It’s not long before the Melbourne Showgrounds is transformed into its very own coffee wonderland. Under the big top, this year’s Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE2015) will host a star-studded line-up of exhibitors and attractions, promising something for everyone.
“There are just two weeks to go until Melbourne hosts the fourth annual MICE event. It has emerged as one of the world’s leading coffee expos. We’re ready and eager to highlight again why Melbourne has some of the best coffee in the world,” says MICE Show Director Simon Coburn.
For the total experience
The Grand Pavilion will transform into a coffee-hub with plenty of blends on offer to sample, lots of exciting coffees to cup, new gadgets to explore, and brewing methods to play with.
This year’s event will host an exciting list of coffee roasters, green bean traders, machine manufacturers, and coffee equipment suppliers.
Visitors will engage with exhibitors in free workshops at various stands, one-on-one demonstrations from Melbourne’s best baristas at the Brew Bar, and taste world-class specialty coffee, tea, and treats from over 100 exhibitors.
For the thrill seeker
To experience the electric atmosphere of a coffee competition, visitors shouldn’t miss the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA)’s National Coffee Championships. State barista winners from across the country will travel to Melbourne to try to take home the prestigious national titles.
In front of a crowd of supporters, ASCA will host the Australian Latte Art Championship, the Cup Tasting Championship and Brewers Cup. The winners of these competitions will fly to Gothenburg, Sweden to represent Australia on the world stage.
The stakes will be even higher in the Australian Barista Championship, the most coveted title in the coffee competition space. This year’s national winner will head to Seattle, United States in June to compete in the World Barista Championship.
For the origin experience
For the last 13 years, Sustainable Harvest has hosted its annual Let’s Talk Relationship Coffee event in a coffee producing country. Now, for the first time, Let’s Talk Relationship Coffee is coming to a primarily consuming country with its Australian debut. The event will take place from 12 – 14 March in conjunction with MICE2015.
Let’s Talk Relationship Coffee will link the thriving Australian specialty coffee market to some of the world’s top coffee producers.
Roasters and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to meet and taste coffee from more than 20 coffee growers from all over the world.
Attendees will also be treated to top-tier speakers, both Australian and international, offering their insight on climate change, market volatility, and origin innovations. The event is ticketed separately to MICE. Registrations will be available on-site.
For the food lovers
MICE is pleased to announce that the Melbourne Cake Expo will take place on at the Melbourne Showgrounds during the weekend of MICE. Visitors to MICE can step over to the RASV Centre to see how professional bakers create their delicious masterpieces.
The Melbourne Cake Expo will have a number of stalls from cake, cupcake and cake equipment businesses, with all the tools of the trade to assist the budding baker.
Professional cake makers will be offering demonstrations to cake lovers, which will include decorating tutorials. MICE has partnered with the Melbourne Cake Expo to offer visitors a one-day pass to both shows for just $30.
If you’re still hungry, MICE visitors can head to the revamped Outdoor Food Village for a plethora of food trucks to choose from. Hammer & Tong, Sliders on Tyres, OoOdleLishious and Crepes Cart will offer a range of delicious treats, which include soft shell crab burgers, potato waffle fries and Vietnamese street food.
The MICE2015 grassy Outdoor Food Village will be between the Grand Pavilion and Building 8.
For the award-winners and party-goers
From 3 – 6 March elite judges will be busy assessing Australia and New Zealand’s top-roasted coffees for the Australian International Coffee Awards (AICA).
Run by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV), the AICA is Australia’s preeminent international coffee roasting competition. In 2014, the competition attracted more than 800 entries from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, and awarded a total of 170 medals.
The AICA winners will be announced as part of the MICE2015 ‘“A Mice Night Out” cocktail evening on 12 March. The stand up cocktail affair will also give the industry an opportunity to come together, enjoy an evening of networking, fantastic food, drinks, and music.
Tickets are still on sale for A Mice Night Out, taking place at Celebrity Chef and MasterChef host Gary Mehigan’s restaurant 64 Sutton Street, North Melbourne. Visit www.internationalcoffeeexpo.com to purchase tickets, or email Hannah.Ryan@cogadvertising.com.au
For the student-at-heart
The SCAA will host a range of accredited industry training courses throughout MICE2015. These courses will provide coffee professionals with the world’s most recognised coffee development opportunities.
About Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE2015)
The Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) is Australia’s largest trade and consumer-dedicated coffee show in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 2014, the event welcomed more than 9600 visitors and 150 exhibitors from more than 46 countries. MICE2015 will take place from 13 – 15 March 2015 at the Melbourne Showgrounds.
For more information visit www.internationalcoffeeexpo.com.
Follow MICE on Twitter @MelbCoffeeExpo #MICE2015 and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelbCoffeeExpo.
