Now the dust has settled after a record-breaking Melbourne International Coffee Expo in March, the industry reflects on the landmark event and looks forward to MICE2026.
With more than 31,000 attendees filing into the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre over three days, the energy at Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) 2025 was electric.
More than 130 exhibitors put on a thrilling show for attendees, while an extended lineup of educational content built a busy schedule of talks, panel discussions, and hands-on workshops. Queues snaked around the show floor as DJs spun tunes, baristas peacocked their incredible skills, and industry friends caught up over a cracking cup of coffee.
“We were thrilled with the response to MICE2025. We had put in the hard work to make the event the best yet, but we couldn’t believe just how many people engaged and came through the doors,” says Siobhan Rocks, General Manager Events at Prime Creative Media.
In the year running up to the event, Siobhan and the MICE organisers assembled an advisory committee of industry leaders to ensure the event continues to serve the needs of the international coffee community. The group, which included representatives from La Marzocco, San Remo, Service Sphere, Single O, Bombora, ST. ALi, Riverina Fresh, and Veneziano Coffee Roasters, provided feedback on previous events and put forward suggestions to make the expo bigger, better, and more valuable for exhibitors and attendees.
One of the most successful ideas to come out of the committee was the introduction of the Roasters Playground, supported by La Marazocco and Riverina Fresh, which saw a rolling roster of some of Australia’s best roasters slinging shots, hosting competitions, chatting coffee, and more across the three days.
“We knew that getting a wide variety of roasters to MICE was the key to a successful event and the Roasters Playground exceeded our expectations,” says Siobhan.
“It was amazing to see attendees exploring the Playground, popping to different stands to experience all the incredible coffees on offer. It was by far the busiest area of the show floor – the coffee was flowing and the vibes were high.”
Of course, putting on a show like MICE couldn’t be possible without the support of incredible sponsors. Australian-owned barista milk company MILKLAB has been a huge part of the event for the past eight years and is known for putting on some of the best and most immersive activations for attendees.
“MICE2025 was an incredible experience overall – it was packed with unforgettable moments,” says Sheridan Smith, MILKLAB Marketing Coordinator.
“One of our highlights was definitely our strawberry matcha drinks. At some points, there was a 45-minute queue which was unbelievable – we certainly didn’t expect that – but becoming a crowd favourite was pretty exciting.”
As part of its sprawling stand that included a chequered dance floor and DJ booth, MILKLAB also put on a Royale Tasting Experience, which gave attendees the opportunity to sample some of Australia’s top roasters paired with MILKLAB products. Attendees had even more reason to get stuck in and put their best foot forward with a daily $500 cash prize.
“The hour-long workshops were super successful and had really great energy,” says Sheridan.
“The passion and talent on display overall at MICE was a really cool thing to witness. I think this year’s atmosphere was absolutely electric.”
The MILKAB roaster experience drew crowds of curious coffee lovers who wanted to sample unique Australian coffees in different formats.
“Our latte art showdowns are always fan favourites. Our baristas really push the boundaries on technique and creativity, and it was so entertaining to watch,” she says.
“The baristas turned it into a must-see performance and the engagement from the audience really proved that.”
As part of its café community ethos, the MILKLAB team ensured they kept the crowd energised and excited throughout the three days of the event.
“We tried to make sure we had an energetic lineup of live DJ sets to keep the atmosphere really vibrant. We tried to incorporate that throughout the whole MICE experience where we could,” says Sheridan.
“I think the MICE team and the organisers have done a phenomenal job this year, it’s been really encouraging for the exhibitors and sponsors.”
For 2026, MILKLAB is already brewing up some exciting ideas to bring even more energy to MICE.
“We are buzzing with ideas for MICE2026. We always try to raise the bar every year, committed to pushing the limits of creativity and connection in the coffee industry,” she says. “Stay tuned for next year, it’s an exciting time for the future of coffee.”
Another company that made a big impact at MICE2025 was Huskee, which teamed up with the event organisers to reduce the environmental impact of the show. Exhibitors were encouraged to serve coffee in Huskee Borrow cups that could be deposited in bins to be washed and reused.
Michael McFarlane, Head of Sales and Marketing at Huskee, says the success of the project was a result of a true collaboration between MICE and Huskee.
“We’re really proud of what we achieved this year,” says Michael. “The fact we delivered reusable cups at that scale for a coffee event is amazing. To my understanding it’s certainly an Australian first, and potentially a world first.”
The scheme is estimated to have saved about 40,000 single-use cups from going into landfill over the course of the event, with the Huskee team washing every vessel.
“We incentivised people to download our app and then return their Huskee cups to be eligible for a prize,” says Michael.
“We have a loyalty system in our app through which users earn points every time they reuse. MICE was a fantastic opportunity to trial the system to discover what really incentivises people to make the change to reusable.”
As well as soft launching the new Borrow scheme, the Huskee team used MICE as an opportunity to build on its relationships with the Australian coffee community.
“It was great to connect with different people across the industry – from coffee roasters to café owners – and speak to them about what a reusable future can look like,” says Michael.
“We started some great conversations about our cups, app, and smart bin too.”
Returning for 2026, Huskee is focussed on the large scale, behind-the-scenes operation of cleaning the reusable cups.
“Essentially, the challenges we experienced in turning around the cleaning of the cups leave us excited for next year,” he says. “We are now clear on how we can come back bigger and better.”
One of the most popular products available to sample throughout the event was the Crema di Caffe at the Riverina Fresh Milk Bar. The soft-serve coffee treat from the Riverina team was a huge hit, with queues for a cup trailing around the Roasters Playground.
Riverina Fresh Executive Chairman and CEO Craig Shapiro, a member of the advisory committee, was thrilled to see the success of the Crema di Caffe and the new Roasters Playground area.
“For Riverina Fresh, the number one highlight was the re-engagement with the coffee roaster community,” says Craig. “The Roasters Playground really helped with that.
“It was an incredibly buzzy atmosphere across the three days. Having retail and trade visitors every day of the event definitely added to the atmosphere. There were people everywhere and there was so much interest, curiosity, and excitement from everyone who attended.”
Pleased with the outcome of this year’s event, the team at Riverina Fresh are excited for the future of the show.
“We were really happy with how we engaged this year at MICE. The novelty of having the Crema di Caffe on our stand is something we will definitely implement again next year. It worked a treat,” says Craig.
“In 2026, I would love to see the Roasters Playground positioned in the middle of the event with all paths leading to the roasters. At its core, that is what the event should always be about.
“Riverina Fresh has been a long-standing partner of the specialty coffee industry and our commitment to the sector is as strong as ever. We look forward to MICE2026.”
Following the success of MICE2025, organisers have announced MICE2026 will take place from 26 to 28 March 2026 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Stands are available to book now, interested parties can find details on the MICE website.
For more information, visit internationalcoffeeexpo.com
This article appears in the June 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
