The Melbourne International Coffee Expo is back – bigger, sharper, and packed with new features, reimagined awards, and an exhibition floor unlike anything you’ve seen before. From 26 to 28 March, here’s your preview of what’s brewing.
The coffee industry can be understood through the journey of a single bean – born in tropical highlands throughout the world, carried across continents, and shaped by the hands, tools, and innovations of countless people.
That global reach is precisely why the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) matters. For three days each year, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre becomes the meeting point for coffee’s entire ecosystem – from origin producers and equipment manufacturers, to café operators and baristas. It’s where connections are forged, ideas are tested, and deals are done. It’s the reason the expo is so popular, with the 2025 event attracting a record 31,000 attendees. It’s also why suppliers ring-fence March as a key time to do business, including big names like Breville, La Marzocco, and MILKLAB (Platinum Sponsors), as well as T2, Grounded Packaging, Riverina Fresh, and Venus Packaging (Gold Sponsors).
Touching every corner of the coffee market, MICE is also backed by StreetSmart’s CafeSmart and leading associations, including the Australian Specialty Coffee Association, Australian Grown Coffee Association, New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association, Reground, and Restaurant & Catering Australia, bringing together the partners, platforms, and people driving the future of coffee and hospitality, all under one roof.
In an era of fluctuating green bean prices and shipping volatility, the 140-plus exhibitor trade expo allows roasters and café owners to secure direct-trade contracts that encourage growth and ensure long-term resilience in the industry.
Across the expo floor, ticket holders can engage directly with roasters, machine manufacturers, grinders, milk, and ingredient suppliers. For cafés planning upgrades or venues thinking ahead, this face-to-face access turns curiosity into confident and informed business decisions.
“It’s a more complete trade floor this year – the whole café ecosystem is being represented beyond coffee machines and beans,” says Prime Creative Media General Manager – Events Siobhan Rocks, noting attendees can expect to see more companies operating in the technology space, with automation and front-of-house systems high on the agendas of café owners.
“Automated order-taking and similar tech is extremely beneficial for hospitality, allowing staff to be more present with customers,” she adds.
“We’re also seeing growth in complementary categories. Even though it’s a coffee show, there will be a stronger presence of tea, food products, and other items you’d find inside cafés.”
Siobhan says there are two key factors that have bolstered MICE numbers and engagement in recent years. The first is a warmer embrace of a consumer audience.
“Even though the focus of MICE is B2B, we deliberately welcomed more consumers because the more educated they are, the better it is for the industry,” Siobhan says.
“They influence what baristas seek out of beans, and it helps with that education around charging higher prices for coffee – something that many experts believe is necessary in Australia.”
The second key factor is the Roasters Playground, back by popular demand after a successful debut in 2025. Supported by La Marzocco and Riverina Fresh – with alternative milks supplied by MILKLAB – MICE26 is inviting strong participation from this vital market segment. Café owners can benchmark the latest flavour trends to diversify their menus and capture the evolving consumer demographic.
The 2026 line-up brings together established favourites and new roasters, allowing attendees to taste profiles, talk sourcing, and understand how coffees perform across espresso and milk-based formats – featuring world class roasters such as Single O, ST. ALi, Pablo & Rusty’s, Fonzie Abbott, and Veneziano Coffee Roasters.
This opportunity for connection will continue after-hours with MICE at Night, an inaugural MICE feature that will turn the exhibition floor into an industry party for one night only (Friday 27 March).
Siobhan says the event unlocks greater access to the show for members of the coffee industry.
“Although MICE typically runs across three action-filled days, we have found café owners and operators can sometimes struggle to engage with the show as it falls during peak business times,” she says.
“We know how hard baristas, managers, and café owners work, so MICE at Night will be an opportunity for them to let off steam while they network.”
Around the world in three days
Travelling to coffee origins is a privilege few coffee professionals get to enjoy, but a new feature to MICE26 – Trip to Origin – might be the next best thing to connecting with farmers.
The dedicated exhibitor section will welcome coffee farmers, green bean traders, coffee boards, and embassies from origin hotspots to address the challenges and opportunities coffee growers face, as well as the growing commercial need for transparency throughout the supply chain.
Representatives from Brazil’s specialty coffee scene will appear alongside other origin representatives, including from the Australian Latin American Business Association, the Nepal Coffee Producers Association, and the Coffee Board of India (exhibiting as Coffees of India), with Peru, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea also represented.
It will feature an education stage built for panel discussions and presentations, interactive tasting areas, and opportunities for direct engagement.
“We’re excited about the momentum that’s been building behind this new initiative of MICE26 – and we’re thrilled many of the key origins will be represented,” Siobhan says.
“It’s key chance to pay homage to the labour behind a cup of coffee – not just the barista’s labour, but the planting of crops in far-flung places and everything nature throws at our farmers.”
Knowledge transfer
While café owners will be heading to MICE to consider new equipment, suppliers, and services for their business, they can also update industry knowledge through a comprehensive education program.
The Australian coffee context will come into even sharper focus with the Café Owners Education Series, moderated by BeanScene and Global Coffee Report Publisher Sarah Baker. The event is a rare opportunity for roasters, operators, and industry decision-makers to hear directly from leaders who have successfully navigated the challenges of the industry, and are ultimately flourishing within it.
While the program will focus on the challenges and opportunities for café owners in the domestic Australian scene, attendees will glean plenty of insights that can be applied in overseas markets.
Topics include the fundamentals of modern café business ownership, with attendees hearing from seasoned professionals about their mistakes and triumphs.
Menu diversification and trends will also be debated, covering topics like the cold coffee revolution, matcha movement, coffee’s wellness era, and signature drinks.
“Australian cafés, especially in Melbourne, are considered cultural institutions, and the expectations for flavour, service, and design are some of the highest anywhere in the world,” Sarah says.
“For international visitors, Melbourne offers a real-time snapshot of a mature, highly developed specialty scene – one that continues to shape global trends, from beverage innovation to machine engineering.
The Global Coffee Report (GCR) Leaders Symposium will be the other main feature on the Café Education Stage. Taking place at 8am on Friday 27 March before MICE kicks off for day two, it’ll feature figureheads of some of Australia’s biggest specialty roasters like Coffee Supreme, ST. ALi, Di Pacci Coffee Company, and Nomad Coffee Group that operated Veneziano Coffee roasters.
“We’re excited to welcome some of Australia’s most revered roasters to the GCR Leaders Symposium to share their wealth of knowledge and insights. It’s rare to have four of Australia’s largest company directors and CEOs on the one panel,” she says.
“But that’s only part of the story. Starbucks Australia CEO Braeden Lord will join the symposium for a keynote discussion examining the lessons of Starbucks Australia’s past, the realities behind its current resurgence, and the future of the brand as it looks to grow sustainably within Australia’s world-leading coffee culture.”
Braeden will be joined by Winnie Nawei, Managing Director of Kenangan Coffee Australia, who is leading the brand’s growth as it brings Indonesia’s most loved coffee experience to Australia. Also presenting will be Kate Langford, CEO of the Big Group, Mark McKenzie, CEO of Freedom Fuels, and Martin Nguygen, SSP National Coffee Operations Manager, detailing the expansion of quality coffee into category segments beyond the café.
With the expansive lineup of the GCR Leaders Symposium and Café Owners Education Series, Sarah considers it’s MICE’s most comprehensive and relevant education program to date.
“MICE is where ideas meet practicality,” she says. “It’s where café owners can step back from the day-to-day and see the bigger picture of where the industry is headed, while picking up actionable tips they can implement tomorrow.”
Legacy and leadership
Alongside opportunities for networking and education, MICE will feature the return of the Coffee Industry Heroes Awards, sponsored by FoodPEEPS, aimed to recognise the personalities leaving their mark when it comes to craft, industry, and the people around them.
Featured categories include the Community Champion, Lifetime Achievement, Next-Gen Talent, Sustainability Champion, Coffee Educator, Best New Café, and Home Grown Hero.
“We’re putting people who are in the industry in the middle and shining a light on the incredible work they’re doing to move the industry forward,” says Siobhan.
“It rounds off one of the most comprehensive MICE programs to date. From coffee origin, coffee roasting, and new technology, to building new business connections, education – MICE26 has the entire industry covered. The atmosphere is always electric, and we can’t wait to see you there.”
This article features in the MICE 2026 Showguide: A coffee lover’s guidebook. Pick up your copy of the showguide at MICE.
