With border restrictions finally easing, MICE2022 will fill the Australian and international coffee industry’s desire to meet face to face again.
It’s been almost three years since the entire Australian coffee industry last gathered under the one roof at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo in (MICE) 2019.
Since early 2020, the national community has been kept apart by tight border restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, they’ve also limited people’s ability to connect and do business in person.
“State borders are finally easing after two years, and MICE2022 will be our chance to come together as an Australian coffee industry,” says MICE2022 Show Director Lauren Winterbottom.
“The past couple of years have been really tough for hospitality, with restrictions and uncertainty coming and going, and MICE is here to support those businesses to get back to it, make big sales, and network.”
Western and South Australia in particular have been shut off from the east coast. Josephine McKay-Engdahl, Director of the WA-based Moccamaster Australia, says the easing of border restrictions will make it easier to meet with customers they have not seen for a long time.
“There will be more of a sense of connection – nothing takes the place of meeting and communicating with people in person,” she says.
“It will be really good to be in Melbourne and it will be great to be involved at MICE2022 to showcase our products and to connect with our customers and friends in the coffee industry.”
At the event, taking place from 27 to 30 September, Moccamaster will use the opportunity to see old and new customers, showcase different models and some new Moccamaster products, and further spread the word about Moccamaster and filter coffee.
“For the wider industry it will be a forum for renewed connections, much needed confidence and the reality that there will be new ways of doing business post-COVID,” Josephine says.
“The event greatly contributes to the community aspect of the industry as it is nationally recognised where a large majority of players in the coffee industry meet – this adds to the community vibe.”
MICE2022 will also play host to the 2022 World Barista Championship (WBC) and World Brewers Cup, drawing an additional layer of international attention.
For the past two years, Australians have not only been shut off to each other, but to the rest of the world. For the SA-based Cafetto, reopened borders will mean a chance to reconnect across the globe.
“[Travel restrictions have] created a thirst to stay connected and meet in person that Zoom or Teams cannot replace totally. It’s created more awareness that tradeshows or events are very meaningful to stay in touch with customers, new products, and market trends,” says Christine Song, General Manager of Cafetto.
“As Australians could not travel at all up to this point, MICE will be a place where we get to meet and connect again to keep our business relationships going. Finally, we get to meet people, and another WBC in Australia is exciting.”
Cafetto has already begun planning what it will present at MICE2022, with a focus on its Organic range, market leading position, and steps it has taken towards sustainability.
“I hope the year 2022 will be a better one, with us being able to meet people from all over the world at different tradeshows and an improved situation with shipping so we can offer better service to our customers,” Christine says.
Lauren says MICE2022 is already receiving strong interest from the both the Australian and global coffee community, with exhibition space quickly running out.
“The next MICE has been a long time coming, but it’s going to be worth the wait,” she says.
Limited exhibition space is still available for MICE2022. For more information visit internationalcoffeeexpo.com or contact internationalcoffeeexpo@primecreative.com.au
This article appears in the December 2021 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.