The Café Owners Education Series is a conference program aiming to support café owners in running better businesses, with practical advice on efficiency, marketing, profitability, and sustainability all to feature as part of the sessions.
Organised in partnership with BeanScene magazine, the sessions aim to provide café owners with relevant, up-to-date information.
The Café Series will take place across the three-day show.
Access to the Café Owners Education Series is included in the MICE ticket.
Join us for the official opening of MICE2026
Are you across commercial leases, legal rights, permits, retail laws, P&Ls, employee VISAs and the importance of a good lawyer? There's more to being a successful coffee shop than serving good coffee. Let's deep dive into the key requirements of business management.
Amelia Hicks
Nathan Toleman
Dave Chauhan
Mike Ico
What do shifting consumer preferences, the impact of weight-loss drugs, protein coffee, functional coffee and reduced restaurant portions have in common? Hear from brands that have entered the wellness space and joined the health-conscious movement.
Ollie Puddick
Craig Shapiro
Daniel Gotlib
Abdullah Ramay
Lucy Ward
Andre Selga
Matt Gellert
Can Australia become a serious contender to support the global supply shortage? Hear about results from multi-varietal trials, new hybrids in the spotlight, the future of the Aussie-farming community, and why Australian-grown coffee has a market advantage.
Kelly Kornacki
Tobias Kretzschmar
Rebecca Zentveld
The best example of automation in the café market is when it's invisible to the customer. Learn how far the industry has advanced with automated tools, and where it's headed with workflow, speed and consistency.
Maxine Lacey
Chris Maybury
Matt Lucas
Sam Crowl
Do cafés really need a chef to 'up' the food quality? Discover food trends for the year, ways to set your menu a part, how many items is too many, and how to manage rising food costs and pricing your menu.
Laura Boulton
Chris Norris
David Stewart
Sustainable coffee solutions - it takes a variety of forms and means so many things across the coffee value chain. Let's unpack the latest in sustainable packaging materials, the innovations behind reusable cups, reducing the climate footprint of non-dairy milks, and how we can create social impact from the coffee we buy.
Tom Hobbs
Monique Jaksic
Laura Hindson
Lou Dyer
What does social responsibility really look like in today’s coffee industry? This panel explores how cafés can create meaningful social impact and gain valuable customer trust and connection in the process.
Sabel Hunter
Alan White
Ninna Katrine Larsen
Join us for the welcoming of day 2 at MICE2026.
Discover how to bring attention to your café on a local/national and international stage, and sustain attention with high standards and consistency beyond being a social media haven and influencer paradise.
Nolan Hirte
Jody Leslie
Alicia Feng
Wondering whether to start a retail offering for your business? Worried you'll lose a percentage of your regular customers? Take the fear factor out of the equation and hear from those who have embraced a retail structure, seen success, and have found a balance that caters to both in-store and home coffee needs.
Anna Lumsden
Benjamin White
Sam Keck
Has Australia finally caught onto the chilled beverage boom? Let's talk cold brew, canned coffee, iced coffee, matcha, sodas, and sparkling tonics - and learn why embracing drink diversity is key to your café.
Brett Bolwell
Jerome Manion
Connor Nestor
All good cafés do more than just killer coffee. The best cafés foster a sense of community and keep customers engaged. Discover how coffee raves, wellness events, multipurpose venues, and after hours activities can foster connection with staff and help grow your customer base. Learn how to stand out when everyone is doing the same.
Nick Ferguson
Sergio Londono
Luke Floyd
Want to expand your business but don't know where to start? Questioning if it's the 'right time' despite economic challengs? Thinking a second, third or fourth venue could be a great growth opportunity? This session is designed to provide you with practical advice on scaling up, with insight on the key mistakes people make, the non-negotiables, and representation on those who have done it right, and have seen it pay off.
Adam Theobald
Sam Taylor
Charlie Hachem
Dave Makin
Want to start your first café but don't know where to begin? Thinking about being an independent operator or joining a franchise? What finances do I need? How do I build a network of contacts to get the right suppliers? This panel will discuss all the things you need to do to prepare for your first café venture, and come out thriving,
John Hart
Eddie Cho
Junnie Phyu
Tim Noye
What does it take to become a brand icon and not a one-hit-wonder. Do you need to grow in volume and size to achieve longevity? What are the key elements to overcoming obstacles, and market shifts that have the potential to pivot your business. Discover the key non-negotiables to a long and healthy business.
Yuri Angele
Bridget Amor
Paris Nassif
Australia's food and coffee standards are high, but are we living up to expectations when it comes to hospitality standards? Let's talk about customer service, how it's evolved and whether it really matters to a café's bottom line.
George Skell
Chris Tate
Adam Bortz
Day 3 begins on the Cafe Education Stage
Fancy yourself a master home barista? Want to take your skill to the next level? Hear from industry experts who have turned their passion into a career and why you can do it too!
Jade Jennings
Josh Taylor
Hear from industry-leading baristas and the key lessons they've learned beyond the coffee competition stage.
Pete Licata
Caleb Cha
Jack Simpson
Can you be a successful café without matcha on your menu? Hear from those who have merged matcha & coffee into a thriving business, and why signature drink beverages are the secret ingredient to extra café revenue.
Natalie Latimore
Brandon Jo
Yuta Tanaka
Sally Morris
Thinking of opening a cafe and unsure what to price your menu at? Maybe you've been established for a while but feel your pricing isn't reflective of the market or business needs. Let's break things down and understand the contributing costs to a cup of coffee and how to price your menu so that you can remain a sustainable and profitable business, and comfortably justify to a customer why the price is the way it is.
River Vili
Raihaan Esat
Jimmy Tjoeng
Hear how La Marzocco's new digital innovation provides critical insights in coffee's final journey into the cup.
John Ronchi
Brydon Price
Georgia Rovacsek
Barry Moore
Thomas Ervin-Ward
What is specialty coffee, and do consumers really care? Let's discuss the importance of the specialty coffee category, the art of education, and whether top-priced coffees can sustain their place on café menus.
Abdullah Ramay
Matt Perger
Ben Bicknell
What does competition excellence bring back to the café floor? Is it an investment worth making? Hear from competition winners on how they've applied their skills into valuable cafe experiences and added value through leadership, innovation, and stronger business outcomes.
Karl Lee
Ian Callahan
Dave Makin
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
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