IEG, listed on the main market on Euronext Milan, with its 60 trade shows and 150 events, over 700 employees in Italy and around the world and offices in Rimini, Vicenza, Milan, Arezzo, Dubai, São Paulo, New York, Singapore, China, Saudi Arabia and Mexico, is one of the world´s main trade show organizers.

EMECA, based in Brussels and chaired by Elżbieta Roeske, has acted as the European Major Exhibition Centres Association since 1992. It unites Europe´s 25 most important exhibition venues, including Italian Exhibition Group´s Rimini and Vicenza Expo Centres.

EMECA members collectively organize 2,000 trade shows per year with 400,000 exhibitors and 38.5 million visitors on an exhibition area of 38 million square metres. Europe currently hosts most of the leading international trade shows and accounts for almost half of the global market share.

EMECA´s role includes promoting its members at a European and global level in the context of industrial alliances with the main government institutions.

Carlo Costa, born in 1968, is originally from Turin but has lived in Fano for 26 years where he is an extremely active voluntary worker. Married to Mariarosa, he has two children, Giovanni and Giacomo. He graduated in Economics and Commerce at Turin University and began his career in Financial Management at Luigi Lavazza S.p.A.

While working at the coffee giant, he also participated in the study, establishment and management of a treasury company agency in the customs area of Dublin. He then moved to the IFAS Group in Turin, which was then one of the automotive sector´s most important dealers controlled by a Milanese investment fund.

In 2001 he joined the then Ente Autonomo Fiera di Rimini, accompanying it during its transformation into a joint-stock company and in all its major operations: M&A in Italy and abroad, integration with Fiera di Vicenza – which gave rise to Italian Exhibition Group S.p.A. -, and the stock exchange listing. In 2022, he moved to the Grana Padano Protection Consortium, the most consumed PDO product in the world. In 2024 he rejoined the Italian Exhibition Group with the top role of CCO.

At EMECA´s last general assembly, the members, coming from all over Europe, focused on exhibition scenario planning, on the sales growth recorded in 2025 and prospective growth for 2026.

Further main issues at the Assembly reflected on the challenges that have arisen from the uncertain geopolitical context, on investments in decarbonisation, exhibition venue renovation, and new multifunctional spaces. Digitalisation, personalized services, security and cybersecurity were also spotlighted.

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Presented to the international press during Host 2025, the agreement with NAFEM – North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers marks a decisive step toward one of the world’s most dynamic and competitive markets. According to the National Restaurant Association, the U.S. out-of-home sector is currently worth over 1.4 trillion dollars, with growth of +10.5% expected by 2030.

The collaboration between Fiera Milano and NAFEM will create synergies between Host Milano and The NAFEM Show, offering exhibitors cross-visibility and new opportunities to access both European and American markets.

The first joint event will take place in Orlando from 11 to 13 February 2027, followed by Host Milano 2027, confirming a development path that brings together experiences, content and business across two continents.

In turn, the Gulf region has become a testing ground for changing consumer trends. In Saudi Arabia alone, by 2030 an estimated 362,000 new hotel rooms will be built, representing an investment of 110 billion dollars, while total investments in tourism are expected to reach nearly 800 billion dollars.

Within this context, Host Arabia was created to capture these developments and turn them into concrete opportunities, becoming a platform where the hospitality supply chains meet qualified demand through real projects — from contract design to foodservice, and from food retail to travel and entertainment.

Born from the collaboration with Semark, organiser of Saudi HORECA, and realised with the support of ITA – Italian Trade Agency, the event will bring the Host model to the Middle East, featuring a programme dedicated to promoting Made in Italy excellence and focusing on networking, selected buyers and professional training. The project combines local market expertise with Fiera Milano’s international vision, building bridges between cultures and industries in a region undergoing profound transformation.

To encourage cross-selling and create new opportunities without impacting operators’ schedules, both events will be held alongside those organised by the respective local partners.

The partnerships with NAFEM and Semark mark two key milestones in Fiera Milano’s global expansion strategy, which integrates innovation, sustainability and internationalisation as the core pillars of its 2024–2027 Strategic Plan. This path positions Host Milano as a platform in constant dialogue with global markets, capable of generating value and relationships well beyond the days of the exhibition.

The journey continues with the event’s long-standing milestone: Host will return to Fiera Milano from 22 to 26 October 2027, ready to reaffirm its role as a meeting point for the visions, technologies and cultures of global hospitality.

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The event brought together senior federal officials, regional leaders, producers, exporters, cooperatives, and global partners, underscoring the growing momentum in Ethiopia’s coffee value chain.

Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh and Minister of Trade and Regional Cooperation Kassahun Gofe (PhD) highlighted the progress achieved through large-scale reforms, improved farm management practices, and expanded supply-chain modernization.

Record export performance

For the first time in Ethiopia’s history, the country exported 470,000 tons of coffee, generating over USD 2.6 billion in the 2017 Ethiopian fiscal year (which concluded July 7, 2025). Officials announced a national target of exporting 600,000 tons and exceeding USD 3 billion in the current fiscal year.

More than 9 billion seedlings have been planted over the past seven years, while 700,000 hectares of old coffee farms have been renovated—efforts credited with stabilizing output and boosting productivity across key producing regions.

Productivity rising across the country

National averages have increased from a long-standing 6–7 quintals (600–700 kg) per hectare to 9 quintals (900 kg) today. Model farmers in several regions are consistently achieving 15–20 quintals per hectare, while some modernized estates—utilizing improved varieties and technology—have reported yields as high as 60 quintals per hectare.

Officials emphasized that these gains reflect Ethiopia’s potential to reinforce its position among the world’s leading coffee-producing countries.

Economic reforms strengthening competitiveness

Minister Kassahun Gofe noted that Ethiopia’s domestic economic reforms are reshaping export performance by improving market access, streamlining production, and pushing value-added coffee processing to the forefront.

He encouraged exporters, producers, and cooperatives to prepare for higher standards and deeper global integration as Ethiopia expands its participation in multiple international trade frameworks.

Sector transformation and future priorities

Dr. Adugna Debela, Director General of the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, said that reforms implemented in recent years have significantly improved coffee quality, consistency, and global demand. Alongside coffee, tea and spices are also emerging as promising sub-sectors for export growth.

Looking ahead, federal leaders underscored the importance of:

• * Expanding technology-driven production
• 22* Strengthening value-added coffee exports
• * Improving global market promotion
• * Enhancing supply-chain coordination
• * Replicating success in tea and spice value chains
• * Advancing Ethiopia’s long-term green growth strategy
• Recognition of Excellence Across the Value Chain

As part of the program, the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority highlighted multiple award categories designed to acknowledge outstanding contributions across the sector. These included:

• * Green Coffee Exporters
• * Best Coffee Farmers/Producers
• * Coffee Supplier/Exporter (General)
• * Best Coffee Farms and Estates
• * Women in the Coffee Value Chain
• * Cooperative Unions in Coffee Export
• * Value-Added Coffee Exporters
• * Regional Coffee Supply Leaders
• * Primary Coffee Cooperatives
• * Top-Priced Coffee Exporters
• * Supporting Stakeholders and NGOs
• * Tea Development and Expansion
• * Spice Exporters
• * Government and Policy Stakeholders

The categories reflect the sector’s diverse actors—from smallholder farmers and estates to exporters, cooperatives, and global partners—showcasing the collaborative efforts driving Ethiopia’s coffee transformation.

Buna Kurs will continue to monitor developments within the sector and provide dedicated coverage of major industry milestones, stakeholder perspectives, and the evolving national reform agenda shaping Ethiopia’s coffee economy.

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The market thermometer: “Over the last twelve months, 3.2 billion desserts were consumed outside the home in the five main European countries. The category grew by 6% in Europe: dessert is still an essential pleasure, even in a context of more cautious spending,” explains Matteo Figura, Out of Home sector expert and Foodservice Director at Circana Italia.

Master pastry chef Luigi Biasetto, AMPI academic and member of Relais Dessert, provides the confirmation: “October 2025 saw a 28% increase in leavened products compared to 2024, and abroad the results are extraordinary: +28% in Paris, +40% in New York, +80% in Hong Kong. For Christmas 2025, we are presenting a ‘superfood’ panettone with wholemeal flour, seeds, thyme honey and turmeric, perfected through extensive ageing tests.”

Rome-born Marta Boccanera, pastry chef and vice-president of APEI, emphasises: “For this Christmas, we have created a purple panettone with wholemeal flour rich in anthocyanins (natural pigments found in fruits and flowers), enriched with pistachio and wild strawberry cream.”

On the European front, José Miguel Moreno, president of the Confederación Española de Pastelería: “Panettone is increasingly popular and the pistachio variety is the most sought after. Families are buying in advance and online orders, which are changing the seasonality of our industry, are on the rise.”

Antonio Bachour, one of America’s most influential pastry chefs, offers an international perspective: “Christmas trends are showing a return to traditional tastes reinterpreted using modern techniques. Consumers are looking for distinct flavours, light textures and refined presentations. For Christmas 2025, we are working on desserts that combine elegance and memories of the past.”

Denise Vagni, an emerging pastry chef from Rimini, Italy, completes the picture: “Panettone is a richer and more engaging dessert, able to offer a multisensory experience. Customers love to personalise their slice with a piping bag filled with pistachio or salted caramel cream.”

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The initiative combines Anuga’s international expertise with IFEMA MADRID’s leading position to reinforce the Iberian Peninsula as a key hub for the sector.

Anuga Select Ibérica will merge Meat Attraction and InterSICOP—now evolving into Bakery & Ice Cream Attraction—two well-established IFEMA MADRID events. Under the Anuga brand, the new fair expands its scope to additional food and beverage segments, with the goal of attracting more exhibitors, professionals, and business opportunities.

Spain and Portugal are positioned as strategic markets and a gateway between Europe, Latin America, and North Africa. With this project, both institutions aim to harness the region’s export potential and strengthen international commercial ties.

The agreement was signed in Madrid by Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse, and Daniel Martínez, Executive Vice President of IFEMA MADRID, who highlighted the project’s importance for the development of the industry and Madrid’s international projection as a trade fair platform.

Anuga Select Ibérica stands as a joint commitment to boosting the future of the food industry in the Iberian Peninsula, offering broader content, a global outlook, and a strong commitment to innovation.

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“This first edition has been overwhelming,” said Reena Gamboa, Executive Director of Terra Madre Asia & Pacific. “These five days have shown us the richness of natural resources in the region. Farmers, cooks, and food producers have formed new alliances and realized their potential to advocate for a shift towards good, clean, and fair food. Terra Madre Asia & Pacific has given us a voice to promote our food biodiversity and culinary heritage, and it has inspired the entire Slow Food network to drive change toward the next edition.”

“As we close this extraordinary gathering, I want to highlight how the Philippines stand as a remarkable example of diversity, sustainability, and quality. This is why they will remain at the heart of our movement’s development in this part of the world. Now we are already looking forward with great enthusiasm to the second edition of Terra Madre Asia & Pacific in 2027,” added Paolo Di Croce, Director General of Slow Food.

The event reinforced Slow Food’s decentralized approach, highlighting a politically conscious, culturally rich movement rooted in gastronomy, Indigenous wisdom, and biodiversity. Delegates celebrated the first step toward establishing Bacolod in Negros Occidental as the first international Slow Food Hub in Asia and the Pacific, strengthening the movement’s regional identity and promoting alternatives to industrial food systems, in continuity with the global Slow Food vision.

“This comes at a moment when we urgently need to take concrete action against the climate crisis: action that goes beyond negotiations and high-level talks. Lasting climate solutions grow from the ground up,” emphasized Slow Food President Edward Mukiibi. “They are rooted in biodiversity, Indigenous knowledge, and strong local food systems that put communities, not corporations, at the center. The solutions we need already exist within our communities and within Slow Food farms: agroecology strengthens resilience today while mitigating emissions for the future. The final commitment of Terra Madre is therefore to amplify agroecological practices, defend biodiversity, and reject industrial, unsustainable models of agriculture.”

Looking at the island which hosted the first edition of the event, Negros emerged as a highlight, celebrated for its inseparable combination of biodiversity, heritage, and community. The first Slow Food Travel destination launched here in the Philippines will offer visitors the chance to experience authentic local flavors while engaging directly with the people who preserve them.

Program Highlights

The Education Program featured 18 hands-on workshops led by farmers, cooks, and Indigenous knowledge keepers, exploring soy, spices, rice, and taro. Children, youth, and families walking through the Foodways Area learned to cook taro, grind spices, craft miso, prepare bamboo-cooked dishes, and create indigenous rice snacks. More than 15 local schools brought students to participate.

Taste Workshops were sold out, while conferences and public talks drew strong engagement, with lively discussions on food and health, seed preservation, traditional crops, sustainable development, and food policies. Areas such as the Slow Food Coffee Coalition, Slow Drinks, and Terra Madre Kitchen offered spaces for learning, exchange, and networking with producers, cooks, and bartenders.

About Terra Madre Asia & Pacific

Part of the global Slow Food movement, Terra Madre Asia & Pacific is a space where communities, ingredients, and ideas converge to shape the future of food. In Bacolod, it unites more than 2000 delegates from across the region to exchange knowledge and strengthen networks for a fairer, more resilient food system. TMAP 2025 is made possible through collaboration between Slow Food, the City Government of Bacolod led by Mayor Greg Gasataya, the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental led by Governor Eugenio Lacson, the Department of Tourism led by Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, the Department of Agriculture led by Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the Department of Trade and Industry led by Secretary Cristina Roque, TESDA Director General Kiko Benitez, Congressman Albee Benitez, Congressman Javi Benitez, and Senator Loren Legarda. Partners include the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Meatless Monday, Plus63 Design Co., FEATR, and the Slow Food Community in Negros.

The event also introduces a distinct visual identity inspired by archipelagic landscapes and handcrafted clay forms, reflecting resilience, biodiversity, and cultural interconnectedness designed and created by illustrator Dan Matutina.

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At INTERNORGA, leading brands, ambitious start-ups and industry experts come together to show how taste, technology and sustainability interact and which trends will shape the business in the coming year.

Classics reimagined – diversity with a future

Whether cold brew, nitro coffee, specialty blends or classic espresso: coffee remains one of the most important luxury products in the food service and hospitality market. Exhibitors such as WMF, Melitta, JURA, Rheavendors, Astoria and Coffee Colorato will be presenting new developments in aroma, extraction and customisation, and showing how modern brewing techniques can deliver impressive quality even at high speeds. INTERNORGA has valuable answers for all businesses that want to delight their guests with consistently good quality.

Tech meets taste

Intelligent functions, intuitive operation and optimised processes ensure that technology and taste go hand in hand. Whether for cafés, bakeries or chain restaurants: discover at INTERNORGA how sustainable coffee technology can make your everyday work easier and set new standards in service.

Exchange, knowledge, orientation

On stages such as the OPEN STAGE, experts share their insights and best practices on coffee trends, concepts and new business models. Networking areas such as the OFF THE RECORD meeting and after-work lounge offer space for discussions, questions, visions and valuable networking.

INTERNORGA – the Global Platform for Hospitality and Foodservice – takes place from 13 – 17 March 2026 in Hamburg.

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The repositioning underscores how Brazil’s coffee tradition, strengthened by technological progress, drives a continuous process of transformation that, in turn, renews its tradition. In practice, this ongoing cycle unfolds through everyday actions that promote social inclusion, fair labor conditions, improvements in the Human Development Index (HDI), and the active protection of native biomes. In short, technology is the driving force that cultivates innovation and harvests development.

“We wanted the brand repositioning of Cafés do Brasil to better reflect what we stand for in light of new consumer market demands, and we have refreshed the brand’s visual and verbal identity to ensure it is aligned with our core message, especially regarding environmental, social, and governance responsibility. This effort brings together all stakeholders to develop solutions through innovation and technology, while continuing to generate progress for our country and for every region where coffee thrives,” explains Fabrício Andrade, President of the National Coffee Commission of the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA).

The Cafés do Brasil repositioning project led by the agency Design Bridge and Partners was carried out in partnership with the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) and included contributions from the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association (ABIC), the Brazilian Soluble Coffee Industry Association (ABICS), the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé), the National Coffee Council (CNC), the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa).

Speaking on behalf of the organizations, Andrade adds that the studies highlighted a clear need to more effectively communicate the Brazilian coffee sector’s ability to generate positive environmental and social impacts. This message is reflected in the strategic concept of adding a “T” — for Technology — to the ESG acronym, which the sector will now adopt as ESG+T.

“Cafés do Brasil continues to serve us well as a symbol of Brazil’s leadership in producing coffee with quality, consistency, food safety and sustainability. Our goal in updating the brand was to bring it closer to the needs of society, consumers and the companies that buy Brazilian coffee, improving the way we communicate about the product and giving national coffees the recognition they deserve for their quality and sustainable practices,” he added.

The strategic repositioning of Brazil’s coffee production chain also led to an update of the Cafés do Brasil logo, which now allows for easier application across digital media, an essential feature for effective communication campaigns, while preserving the brand’s well-established recognition built by the previous logo.

“Our brand identity has been subtly refined to modernize and reinterpret its legacy for the present and future. The brand now reflects trust, convenience, ethics, authenticity, inspiration, and diversity, a combination that strengthens its credibility as a broad communication platform engaging society, business partners, and consumers, while celebrating the richness of cultures, people, and flavors that define Brazilian coffee growing”, Andrade concluded.

More Than ESG — Cafés Do Brasil is ESG+T

The assessment conducted by Design Bridge and Partners showed that the quality and diversity of Brazilian coffees are both a tradition and a source of national pride. This finding inspired the sector’s repositioning to emphasize what defines the country’s coffee production on a daily basis: technology as the central element of sustainability, something truly unique in the global coffee industry.

To reinforce this relevance, the agency recommended that the brand should place greater emphasis on environmental and social responsibility, as well as on quality and authenticity. When it came to standing out, the task was to bring out innovation, individuality and a modern sensibility.

This strategic vision gave rise to a new concept: ESG+T, in which tradition meets technology to drive transformation and combine environmental, social and governance responsibility. From now on, “cultivating innovation and harvesting development” is the purpose that defines the Cafés do Brasil brand.

According to Renor Sell Junior, Strategy Director at Design Bridge and Partners, the repositioning marks an important milestone in the history of Cafés do Brasil. “It shows that Brazil is not only a major coffee producer but also a leader capable of uniting tradition and the future. By integrating technology and sustainability, we have built a model that honors our roots and paves the way for continued growth across the coffee chain, from producers to consumers,” he said.

The agency adds that the brand’s identity was redesigned to reflect this new phase, one that is confident, convenient, ethical, authentic, inspiring and diverse. These elements served as the foundation for its revitalization, reinterpreting the brand’s legacy for the present and the future. The iconic logo was refined to reflect the influence of technology with a clean, contemporary aesthetic, while maintaining the brand’s strong visual identity.

The creative process led to the development of the ESGT Fields graphic system, a generative tool that translates the brand’s positioning into dynamic visual expressions, depicting coffee fields as vibrant, diverse works of digital art. This new visual narrative is complemented by brand photography that moves away from rustic, handcrafted clichés to reveal the modern, diverse and human side of Brazil’s technologically driven coffee production.

“The new identity seeks to reinterpret the Cafés do Brasil brand through the ESG+T lens, in both form and color. We respected the legacy of the logo but projected it into the future with the generative ESGT Fields system, which translates innovation into art. Together with the photography, it completes the storytelling, revealing how advanced, modern and human our coffee production truly is,” concluded Shingo Sato, Design Director at Design Bridge and Partners.

Café do Brasil Fact Sheets

-1Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer. In the 2024/25 crop year, the country produced 54.2 million 60kg bags, accounting for 31% of global production (176.2 million bags, according to the ICO).

-2Brazil is also the world’s largest coffee exporter. In 2024, 50.4 million bags were shipped to about 120 countries. The main destinations were:

• United States: 8.1 million bags
• Germany: 7.6 million bags
• Belgium: 4.3 million bags
• Italy: 3.9 million bags
• Japan: 2.2 million bags

-3Brazil has the world’s largest soluble-coffee industrial complex, with an installed capacity of 132 thousand tons of instant coffee and related products.

-4Brazil is the world’s second-largest coffee consumer, with annual consumption of 21.9 million bags, second only to the United States.

-5Brazil has one of the world’s largest coffee germplasm banks, holding about 5,000 accessions – plants with distinct genetic and phenotypic characteristics.

-6Brazil has 174 coffee varieties registered in the Federal Government’s National Cultivar Registry (RNC), including 128 Coffea Arabica and 46 Coffea Canephora varieties.

-1Since the mid-1980s, Brazil has reduced its coffee-growing area by 40%, while increasing total output by 87%, thanks to investment in technology, genetic improvement and adoption of good agricultural practices – boosting productivity by 130%.

-7Coffee-producing states preserve 43.9 million hectares of native vegetation within rural properties.

-899% of the 115 thousand coffee farms in Minas Gerais registered in the Environmental Rural Registry (CAR) show no significant deforestation after 2008, qualifying the state’s coffee production as a deforestation-free supply chain.

-8About one-third of coffee-producing rural properties preserve more native vegetation than required by the Forest Code, totaling 302 thousand hectares of surplus forest that provide essential ecosystem services to coffee production.

-9A study coordinated by Professor Carlos Eduardo Cerri of the University of São Paulo (USP) and the NGO Imaflora found that, on average, 183 tons of CO₂ equivalent are stored in permanent preservation areas and legal reserves on the evaluated Arabica coffee farms.

-9The adoption of good agricultural practices—such as adding organic matter to the soil, maintaining ground cover between coffee rows, and favoring organomineral fertilizers—enables coffee farming to retain about 10.5 t CO₂-eq per hectare per year in the soil and plants, more than it emits to the atmosphere.

-9For Conilon coffee, the same study by USP and Imaflora found that for each hectare cultivated per year, 338.67 t CO₂-eq are stored in preserved native vegetation within the farms.

-9When land use shifts from pasture to conventional Conilon coffee production, the carbon balance is negative at approximately 3.01 t CO₂-eq per hectare per year.

-9This figure drops further, to –8.24 t CO₂-eq per hectare per year, when the shift goes from pasture to sustainable Conilon coffee production.

-9When agricultural practices shift toward more conservation-oriented management within Conilon farms, the carbon balance is also negative, at approximately –1.36 t CO₂-eq per hectare per year.

-10Brazil is the most advanced coffee origin in meeting EUDR requirements. The Cafés do Brasil Socio-Environmental Monitoring Platform enables exporters to generate conclusive and verifiable evidence that Brazilian coffee is deforestation-free after December 31, 2020, and produced in compliance with the relevant Brazilian legislation.

-10This evidence is drawn from official public databases of the Brazilian government and widely used deforestation monitoring systems including Prodes and MapBiomas Alerta, all of which are auditable. By overlaying this information with the CAR database, the platform enables exporters to provide conclusive proof that Brazilian coffee is not cultivated on deforested land.

-11In Rondônia, with the use of geotechnology and satellite imagery, zero deforestation was detected in seven of the 15 coffee-growing municipalities between 2020 and 2023. Across the region, less than 1% of the total coffee-growing area shows any signs of forest removal.

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The italian coffee in the Philippines

MANILA – “On November 4 and 5, I had the pleasure of actively participating in the first stop of the new Italian coffee promotion program “Italian Coffee Style”, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. This strategic mission saw the Italian Embassy in Manila, led by Ambassador Davide Giglio, engaged in organizing two days of intensive cultural and educational activities, aimed at industry professionals, hospitality school teachers, media representatives, and local stakeholders.

Davide Giglio, Italian Ambassador to the Philippines: “I am particularly pleased that Prof. Andrej Godina began his collaboration with the MAECI here in Manila. The Philippines has a long-standing relationship with coffee, introduced by the Spanish at the end of the 18th century. The Italian coffee distribution chain has been steadily and successfully strengthening in the Philippines”.

Giglio: “The outlook for the sector is extremely positive: in Asia, Filipinos are second only to the Japanese in per capita consumption. Italian products — both roasted coffee and machinery — are perceived very positively in terms of quality. Certainly, this promotional initiative by the Ministry can open new paths of bilateral cooperation and contribute to a broader internationalization of Italian coffee in one of the most dynamic and fast-growing markets in the ASEAN region.”

My participation was requested as the editor of the “Guida dei caffè e delle torrefazioni d’Italia” and as an Italian Coffee Ambassador. My role was articulated in two main activities: a technical masterclass for hospitality school instructors in Manila, and an experiential lunch event titled “Italian Coffee Pairing”, organized in collaboration with the restaurant Grace Park.

Two complementary moments designed to narrate the value, the history, and the uniqueness of the Italian coffee supply chain — a world that blends tradition, craftsmanship, innovation, flavor, and culture.

The Italian Coffee and Roasteries Guide was chosen as a key cultural tool to highlight the complexity, history, and quality of Italian coffee. This editorial project, unique of its kind, reviews and selects the finest Italian roasteries, offering a comprehensive narrative of the production landscape and the industry’s excellence. It is precisely from this Guide that the Ministry chose to identify the Italian Coffee Ambassadors to be involved in international initiatives such as the one in Manila, entrusting knowledgeable professionals with the task of representing the many facets of Italian coffee culture through guided tastings and educational sessions.

Italian espresso in the classroom: training for Manila’s hospitality school teachers

The Italian coffee masterclass I conducted on November 4 at the Italian Embassy in Manila was a high-level educational experience. It was attended by teachers from some of the most important hospitality schools in the Philippine capital – a highly qualified audience selected to become multipliers of Italian coffee culture among the next generation of food and beverage professionals.

The event, strongly supported by Ambassador Davide Giglio and his team, took place in an atmosphere of authentic hospitality, with the Embassy transformed into a true immersive classroom, combining theoretical presentations and guided tasting sessions.

My lecture began with a historical journey, tracing the spread of coffee across Europe, from its arrival in Venice at the end of the 17th century to the opening of the first Italian coffee shops, the invention of the Napoletana pot, the Moka, and the lever espresso machine – the innovation that gave birth to the espresso we know today. We explored the evolution of coffee extraction technologies and how espresso became a central element of Italian 20th-century culture.

Alongside the traditional Moka – a domestic symbol still present in many Italian homes – I showcased the excellence of Italian technology and know-how in espresso extraction, emphasizing how Italy essentially invented a new beverage with its distinctive crema.

The practical tasting sessions guided participants through a sensory exploration of typical Italian coffee flavors.

We compared espresso extractions of blends made from Arabica and Robusta (Canephora) with Moka preparations, highlighting the art of blending, the importance of roast profiles, and the impact of extraction techniques on the final flavor.

I explained how the taste of Italian espresso is the result of historical and regional layers: lighter and more acidic in the North, more bitter, intense, and full-bodied in the South — a flavor balance that shifts from region to region.

I also introduced the Guide to Italian Roasters, which was warmly received by the audience. Teachers saw its potential as an educational tool to use with their students for discussing coffee quality, flavor, and culture.

It was inspiring to see how much interest there is in our Italian model — not just as a final product, but as a cultural system to explore, study, and even replicate.

The session concluded with a lively exchange of questions and insights. We discussed coffee education, brewing recipes, sensory techniques, and roasting profiles. A strong desire emerged to build partnerships between Filipino hospitality schools and Italian training institutions — a bridge between cultures, forged through the shared language of coffee”.

                                                                                                             Andrej Godina

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A deep fusion of Shanghai-style charm and coffee culture

From the nostalgic memories of the old cafes along the Bund a century ago to the various coffee shops now lining the streets, coffee has become an essential symbol of Shanghai-style living. The PCA event’s choice of Shanghai as a host city was driven by the city’s unique characteristic of “coffee and life coexisting in harmony”—the aroma of coffee seamlessly permeated both inside and outside the venue, reflecting the sophistication and relaxation of Shanghai-style life.

Three competitions in three days, showcasing professional coffee skills

Over the three-day event, the brewing competition, tasting competition, and latte art competition took place in succession, each delivering spectacular performances. These events fully embodied PCA’s principles of “just, fair and open” while comprehensively testing the participants’ professional expertise.

Castle takes the stage, creating an immersive experience

Castle, with its unconventional classical design, is tailored for specialty coffee shops. Its built-in smart extraction system finely controls grinding precision through subtle adjustments of the blade rotation, ensuring consistent flavor in every cup of coffee.

The next-generation milk frothing heating method allows for the one-touch production of various types of dry foam, balancing quality and efficiency to perfectly meet the needs of cafes, restaurants, and other commercial settings.

With a large-capacity 30g brewing unit, it effortlessly prepares two cups at the touch of a button. The three-bean hopper allows for flexible combinations and simultaneous grinding, enabling unique flavor blends. The smart steam wand, which automatically froths milk, sparked extensive inquiries and in-depth discussions among industry professionals on site.

With the conclusion of the Shanghai division, the winning participants will advance to the finals. Dr.Coffee will continue to uphold its professional spirit, empowering the coffee industry with high-quality products and services, bringing professional and delicious coffee to the streets of more cities and integrating it into the lives of more people.

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