· The long-awaited return to Host 2025 of the SCA-World Barista Championship™, the world’s premier coffee competition, takes center stage

· As the coffee area consolidates, its importance is highlighted by the dedicated brand identity SIC - International Coffee Exhibition, with the addition of the area Bar-Coffee Machines-Vending area

· In 2024, the global coffee market is estimated to be worth more than 461 B$, as it gets ready to face future climate and geopolitical challenges

Milan, 19 September 2024 – In a phase when the industry is thriving, the coffee world is looking at the countdown to the next edition of HostMilano, at fieramilano – Rho from 17 to 21October 2025. It promises to be a particularly rich edition of the historic SIC - Salone Internazionale del Caffè: the usual presence of major players and small-medium realities of excellence across the value chain will be integrated next year by the long-awaited return to the event of the World Barista Championship™, organized by SCA, the world association created to promote and spread the culture of coffee, its origins and uses.

Creativity and growing figures for an age of great challenges

Speaking of thriving offer, this has undoubtedly been the summer of iced coffees, offered in countless new recipes: from coconut to caramel, from fruit to spices, to iced latte and nitro coffee –prepared with liquid nitrogen for a special touch– iced coffees have established themselves as an all-hour drink. Even as an aperitivo.

Such a liveliness also reflects in the data: between home and away-from-home consumption, Statista estimates the world market will close 2024 with a value of $461.30 billion, to surpass the $500 billion mark in 2028 and stand at $521.90 billion by the end of the decade. Europe alone is worth about $47 billion (rising to $65 billion toward the end of the decade), while in Italy, the turnover of the top 50 roasting players is around $7 billion today (more than 55 percent from exports).

However, this is also a time of great challenges: from climate change and global warming, which will require an evolution of cultivars, to tensions over prices and supply chains, to coffee and gourmet cuisine that get together to promote a new creativity. In this scenario, it will be even more important not to miss the meeting place for industry players from around the world.

The WBC is back big style within a consolidating layout

The World Barista Championship™, the world’s most important coffee competition, organized by SCA - Specialty Coffee Association and WCE - World Coffee Events, takes center stage in Milan as it returns to the upcoming SIC.

By focusing on the excellence of coffee and the professional growth of baristas, which translates in signature espresso and milk creations, the WBC combines the opportunity for professionals to demonstrate their expertise and creativity with the enhancement of raw materials and innovative technologies that enable their highest expression.

Complemented by the other dedicated events, this approach is in line with the exhibition’s historical mission to promote innovation, generate business opportunities and share industry culture. Coffee has historically been one of the main strengths since the first editions of HostMilano: due to its importance, the dedicated area presents itself with its own brand identity as SIC - Salone Internazionale del Caffè. At SIC, the entire coffee business meets, from the green bean to the bar counter: selected roasters, importers, producers and industry operators from the five continents, as well as the world’s best brands.

Completing a unique offer in terms of completeness in the international exhibition scene is not only the area dedicated to Bars, Coffee Machines, and Vending, but the entire exhibition concept that promotes cross-selling between supply chains thanks to three macro-areas that add value to vertical sectors. To date, more than 900 companies have already registered for Host 2025, about 400 of them (44 percent) international.

The 44^th edition will be held at fieramilano – Rho from 17 to 21October 2025.

For updated info: host.fieramilano.it, @HostMilano.

Among other companies in the industry, the following have already confirmed their presence to date:

Bazzara, Bianchi Industry, Bunn-O-Matic, BWT, Caffè Carraro, Evoca, Foodness, Franke Kaffeemaschinen, Gruppo Cimbali, Gruppo Gimoka, Gruppo I.M.A., Gruppo Ryoma, Imperator, Kimbo, La Marzocco, Le Piantagioni del Caffè, Musetti, Sandalj, Simonelli Group.

Fiera Milano Press Office

Rosy Mazzanti – Simone Zavettieri

M +39 335 6992328 – Simone.zavettieri@fieramilano.it

Alessia Rizzetto Press Office

Alessia Rizzetto, M +39 3495284994

Gerardo Mauro, M +39 3288948120

press.host@fieramilano.it, alessia@alessiarizzetto.com