MICE 2025: Celebrating coffee and a sustainable future

The 12th Melbourne International Coffee Expo

MICE 2025 marked the 12th edition of Australia’s leading coffee expo and what a show it was. Held in the heart of Melbourne, this year’s event felt like more than just a trade show, with manufacturers, green bean and cafe suppliers making up the stands. This year the public came in their 1000’s as the show shifted to predominantly coffee roasters showcasing a rich variety of delicious coffees in the Roasters Playground: With some of Australia’s best roasters (Including P&R of course) smashing out coffees on a platform of La Marzocco coffee equipment. Pablo & Rusty’s were proud to be part of it all.

A stronger, closer industry

One of the standout themes this year was the deep camaraderie among attendees. Whether you were a roaster, tech innovator, cafe owner, or barista, there was a shared sense of purpose and mutual appreciation. Open and honest conversations flowed, from craft to cost, with everyone ready to connect and collaborate.

There was also a shared urgency in the air. With rising green coffee (raw unroasted coffee) prices and global pressures impacting supply chains, many of the industry's brightest minds leaned into the question: How do we help cafes remain sustainable, both financially and ethically? The answer, for many, lies in transparency, quality and raising the value perception of specialty coffee for the end consumer.

Highlights from the show floor

This year’s MICE has plenty of new tech, innovation and design thinking. A few standouts included:

• La Marzocco Pico: A game-changer in espresso grinding. Its built in Acaia load cell allows real time IOT communication with the scale, ensuring exact dose accuracy every time. This is the kind of precision we love seeing make its way to cafes.

• MilkPal and Ubermilk Plus: Continued advancements in milk texturing automation delivered on consistency and speed without compromising quality.

• Eversys shotmaster: The specialty industry is watching this one closely. Fully automated yet capable of high quality espresso. It prompts a growing conversation about where automation belongs in specialty coffee spaces and not just cafes. We're already seeing some cafe setups where these machines supplement rather than replacing the human barista element.

• HuskeeBorrow’s closed loop system: Perhaps the most transformational moment came from fellow B Corp and sustainability leader Huskee. They launched a complete closed loop cup system, removing single-use takeaway cups entirely. In fact, 20,000 single-use cups were prevented from entering the waste stream on Day One alone. That’s not just inspiring, it’s the future!

Talks that mattered

Abdullah (P&R’s CEO) participated in the “Espresso Economics” panel, discussing the challenges around coffee prices and the impacts on the whole supply chain. Importantly, everyone on the panel was in agreement. If we want our vibrant cafe culture to continue to thrive, cafe coffee prices must increase. A small flat white should be $5.50 now, rising to $7.00 in the next 12 to 18 months. Lastly, we must start valuing what we do and stop explaining or making excuses for sustainable pricing, which continues to be way below global benchmarks. 

Saxon (P&R’s Founder) spoke on the “Sustainable Sips” panel, delving into the challenges and opportunities the coffee industry faces around sustainability practices and the chance we all have to play a part in shaping a better future. Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. Key areas of opportunity are renewable energy, reduction of waste and of course, reusables and reusable systems like the Huskee Borrow. 

Other highlights 

The Omnivore and the Rise of Espresso film screenings highlighted the people at the centre of the coffee journey, adding a cinematic layer to the expo. It was refreshing to see storytelling playing a stronger role in the way we understand coffee.

Our very own Pablo & Rusty’s team ran two masterclasses as part of the Beanz by Breville platform. It was a joy to connect with consumers and coffee professionals, sharing techniques, tools and the stories behind our coffees.

Roasters playground & consumer love

The Roasters Playground was buzzing, with 36 roasters showcasing coffees over three days. We were thrilled to see the love for Pablo & Rusty's coffees, which consistently impressed across multiple brewing methods and machines.

It’s clear that MICE has evolved. Once a purely B2B trade show, it now proudly embraces consumers too, with 50-meter plus lines of coffee lovers eager to sip, sample and soak up the experience. This dual approach is helping bridge the gap between the people who make coffee and those who drink it.

Other than the roasters playground, we served the rare and delicious Granja Paraiso92 Sidra at the Loring stand as well as our delicious Porter St at the EverySys stand by Service Sphere.

Purpose driven future

One trend impossible to ignore was the rise of purpose-led businesses. From the number of B Corp certified brands present to the conversations around accountability, environmental impact and ethical sourcing, it’s clear the industry is moving toward a more values-aligned future.

For us at Pablo & Rusty’s, this hits home. We’re committed to sustainability and proud of our B Corp and Carbon Neutral (by Climate Active) certifications. More than that, we’re excited to see our peers pushing in the same direction.

The perfectly executed latte art on top

It wasn't until most of our Team had landed back in Sydney that we found out Abdullah (our CEO) had received the MICE 2025 Industry Heroes Community Champion Award for advocating for sustainable pricing for cafes in Australia and the survival of the industry. We’re very proud of all of Abdullah's efforts in advocating for positive change and tackling difficult topics crucial for our industry to continue to thrive. 

In summary

MICE 2025 wasn’t about flashy stands or gimmicks. It was about authentic conversations, new ideas and a collective commitment to doing better. Whether you were there to experience the latest in automation, taste some of the best coffees in the world, or tackle big topics like pricing and sustainability, it was a show that left you thinking and hopeful.

We were proud to be there as Pablo & Rusty’s, enjoying the company of our industry peers, sharing what we love and playing our part in shaping the future of coffee.