Event organisers have revealed the full speaker lineup and schedule for Melbourne International Coffee Expo’s (MICE) series of educational panel discussions.
To be held from 20 to 22 March at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, this year’s event builds on its sold-out panel discussion sessions in 2024 and will feature even more opportunities to learn and pick up new skills.
The free-to-attend Café Owners Education Series, held across all three days, will return with an extended program, covering essential topics such as coffee pricing, staff shortages, menu curation, and navigating social media.
Meanwhile, the Global Coffee Report Breakfast Symposium, scheduled from 20 to 21 March in the mornings before MICE, features a lineup of international speakers covering topics such as global expansion and pricing and supply chain challenges. Tickets for the Global Coffee Report Breakfast Symposium can be purchased here.
See the full schedule below.
GCR Leaders Symposium 2025
Day 1 | 20 March
8.45am – 9.30am | Expansion on a Global Scale
Industry leaders share their stories on doing business overseas, how to approach the international market, the realities no-one talks about, identifying emerging hot spots, and how to build community in a foreign city. Speakers include Expat.Roasters Founder Shae Macnamara, Day For It Hospitality Founder Michael Meates, and Toby’s Estate General Manager Jody Leslie.
9.30am – 10.15am | Changing Coffee Culture: The Megatrends Shaping its Future
Gerd Mueller-Pfeiffer, former Nestlé & Kraft Foods Executive and Founder of International Coffee Consultant, will discuss the rising varieties of coffee culture, where future growth will come from, and whether coffee will be available in 2050.
Day 2 | 21 March
8.45am – 9.30am | Coffee at Scale
Deep-dive into the Australian quick-service sector, discussing the evolution of the foodservice category, growing consumer connection, coffee pricing, and balancing quality versus volume. Discover the coffee commitment and growth plans from some of the industry’s largest brands including McCafé, 7-Eleven and Soul Origin. Speakers are Head of McCafé Jared Chapman, 7-Eleven Product Owner Dispensed Beverages Liam O’Brien, and Soul Origin National Coffee Manager Sam Taylor.
9.45 am – 10.15 am | The Supply Challenges we Face
The roadblocks behind green bean transportation and logistics, the pricing crisis and its impact across the supply chain, and solutions to drive the industry forward – now and into the future. Speakers include Luke Terrey (Condesa Co Lab), Stephen Bannister (Cofi-Com), Angelo Augello (Bean Alliance Group), and Dominic Enthoven (MPC International).
Café Owners Education Series
Day 1 | 20 March
10.45am – 11.30am | The Power of Signature Drinks
This panel session will deep-drive into the profit benefits of menu diversity, and touch on the matcha madness sweeping the country. Speakers include Danni Choy (MONIN), Natalie Latimore (Milklab), and Duy Nguyen and Shy Akter (Osoi).
11.45am – 12.30pm | How to Create the Ultimate Café Menu
Hear from some of the country’s leading café chefs about current menu trends, how to balance price point and customer expectations, maximise menus on a budget, learn when to change a menu, new ingredients on the rise, and whether it’s time for the smashed avo to make a move. Speakers include Garry Rodakis (Sycamore Group), Ben Richardson (Autumn Rooms), and Dave Stewart (Roasting Warehouse).
12.45pm – 1.30pm | The Tipping Point: The Crucial Role of Tech in Empowering the Best Hospitality Operators
Taufiq Khan, Chief Product Officer at Ordermentum, will guide attendees through how to optimise technology for operational efficiency.
1.45pm – 2.30pm | In Conversation with La Marzocco: Coffee Traceability & Sustainability
Making his MICE debut from the United States, Arthur Karuletwa will share his experience of being a product of the Rwanda genocide and educating the world on coffee as a force for good in this intimate one-on-one session.
2.45pm – 3.30pm | How to Position your Business for Success
Wes Lambert, CEO of the Australian Restaurant & Café Association, Business Coach Ray Strongman, and Ben Irvine, Head of Trade Marketing at Seven Miles Coffee, will address the current state of the Australian café landscape, the biggest challenges facing café operators, and how to be a profitable café in today’s challenging landscape.
3.45pm – 4.30pm | How to Optimise Social Media, Customer Experience, and Brand Building
Learn how to use social media as a tool for customer engagement, boost followers, and integrate into your business without stripping hours from your workflow. Speakers include Benjamin Vaughan (Mile End Bagels), Sarah Dore (OneMusic), and Sam Sidney (Milkbar Digital).
Day 2 | 21 March
10.45am – 11.30am | Espresso Economics: Balancing Rising Costs and Consumer Expectations
The cost of coffee has skyrocketed, but where does the responsibility lie to make price increases across the supply chain. We hear from a producer, green bean trader, coffee roasters, and café owner about managing the price crisis and what it means for their business. This is a must-hear conversation on one of the biggest topics impacting the global coffee sector.
Speakers include Coffee Supreme CEO Andrew Low, Sales and Account Manager of Condesa Co Lab Luke Terrey, Business Management Director of Southland Merchants, Andre Selga, Deyvid Oliveira Leandro of DBarbosa Coffee, and Pablo & Rusty’s CEO Abdullah Ramay.
11.45am – 12.30pm | Retention Strategies for Staff and Consumers
Want to employ the right people for your business? Need a plan to maintain retention and staff turnover? This panel will discuss practical hiring tips to overcome staffing challenges in the café environment, and how to connect with customers and turn a one-off visitor into a regular one.
Speakers include Jeremy Regan (Foodco Group), Amelia Hicks (Old Quarter Coffee), Dylan Blackman (Old Quarter Coffee), and George Skell (Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School).
1.15pm – 2.00pm | Sustainable Sips and Ethical Sourcing
The advice every small business owner needs to hear about reusables, renewables, and EPA changes. Speakers include Saxon Wright (Pablo & Rusty’s), Emmett Williams (Flow Power), and Dylan Rowe (Project PARGO).
2.15pm – 3.00pm | In Conversation with La Marzocco: Integrating Coffee into a Premium Brand Experience
This panel will discuss the importance of a leading coffee offering, how the partnership adds value to customers, and how its superior offering is helping the brands succeed on the footy field, and in the property market. Speakers include La Marzocco Australia Managing Director Barry Moore, Sydney Swans Chief Operating Officer Drew Arthurson, and Head of PDS Advisory Alana Hannaford.
Image: Prime Creative Media.
Day 3 | 22 March
10.30am – 11.15am | The Future of Coffee
What does the future of the coffee market look like? What products should we have our eyes on, what will become a market disrupter, and how can we appeal to the next-gen of coffee drinkers. Project Zero Coffee Founder Kirk Pearson and New Ground Founder Connor Nestor explore all.
11.30am – 12.15pm | In Conversation with La Marzocco: Longevity in the Café World with Patricia Coffee Brewers
Bowen Holden and Pip Health from Patricia Coffee explain the key to market longevity, how to achieve workflow at speed, the importance of good design, and how to embrace new technology when the time is right. Experience a conversation with the leaders behind one of Melbourne’s most iconic specialty coffee venues.
1.00pm – 1.45pm | In Conversation with La Marzocco: The Importance of Incorporating Social Responsibility into your Business
Liz Bayrak from StreetSmart, Celeste Norris from Youth Projects, and Hannah Brennan from Scarf explain why it’s important to serve the community beyond coffee orders. Discover how to make a positive impact with minimal effort, where the opportunities lie, and how to engage your café community with important social causes.
2.00pm – 2.45pm | Straight to the Source: 1-on-1 with Coffee Farmers
We consume coffee every day, but have you ever met the producer behind the beans? Join this international panel of producers for an exclusive chat on the realities behind coffee production, challenges facing this livelihood, and how we can support the profession for the longevity of your favourite cup. Speakers include Haiya Zhang the China Manager at ECOM Sustainable Management and Services, and Thainá Afonso de Carvalho, a producer from the Cerrado Mineiro region of Minas Gerais in Brazil.
Secure your ticket to MICE2025 here.
