With more than 31,000 visitors attending at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) 2025 delivered an electrifying experience. More than 130 exhibitors showcased their products and skills, while an expanded program of talks, panels, and workshops engaged attendees throughout the event.
Siobhan Rocks, general manager Events at Prime Creative Media, praised the turnout.
“We were thrilled with the response to MICE2025. We had put in the hard work to make the event the best yet, but we couldn’t believe just how many people engaged and came through the doors,” she said.
The event benefited from an advisory committee formed ahead of time, comprising leaders from La Marzocco, San Remo, Service Sphere, Single O, Bombora, ST. ALi, Riverina Fresh, and Veneziano Coffee Roasters. This group reviewed past events and made recommendations to boost value for exhibitors and attendees. One of the committee’s best ideas was the Roasters Playground, supported by La Marzocco and Riverina Fresh. The Playground featured a rotating lineup of Australia’s finest roasters, offering coffee tastings, competitions, and lively coffee conversations across the three days.
“We knew that getting a variety of roasters to MICE was the key to a successful event and the Roasters Playground exceeded our expectations,” said Rocks. “It was by far the busiest area of the show floor – the coffee was flowing and the vibes were high.”
Sponsors played a crucial role, notably MILKLAB, the Australian-owned barista milk company. MILKLAB has been a significant MICE supporter for eight years, bringing immersive activations and crowd-pleasing offerings.
“MICE2025 was an incredible experience overall – packed with unforgettable moments. One of our highlights was definitely our strawberry matcha drinks. At some points, there was a 45-minute queue which was unbelievable – we certainly didn’t expect that – but becoming a crowd favourite was pretty exciting,” said Sheridan Smith, MILKLAB marketing coordinator, highlighting some of the successes.
MILKLAB’s stand featured a chequered dance floor and DJ booth, creating an energetic atmosphere. It also hosted the Royale Tasting Experience, pairing Australia’s top roasts with MILKLAB products and offering a daily $500 cash prize.
“The hour-long workshops were super successful and had really great energy,” Smith said. “The passion and talent on display overall at MICE was a really cool thing to witness. I think this year’s atmosphere was absolutely electric.”
MILKLAB’s latte art showdowns drew large crowds, with baristas pushing creativity and technique to new heights.
“Our baristas really push the boundaries on technique and creativity, and it was so entertaining to watch,” said Smith. “The engagement from the audience really proved that.”
Already planning for 2026, MILKLAB aims to raise the bar further.
“We always try to push the limits of creativity and connection in the coffee industry. Stay tuned for next year, it’s an exciting time for the future of coffee,” Smith said.
Sustainability was a strong focus at MICE2025, with Huskee partnering to introduce the Huskee Borrow cup system, reducing single-use waste by encouraging exhibitors to serve coffee in reusable cups.
Michael McFarlane, head of sales and marketing at Huskee, reflected on the achievement.
“We’re really proud of what we achieved this year,” he said. “Delivering reusable cups at that scale for a coffee event is amazing. To my understanding it’s certainly an Australian first, and potentially a world first.”
The scheme prevented an estimated 40,000 single-use cups from going to landfill, with Huskee washing every returned cup.
“We incentivised people to download our app and return their Huskee cups to be eligible for a prize,” McFarlane said. “Our app’s loyalty system rewards users with points each time they reuse. MICE was a fantastic opportunity to trial what motivates people to switch to reusable.”
Huskee also used the event to strengthen ties with the coffee community, sparking conversations about the future of reusable coffee culture.
Riverina Fresh’s Crema di Caffe soft-serve coffee was another standout, drawing queues around the Roasters Playground. Craig Shapiro, executive chairman and CEO of Riverina Fresh and advisory committee member, praised the event’s atmosphere.
“The number one highlight was re-engaging with the coffee roaster community. The Roasters Playground really helped with that,” he said.
He described MICE as “an incredibly buzzy atmosphere across the three days,” with strong retail and trade attendance contributing to excitement and curiosity.
Looking forward, Shapiro hopes the Roasters Playground will be centrally located at MICE2026, “because at its core, that is what the event should always be about”.
Riverina Fresh remains committed to the specialty coffee sector and looks forward to future participation.
Following the success of MICE2025, organisers have confirmed MICE2026 will be held from 26-28 March 2026 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Stands are open for booking via the official MICE website but you must be in quick. Stands are already being snapped up by those who attended the last event with its record crowds.