DiGiTiTiON FAQ’s

FAQs

IN 2 SENTENCES, WHAT IS THE DiGiTiTiON?

It is a 100% FREE socially-distanced competition for marginalized competitors to find community through a creative coffee competition. Competitors, called DiGi-Cats, will receive a competition toolkit containing all necessary supplies to compete along with a small stipend for ingredients.

WHAT SPECIALTIES CAN I COMPETE IN?

Within the DiGiTiTiON there are six (6) separate competitions:

Barista * Brewers * Roasters * Coffee & Booze * Tasters * Latte Art

Applicants will only be selected for one (1) competition and can apply for as many as they would like. We recommend applying for no-more-than two (2)!

IS IT REALLY FREE? DO I NEED TO HAVE A GRINDER OR ESPRESSO MACHINE?

It is really 100% free! Thanks to our sponsors, there is no registration fee and you will be mailed a complete competition toolkit full of supplies needed to compete. DiGi-CaTs also receive a stipend for ingredients and materials. For example…Baristas and Latte Art competitors will receive an espresso machine and espresso grinder (these do need to be returned!)

You do need to have a United States shipping address to receive and send equipment and packages. All shipping costs will be covered by our sponsors and we will schedule pick-ups for the equipment so you don’t even need to be near a post office or have transportation.

WHEN IS THE APPLICATION PERIOD?

September 1-18, 2020. The application is a series of short answer questions and a 30-90 second video recording. Don’t worry! We know 99% of us aren’t video editors, you’re not judged on video quality, just if you get your message and personality across to us (remember! being quiet or loud reserved or flamboyant are all personality traits!)

HOW MANY PEOPLE GET TO COMPETE?

Our selection committee will pick 6 finalists for each of the 6 disciplines, for a grand total of 36 competitors across all six competition.

We’ve created a SELECTION COMMITTEE RUBRIC to help guide you through the application process.

We will make any accommodation to the make the applications and competition more accessible. Please e-mail T. Ben (tben@glittercatbarista.com) or text/call 1+215.970.4192 to make an accessibility and/or accommodation request.

WHO CAN COMPETE IN THE DiGiTiTiON?

This competition series is specifically for marginalized coffee professionals. Including but not limited to BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent, LGBTQIAP+, and people of marginalized genders.

Judges panels will be entirely composed of BIPOC folx and calibration and unconscious bias training will be mandatory for all participants.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE DiGiTiTiON?

THE DiGiTiTiON is here to show the world that when marginalized folx take up spaces, we see more beautiful, more creative, and more fabulous… well, everything.

We will also make a series of recommendations for the Specialty Coffee Association and U.S. Coffee Championships on how to make their events more accessible and welcoming to people of all backgrounds.

I’M INTERESTED! WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EACH COMPETITION?

Check out the APPLY NOW page on our website and head over to Instagram where our highlights reel will have condensed information on each of the competitions starting September 8th. Part of the magic is not knowing what to expect, and we also know that information can be pretty dang powerful.

I DON’T KNOW HOW TO COMPETE OR MAKE A PRESENTATION OR PLAY AROUND WITH BREWING RECIPES. I’M INTIMIDATED.

That’s the beauty in being a Glitter Cat! There is an incredible group of instructors WAITING to mentor and guide you through the process. Being a part of the DiGiTiTiON means you’ll get free online training courses and be paired up with past Glitter Cats as mentors!

I DUNNO, I’M KIND OF NERVOUS OR SCARED OR DON’T FEEL LIKE I BELONG….

Do any of us really belong? YES! Every single one of us deserves a platform and deserve to be recognized. Please, if you have even considered applying, DO IT! We want to see your application, we want to have you a part of the team, and we want to see how you use these resources to continue to build special and unique communities.