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
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.
Abdullah Ramay
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.
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.
Chris Maybury
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.
Learn how sustainability is embraced at each stage of the coffee value chain, from regenerative agriculture at origin, to smarter roasting techniques, at the café level, and into the hands of consumers.
Join us for the welcoming of day 2 at MICE2026.
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.
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.
How can AI be used in cafés to aid workflow efficiency? What will the future of hospitality be with AI in it? How can the emergence of AI be used to enhance the cafe dining experience? Come and find out!
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.
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.
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,
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.
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.
James Hennebry
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!
Hear from industry-leading baristas and the key lessons they've learned beyond the coffee competition stage.
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 extra café revenue.
In a fast-pace-changing landscape, what are the key café principles you should never change, and why you should 'protect the core' of your business.
What does the coffee industry look like in 10 years' time? Hear from industry leaders about how beverages, consumption and technology will revolutionise the market and café owners need to do to be ahead of the game.
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.
What's the value of a partnership? Discover the brands that have made collaborations work in their favour and how they turned a connection into a temporary or permanent working relationship, from hospitality names to brand influences and monthly roaster rotations.
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
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