Following a record-breaking event in 2025, Melbourne International Coffee Expo is gearing up for even more industry fun in 2026. BeanScene got an exclusive early peek at what organisers have planned for the next edition.
The organisers behind Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) and the advisory board of industry professionals that assist them aren’t the kind to rest on their laurels.
While in 2025 they may have pulled off their most successful event yet – tripling attendee numbers and hosting more roaster exhibitors than ever before – from the second the doors of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) closed on 22 March the team were masterminding how they could make the next edition even better.
“We were thrilled with the response to MICE2025. It was fantastic to see so many people from the international coffee community convening in Melbourne to do business, share knowledge, discover new innovations, and catch up with friends,” says Siobhan Rocks, General Manager Events at Prime Creative Media.
“While we hit many incredible milestones, the team were constantly keeping track of which elements were particularly popular and what could be improved for the next edition. MICE is an event for the coffee community by the coffee community, so we endeavour to host a show that’s valuable to everyone who takes part.”
Take a trip to origin
One of the highlights of MICE2025 was having strong representation from many of the world’s coffee origin hotspots. From Nepal to Ecuador, Indonesia to Guatemala, delegates from producing countries introduced visitors to some of their most prized beans, shared insights into their traditional farming practices, and revealed innovations in the sustainability sector.
These unique opportunities to meet producers and key people championing production hubs has long been celebrated at MICE. On the back of the success of the origin activations at MICE2025, Siobhan says it will become an even bigger focus at next year’s event to continue to bridge the gap in consumer education of crop to cup.
“We’re excited to announce the introduction of a new MICE feature called Trip to Origin. This designated area will celebrate the very first step in the coffee value chain: our coffee farms and farmers. We want to invite our visitors to explore origin without having to travel thousands of kilometres outside of Australia,” she says.
Cristian Figueroa, Counsellor for the Embassy of El Salvador, was one of the delegates at MICE2025 who embraced making new connections with members of the Australian and New Zealand coffee communities. In the past few years, El Salvador has moved away from the commodity market and towards the specialty segment, a change that has been strongly supported by the local government.
“Now we are trying to organise international coffee trade missions to build a real brand identity around Café El Salvador, which is the brand we are promoting,” he says.
“MICE gave us a global stage to tell our story, meet potential partners, and learn from some of the best operators in the business. It’s a convention where innovation meets tradition, it’s something that is familiar to everyone but there are a lot of new and exciting things in the industry. For small producers like El Salvador, it’s a place where we can shine and connect with the broader coffee community.”
The new Trip to Origin segment for 2026 will be an educational hub demonstrating different processing methods, varietals, and coffee innovation at ground level. The space will also invite coffee lovers and consumers to better understand the coffee value chain through invitational speaking positions and seminars from Australian and international representatives.
“Education and consumer connection with farmers has long been a goal for many coffee roasters, and is as important as ever to celebrate,” says Siobhan.
“Having a better understanding of the production process and ongoing challenges facing our aging population of farmers is crucial to the wider Australian community understanding the industry’s justification for higher coffee cup prices. It is this shared knowledge that can really help bridge that lack of connection, empower coffee drinkers to value the beans in their daily cup, and appreciate this incredible profession.”
Return of the Roasters Playground
Another major factor behind MICE2025’s rip-roaring success was the addition of the Roasters Playground, supported by La Marzocco and Riverina Fresh. The marketplace-like space at the heart of the tradeshow featured a rolling lineup of roasters that brewed their favourite beans, hosted competitions to win merch, and chatted all things coffee with attendees.
A total of 40 roasters from across Australia appeared for a half-day stint, reflecting the wide variety of coffee companies and their respective roasting styles.
Craig Shapiro, CEO of long-standing MICE partner Riverina Fresh and member of the advisory committee, was delighted with the success of the new activation.
“For Riverina Fresh, the number one highlight was the re-engagement with the coffee roaster community. The Roasters Playground really helped with that,” he says.
“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.”
Organisers have already confirmed the Roasters Playground will return in 2026, with the ambition to showcase even more of Australia and New Zealand’s talented roasters. Spots within the Roasters Playground sold out for MICE2025, so the extension of event hours for 2026 will enable even more coffee businesses to take part as well as giving café owners and team members the ability to visit after standard opening hours.
“We want to give even more roasters the opportunity to connect with the coffee community and showcase their brands to a global audience. Thanks to sponsors such as Riverina Fresh, the Roasters Playground format introduces an affordable platform for small businesses to exhibit at a major international tradeshow without seriously denting their marketing budget for the year,” says Siobhan.
Fieldwork Coffee in Fitzroy North was one of the roasters to take part in the inaugural Playground. Founder and CEO Tim Williams says one of the highlights was the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with their customers.
“It was great to be part of the first Roasters Playground at MICE2025. We had some thoughtful conversations with people genuinely curious about what we do at Fieldwork – sourcing in-season, washed process coffees, and roasting them light to let their character shine,” he says.
“It was encouraging to see such a strong interest in transparency, flavour, and intentional sourcing. We’d be glad to take part again.”
Even more tech innovations
With international hospitality tradeshow Host Milano taking place in Italy at the end of 2025, a wave of new tech and equipment innovations are expected to land on Australian shores in the new year – just in time for MICE2026.
The biannual hospitality, restaurant, and catering event is where many international manufacturers introduce new models, and Australia’s distributors are already making big plans to launch the new releases at MICE. As such, organisers have dedicated even more space on the show floor to showcase café machinery and technology.
As a long-standing supporter of the event, Coffee Works Express (CWE) is one of the major distributors increasing its presence at MICE2026. Natalie Kollar, Marketing and Brand Manager, says the triumph of the 2025 event has inspired the team to expand its stand next year.
“The energy at MICE2025 was incredible. All the added value, such as the talks, the extended education program, and the Roasters Playground, created a great atmosphere and attendees were really engaged. We felt like we could properly connect with our customers,” says Natalie.
“We partner with a lot of brands and our aim at MICE is to give each one maximum exposure. For the past few years, we’ve had an open stand, which gives attendees 360-degree access to the equipment and our team. This year, Mazzer had launched a few new grinders, so there was a lot of buzz around them, as well as the Steam Single from Slayer and new machines from Wega and Astoria.”
With many of CWE’s partner brands expected to release new machinery and technology at Host Milano, Natalie hopes there will be some exciting launches making their debut on the CWE’s stand at MICE2026.
“We’re shaking up our stand format for 2026. I can’t say too much about it, but we’re really excited to reveal what we have planned for the event,” she says.
“Our distribution partnerships are extremely important to us and we’re very loyal to the brands we work with, so we’re investing in an even bigger stand to be able to showcase each brand in their full capacity in what we’re hoping will be a year of significant product launches.”
With 2025 marking the first year the event partnered with the Restaurant & Catering Association, attendees reflected a broader range of the Australian and international hospitality industry. As such, prominence of exhibitors and educational content covering the quick service restaurant (QSR) sector increased, something that’s set to be built on at MICE2026.
“We know coffee is critical to café operations, and increasingly important to restaurants and other hospitality venues looking to ensure their offering is top tier,” says Siobhan.
“MICE is an event for anyone in hospitality to broaden their coffee knowledge and form new partnerships that will help them provide the quality coffee offering that consumers search for. We’re excited to welcome more QSR-aligned brands to MICE2026 as innovation in this sector continues to grow at rapid pace.”
For information on how you can get involved in MICE2026, visit
internationalcoffeeexpo.com
This article appears in the August 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
