Track: The Coffee Opportunity

Coffee is experiencing one of the most relevant moments in its recent history. Popularity, new formats, emerging habits, and a category that is consolidating as a value driver for the HORECA channel. This opening session offers a clear and up-to-date overview of the coffee ecosystem, its value chain, and the strategic role of each stakeholder in the overall success. An essential introduction to understand why coffee is no longer just a beverage, but a real business opportunity.

By AE Café.

The coffee category is evolving at great speed within the OOH channel. New models, hybrid concepts, and proposals are emerging in response to increasingly demanding and better-informed consumers. This session presents the key insights from the Local Heroes Coffee & Bakeries report, focusing on trends, operational complexity, structural challenges, and growth levers. An essential snapshot to understand where today’s opportunities lie and how to capitalize on them from a business perspective.

Real-life cases of operators who have turned coffee into the strategic backbone of their business model. Contemporary, profitable concepts aligned with new customer expectations. This roundtable discussion brings key decisions, practical learnings, and avoidable mistakes to the table, showing how coffee can become a powerful competitive differentiator. Direct inspiration for hoteliers, restaurateurs, and coffee professionals who want this category to move beyond being a mere add-on and become a true driver of success.

Machinery manufacturers share real-world experiences of automation applied to coffee. What works, what doesn’t, and the impact on costs, quality, and daily operations. An honest conversation about investment, return, and smart decisions for businesses seeking efficiency without compromising a high-quality customer experience.

Today, coffee has a name, a surname, and a place of origin. This keynote delves into the importance of origin, traceability, and storytelling as key differentiating elements. Understanding the producer, the territory, and the process is essential to sell better and position yourself with credibility. A session that invites participants to use authenticity as a strategic tool, not just as a narrative.

HORECA models that have successfully turned origin and storytelling into a powerful tool for customer connection. Clear communication, education, and emotion in the service of the experience. This roundtable discussion shows how telling the coffee story well creates empathy, loyalty, and differentiation in an increasingly competitive market.

Artificial intelligence and data analytics are already transforming coffee management. Consumption forecasting, purchasing optimization, and profitability improvement. This session explores how technology enables more precise and profitable decision-making, anticipates customer needs, and professionalizes the category within the HORECA business.

An inspiring keynote exploring successful models in cafés, restaurants, and hotels from other markets. Countries and cultures with an advanced relationship with coffee serve as a reference to identify trends, formats, and replicable approaches. Fresh ideas to anticipate and evolve your business.

A space led by IED Barcelona where the results of a food design project on Generation Z’s relationship with coffee will be presented.
An analysis of environments, formats, and consumption moments to understand how this new audience is already entering bars and cafés.

Link at https://www.ied.edu/courses/barcelona/master/food-design