meetings or events in person. However, thanks to digitalization and optimized online tools, new ways to meet virtually have been and continue to be developed. NKG took advantage of these new possibilities and hosted the first virtual NKG Roaster Day on February 25th, 2021. And although all 154 participants could only meet online, the event included a “journey around the globe”.
This German saying, (free translation: Wait and see – and have a tea, but only exceptionally) was the motto of the goodie all participating customers received.
The aim of “NKG Roaster Day” is to inform clients about the latest supply & demand figures and to provide updates about global NKG trends in production, financing, risk management, supply chain challenges and visibility.
Since the originally planned “NKG Roaster Day 2020” as an event in person had to be cancelled due to the outbreak of the pandemic, NKG tried out an online format this year to stay in touch with their clients and at least meet up virtually. This was quite challenging, as speakers in different locations from different time zones had to be coordinated. But the new format also offered a range of possibilities: with elements like “live-video-tours”, the participants were able to virtually travel to NKG’s top 4 producing countries. And: the online format made it also possible for more clients to join the event – 100 external participants from 12 countries attended. “Although personal interaction is sadly missing, we aim to start a constructive dialogue on customers’ requirements and wishes and our possibilities together,” said David M. Neumann, Group CEO, during his opening remarks.
Jörn Severloh, Group COO, and Jens Janecki, Managing Director of Bernhard Rothfos, guided through the event. The first session was held by Ana Wilks, NKG Statistical Unit, who gave insights into the development of supply and demand and the latest crop figures. During her presentation of important facts and numbers about the main producing countries, she handed over the microphone virtually to colleagues from NKG’s exporting companies Becamo (Honduras), SKN Caribecafé (Colombia), NKG Stockler (Brazil) and NG Vietnam (Vietnam), who gave “live insights” into the latest developments in each country. While Emilo Medina, President of Becamo, reported about the coffee production in Honduras and the damages caused by hurricanes ETA and IOTA, Thomas Weiske talked about the development of the stock situation and the coffee value chain in Vietnam. Günter Häusler, General Manager of NKG Stockler, took the participants to a virtual field trip with a video explaining the crop situation in Brazil, a. o. Florian Benkhofer, former General Manager of SKNC, even started a virtual “live-tour”, walking through the new mill in Neiva, Huila, with his phone camera.
Günter Häusler, General Manager of NKG Stockler, took the participants to a virtual field trip with a video explaining the crop situation in Brazil.
Speakers from all over the planet enriched the NKG Roaster Day with their expertise.
The first part ended with Ana Wilks giving an outlook on probable supply and demand scenarios, predicting big deficits and big stocks. Current supply chain challenges and NKG focus areas were then discussed during the second part of the event.
Justin Schulze-Smidt, Group CFO, explained the market environment in Trade & Commodity Finance, followed by a presentation of Kay Lohse, ICL Internationale Commodity Logistik and Frederic Hofsommer, Bernhard Rothfos, about pandemic-related challenges in shipping and a digital solution for better visibility and improved services. Last but not least, Catalina Eikenberg, Head of Sustainable Business Unit, Neumann Gruppe, reported about challenges and opportunities in Responsible Sourcing. To create a vivid dialogue with all participants, Q & A sessions during the event via chat gave room for exchanging ideas and experiences.
In the closing remarks, Jens Janecki summarized, that “tracking and tracing” will be of high priority for the upcoming years and digitalization will play an important role in that. Therefore, holding an event like the NKG Roaster Day in a virtual format is in line with the overall trend for digitalization. It remains to be seen how the pandemic will develop until the next NKG Roaster Day takes place, and which format – virtual or live – will then be most suitable. The evaluation of a live-poll, which was held during the event, showed that the digital format is definitely an option: 88 percent stated that they would participate again.
Did you notice that since the outbreak of the pandemic, NKG’s IT team has probably been among the people you talked to most frequently? The IT department has been instrumental in keeping the operation running over the last few months. Read more about the team and their key areas of work.
In normal times, the Board of Management holds regular meetings at the office in Hamburg with selected colleagues from NKG to discuss current and upcoming business issues. Although we are currently still far away from these normal times, the Work Together took place again this year.
Responsibility and sustainability have always been integral to our work at NKG, as coffee connects us to people, communities and their natural environments all over the globe, and their rights and health are a basic necessity for our coffee supply. The NKG Responsible Business Program further strengthens our commitment to the many facets of sustainable and responsible business by setting group-wide, ambitious goals.
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