PRF El Salvador 2026 Forecasts Record Attendance, Competitions and Packaging Showcase

Producer & Roaster Forum (PRF) El Salvador will return to the Hilton San Salvador for its 11th edition on March 26–27, 2026, and organisers and trade outlets are predicting the largest roaster turnout yet. Perfect Daily Grind cites expectations of “over 4,200 visitors” and “more than 500 green buyers and international roasters,” and projects US$15.7 million in business sales; a PRF LinkedIn post likewise states organisers anticipate “more than 500 international roasters … alongside thousands of producers, exporters, and industry leaders,” while Comunicaffe puts the event at “more than 4,200 attendees and 350 international buyers,” also repeating the US$15.7 million estimate. Andrea Melo‑Leon, COO of PRF, said, “This year’s edition will attract the largest number of roaster attendees ever.”

The forum’s programme will pair a wide slate of competitions with panels and matchmakings on the show floor. A LinkedIn announcement lists PRF Voices, the Global Roasting Contest sponsored by Cropster, the Cold Brew Coffee Championship sponsored by Toddy LLC, the Soil of Excellence competition sponsored by BELCO, and the Global Cupping Championship sponsored by PDG Media. Comunicaffe additionally names the Cacao Master Cup among the contests. PRF will also host the Global Coffee Awards World Championship alongside the PRF Annual Dinner, where this year’s world champions will be announced. MTPak Coffee is sponsoring the World’s Greatest Coffee Packaging competition, and LinkedIn notes that “applications close on 20 February.”

PRF will again combine in‑forum sales with origin sourcing. The Sourcing Trip Experience runs March 22–25, 2026, and will place roasters with producers across El Salvador’s coffee regions to consolidate relationships and sampling. Mark Zhou, founder of MTPak Coffee, said, “We’re proud to be the Diamond Sponsor of PRF El Salvador, as well as the sponsor of the Sourcing Trip Experience (STE). Partnering with PRF at such a high level reflects our continued commitment to producers, roasters, and the relationships that support the coffee supply chain.” PDG also reports MTPak has signed a multi‑year Diamond sponsorship deal.

Algrano will run a dedicated Matchmaking Area on March 26–27 with a tightly scheduled agenda aimed at converting meetings into trade. Algrano’s programme features 15‑minute Financing Solutions sessions with partner Fair Capital available March 26 and March 27 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, special sessions for roasters led by MAV Coffee and Finca Terrerito at March 26, 2:00 PM–3:00 PM and March 27, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM, and a core series of 15‑minute 1:1 producer‑roaster meetings to facilitate direct sales and shared shipment solutions. Registration is required for the special sessions and the Matchmaking Area is promoted as the place to set up direct trade and working capital conversations.

Logistics and context remain simple: international and Sourcing Trip Experience tickets are available via PRF’s registration channels, and the PRF timeline shows the forum was founded over a decade ago and has previously been held in Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia and El Salvador. Perfect Daily Grind frames the two‑day forum as a mix of networking, workshops, lectures, cup tastings and business matchmaking aimed at connecting producers and roasters at origin.

When the forum closes on March 27 organisers and attendees will put those projections to the test: packaging winners from the MTPak‑backed contest, the Global Coffee Awards world champions announced at the PRF Annual Dinner, and the success of Algrano’s 15‑minute meetings will be watched closely as measures of whether record roaster attendance and the US$15.7 million sales projection materialise.