BREAKING NEWS: The World Barista Championship will return to Melbourne in 2022.

The coffee world will once again descend on Melbourne in 2022, when more than 60 national representatives vie for the title of World Champion at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) from 27 to 30 September 2022.

Melbourne’s premier dedicated coffee expo will host the World Barista Championship and World Brewers Cup competition.

MICE was set to host the competitions in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted plans and international travel.

“We are thrilled to have secured these prestigious World Coffee Championships,” says MICE Show Director Lauren Winterbottom.

“We already knew Australia was a renowned coffee destination, and now we have the chance to share our coffee culture with a global audience.”

The preeminent international coffee competitions are produced annually by World Coffee Events, a subsidiary of the Specialty Coffee Association. Both competitions involve thrilling, time-restricted performances by the baristas on a stage in front of judges and a packed audience.

Each focuses on promoting excellence in coffee, advancing the barista profession, and engaging a worldwide audience.

While 2022 plans are now secure, MICE organisers have made the necessary decision to postpone its 2021 event following a spike in local case numbers and subsequent lockdowns around the country.

“We are devastated that we cannot proceed with our plans for MICE2021 as we had hoped,” Lauren says.

“After the past 18 months, we wanted nothing more than to get back to business and bring the industry together again. While expo plans have been delayed, we know that next year will be a huge celebration of the world coffee community coming together after three years a part.”

MICE is the largest dedicated coffee show in the Southern Hemisphere. More than 145 exhibitors fill the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition centre, demonstrating specialty coffee, technology, and trends. In 2020, exhibition stands sold out, and organisers are expecting similar demand for 2022.

“MICE launched in 2012 with the purpose of bringing the global coffee community together and that’s exactly what this world-class expo has done. It’s reinforced Australia’s contribution globally, and how much the show supports the growth of individuals, organisations, and the industry as a whole,” Lauren says.

“We are so thankful to our sponsors and exhibitors for supporting MICE despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic. We can’t wait to return with a big bang in 2022.”