Australia’s largest dedicated coffee event will take place in one week’s time, with an abundance of exciting new features set to take the country’s superior event to new heights.
Australia’s favourite coffee event, the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), will open its doors from 30 March to 1 April 2017.
Each year thousands of industry members and coffee lovers make their way to the country’s coffee capital to touch, taste, try, and buy at MICE, which houses around 120 exhibitors in the Grand Pavilion at the Melbourne Showgrounds.
Heading towards its sixth year, Event Organisers are excited to announce a number of new features that will drive MICE into the next tier of world-class coffee trade shows, and one of Asia Pacific’s largest coffee events. They include:
• All Australian Coffee Championship events under the one roof
The Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) will host the country’s most preeminent coffee competitions in the Grand Pavilion. They include the Australia Barista Championship, Australia Latte Art Championship, Australia Brewers Cup, Australia Cup Tasting Championship, and Australia Coffee Roasting Championship. The prestigious events attract regional barista winners from across the country, vying for the top position and trophy. The winner of each event will go on to represent Australia on the world stage in their respective events.
Next year’s National Barista Champion will head to Seoul, South Korea to compete in the World Barista Championship (WBC) from 9 – 12 November 2017. All other national winners will compete in Budapest, Hungary from 13 – 15 June.
In 2015, Canberra-based barista Sasa Sestic of Ona Coffee won the Australian Barista Championship then went on to beat almost 50 countries in Seattle, United States to claim the WBC title, the most coveted of all coffee competition titles. In the same year, Melbourne-based barista Caleb Cha won the World Latte Art Championship. With an honour roll of champions, all eyes will be on the competition stage at MICE2017 to see who will become our next national contender for the world titles.
• Mr Black Espresso Martini Bar
n The coffee industry’s drink of choice after dark is the Espresso Martini. What better way to celebrate the caffeinated cocktail than an entire bar dedicated to the craft, thanks to Mr Black.
• Melbourne Coffee Week
n In addition to hosting five coffee championships, the expo will see the return of favourite including Melbourne Coffee Week, back bigger and better than ever. The coffee industry’s answer to Good Beer Week, coffee businesses around Melbourne will be organising bespoke events from cuppings, to roasting workshops, to culinary experiences. The ambitious week is about raising awareness and appreciation of the city’s fine specialty coffee industry.
• Facts and figures
n MICE is known throughout the Asia Pacific as the largest and most exciting dedicated coffee event. Almost 10,000 café owners, roasters, baristas, equipment manufacturers, and service providers from more than 35 countries flock to this event annually in what has become the must-attend event for the industry.
For more information visit www.internationalcoffeeexpo.com
