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The 2024 edition of the Melbourne International Coffee Expo will include a new presentation series to further educate the Australian café community on topics that matter.
Life is busy, but when making a decision to attend the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) as a café owner, planning is required: the day or hours to attend, staff to cover shifts, and in some cases accommodation, transportation fees, ticket expenses, the list goes on. At MICE, we understand and appreciate the level of effort required to attend the largest dedicated coffee tradeshow in the Southern Hemisphere, and thank you for your support. It’s for this reason that we want to make the expo more attractive than ever.
Sure, we could pitch you the spiel that it’s a one-stop-shop to obtain all the necessary industry connections to set your business up for success; from machine and dairy suppliers to green bean traders, and ancillary equipment. We could pitch that it will be the biggest and best annual catch up with industry buddies, but that’s already a given. We want MICE to be more. More about you, more about your profession as a barista, and your business as a café owner- operator. As such, the 11th edition of MICE, taking place from 12 to 14 May, is proud to announce it will be hosting a series of educational sessions that will take place on the show floor to target the café market.
“We want this series to speak directly to café operators about the information that matters to you. Want to know practical information on how to manage staff rosters, create leadership positions in the workplace, or simply to better track accounting documents and invoices? Want to understand what biosecurity laws are in place to import your own green beans, or how to take the next step from café owner to roaster? Want to learn how to market your product better, manage your social media without stress, or connect to your audience in new ways? These are the sorts of discussion topics we think matters, and want to help facilitate at MICE2024,” says MICE Show Director Lauren Chartres.
“MICE matters, but so do you, and as an expo entering into its 11th edition, we want to make every concerted effort to know that your visit will deliver more than a free coffee.”
The series will take place each day of the expo, with hour-long sessions taking place in the morning and afternoon. In each presentation, a panel of guest speakers with the guidance of a moderator will dissect one key topic pertaining to the coffee industry, with attendees of the expo welcome to follow along and ask questions to the panel.
“The key is to open things up for discussion, which isn’t something you can get when it’s just one person giving an address to the crowd,” Lauren says.
“This is about the sharing of information and the transfer of knowledge for everyone to not only survive, but thrive in this testing economic time for small business operators.”
One discussion topic will analyse how to create an efficient workflow, featuring speakers from the café and restaurant sectors to educate attendees on tips to pump out high volumes of coffee.
“It’ll be an in-depth look at the importance of workflow and how to create an efficient set-up while remaining consistent when it comes to making coffee,” says Lauren. “For those Australian cafés looking to grow even further, this should be an eye- opening discussion.”
Also on the menu is a panel discussion featuring advice on how to properly clean and maintain coffee equipment.
“If a café has dirty equipment, it’s a clear indication that it never gets cleaned, other that at a six-month preventative maintenance appointment. This comes down to a lack of confidence and knowledge from baristas about the equipment. It’s always good to be able to self-diagnose a problem, especially during peak periods, and we want to provide MICE attendees with this confidence,” says Lauren.
Another presentation will explore the best ways to grow a café business with multiple locations. Small-scale café owners can learn how to go from one or two venues to a dozen, even across state borders.
“Growing a business can be difficult, so we’ll be looking to get some of Australia’s success stories to come share their secrets of expansion,” Lauren says.
The fourth presentation will invite speakers to talk about managing café waste, such as milk and coffee grinds; what to do with it, how to utilise it sustainably, and how to reduce unnecessary waste.
“Each presentation will have practical and useful advice that café owners can use to grow their businesses,” Lauren says.
“We’re proud to be including this series into our next edition. We’re always looking to evolve MICE in a way that can benefit and grow the industry we serve.”
The presentation series will not be broadcasted online, meaning anyone interested in attending the educational series will have the fee included in the price of a MICE ticket.
The talks will also be hosted on-site with no need to go anywhere other than the floor space of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
“Australia has a really engaged coffee market, and we’re looking forward to giving them something new this year,” Lauren says.
To get involved with the education series or buy a ticket, visit internationalcoffeeexpo.com
This article appears in the February 2024 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
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