Teacraft's Nigel Melican to Receive 'The John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award' at World Tea Expo, June 12-14 in Las Vegas

NEW YORK, May 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nigel Melican, managing director of Teacraft Ltd., will receive The John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award at World Tea Expo, to be held June 12-14 (with a pre-conference program June 10-11) at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Teacraft Ltd. provides comprehensive service to all sectors of the tea industry, including equipment and machinery supply, beverage consultancy, training and research and development. World Tea Expo is the leading B2B tradeshow focused on advancing the business of tea. Register at WorldTeaExpo.com.

As the 2018 John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Melican will be recognized for his significant support of the tea industry's growth, innovation and education. He'll receive the honor during the World Tea Awards (#TeaAwards) program at World Tea Expo from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12.

Melican has more than 30 years of experience in the tea industry. He's worked as a product developer and trouble-shooter with Unilever; and, since 1990, he's been the owner and managing director of Teacraft Ltd. and Nothing But Tea, a specialty tea e-commerce business. Melican's tea technology expertise has assisted clients in 26 countries – from green tea in Australia to antioxidants in Zimbabwe. His particular interest is in planting tea in non-traditional countries, assisting small farmers with techniques for handmade tea production and marketing, and encouraging the use of sustainable tea growing and manufacturing methods. Since 2013, Melican has held tenure of DN Borbora Centenary Chair for Tea Quality and Manufacturing at the Tocklai Tea Research Institute in Assam, India; his special interest there is identifying appropriate mechanization technology for the Indian tea industry.

"Nigel Melican is unique in the world of tea," said James Norwood Pratt, a well-known tea industry author and authority, as well as a past recipient of the award. "As countless producers of tea in wildly different growing regions have learned over his long career – Nigel is our plant whisperer. He simply understands better than anybody what the plant wants and what the leaf has to say. Camellia sinensis has no closer friend in this world than this plant whisperer, our brilliant and intrepid Nigel Melican."

Samantha Hammer, the World Tea Expo event director and World Tea brand leader, said, "It's an honor to present The John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award this year to Nigel Melican. He's a highly-regarded and well respected leader in the tea community, and his efforts have truly made a difference in the industry. Thank you for all that you've done for tea, and congratulations."

Melican noted, "I am hugely appreciative of the great honor that receiving The John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award signifies. This most unexpected recognition of the small part I have played while working in the tea industry that I love is beyond anything I have ever sought. To be included now in the august group of recipients of this award gives me supreme pleasure, which will certainly supplement the drinking of my favorite breakfast cup of Autumnal Darjeeling."

The John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award was formerly called The Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award and then re-named in 2015 to recognize the legacy of Harney & Sons' Founder John Harney, who passed away in 2014. Harney was one of tea's most respected professionals – and a previous Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award recipient – who helped demonstrate the commercial appeal of sophisticated specialty blends. During his lifetime, Harney earned the respect of traditional and specialty tea vendors worldwide as both a business executive and master blender. The award, in remembrance of Harney, is a community celebration in honor of tea pioneers who helped fuel the market and shape the tea industry of today.

World Tea Expo 2018 will attract more than 3,500 tea community members and vertical market buyers, as well as 200+ exhibitors. The B2B event analyzes the business of specialty tea, evaluates and makes recommendations on the latest trends, and serves up the tools that professionals need to enhance their business and profit from tea and related products.

World Tea Expo 2018 sponsors include: International Tea Importers, ITO EN, QTrade Teas & Herbs, Bitaco Unique Colombian Tea, Dethlefsen & Balk, DMH Ingredients, FloraPharm, Haelssen & Lyon, Roobios Limited, Cirqua, Curtis, Finum, Flavor Waves, Hei Tea, Martin Bauer Group, Millenia Tea, The Tea Spot, TQY Trading Company, Tumblewood Tea and Walters Bay. World Tea Awards and Cocktail Reception Sponsors include: BUNN, Harney & Sons and Owl's Brew.

To register for World Tea Expo or for additional information, visit WorldTeaExpo.com (register early for the best rates). And be sure to follow World Tea Expo on Twitter: @worldteamedia (#WorldTeaExpo or #WTE18).

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SOURCE World Tea Expo