At this yr’s London Espresso Competition, there have been noticeably fewer roasters exhibiting at their very own stands. As a substitute, extra roasters had partnered with tools producers to brew and promote espresso at their cubicles. Matcha and practical beverage manufacturers additionally had a a lot larger presence this yr in comparison with earlier editions, reflecting broader market traits within the café trade as operators look to diversify from espresso.

As roasters navigate the period of sustained excessive espresso costs, it’s clear that their priorities are shifting. Fewer have the funds or capability to exhibit at bigger commerce exhibits, and alternatively, are specializing in smaller regional occasions or internet hosting their very own pop-ups to handle money stream higher whereas nonetheless participating with the broader trade and customers.

I spoke with David Jameson at Danelaw Espresso to search out out extra.

You might also like our article on why roasters are pondering twice earlier than scaling.

Espresso occasions are altering

Main trade occasions have lengthy served as a springboard for roasters of all sizes to market themselves and generate extra income. In recent times, a rising deal with training, competitions, and networking has given rise to a extra numerous vary of espresso occasions, significantly in rising specialty espresso markets.

The London Espresso Competition (LCF) is without doubt one of the largest trade occasions, internet hosting the worldwide Espresso Masters competitors and an array of experiential options, together with Latte Artwork Reside, The Lab, the Roasters Village, and Brew Faculty. The 2025 pageant welcomed greater than 22,000 guests and 260 exhibitors to the enduring Truman Brewery venue.

Roasters from throughout the UK and Europe usually exhibit at their very own cubicles. Nonetheless, over the previous couple of years, the presence of mid-sized and bigger roasters at LCF has noticeably declined. Various smaller UK roasters have been in attendance this yr, aiming to ascertain extra of a presence within the nationwide market.

“Again within the 2010s, I bear in mind the primary flooring was filled with roasters, huge and small, with an actual espresso focus,” says David Jameson, the founding father of Danelaw Espresso, an award-winning specialty espresso roaster in Holmfirth, UK, and 2025 LCF exhibitor.

“However the development for the previous couple of years appears to be that fewer roasters are exhibiting, and as an alternative, they make appearances at their machine companions’ stands.”

This can be a strategic transfer that would assist roasters develop their attain in more cost effective methods. By collaborating with their tools suppliers, a lot of whom are more likely to have larger budgets for commerce exhibits, roasters can leverage their model energy. Moreover, roasters can align themselves with established tools manufacturers, reaffirming their quality-driven branding.

The results of excessive espresso costs on trade occasions

Along with the rising presence of kit producers, matcha, practical beverage, syrups, and artisanal meals manufacturers had a extra noticeable presence on the 2025 LCF.

“It feels as if there has additionally been a shift towards coffee-adjacent companies prior to now few years,” David says.

This represents broader café trade traits, as operators look past espresso, particularly whereas the C value stays excessive, to diversify income streams. Espresso retailers can’t ignore the growth in recognition of matcha, mushroom espresso, and extremely customised drinks, including them to their choices to attraction to Gen Z customers who more and more demand experiential drinks.

“Matcha and practical beverage manufacturers need to enter the specialty espresso house, and so they have the advertising spend energy to take action, whereas espresso manufacturers could not in the mean time,” David says. 

Excessive and unstable espresso costs have led roasters, specifically, to shift their priorities. Inexperienced espresso prices have greater than doubled over the past two years, leading to tighter money stream. Concurrently, borrowing cash has develop into dearer, which makes it more durable to plan for the long run.

In consequence, many roasters now have a smaller funds to attend bigger occasions, particularly as exhibitor and logistics prices have elevated over the previous couple of years.

Roasters are actually refocusing their consideration as espresso costs keep excessive

It’s a very difficult time for roasters at present, with espresso costs anticipated to remain excessive for the rest of the yr. Furthermore, it’s turning into more and more troublesome to set contract costs, as by the point a roaster agrees on a value with the vendor, the C value has fluctuated, usually necessitating renegotiation of contracts.

As roasters grapple with value volatility, exhibiting at bigger occasions turns into much less of a precedence, particularly for medium and larger-sized operations that must deal with securing capital to cowl the prices of inexperienced espresso.

“There are positively some difficult choices to make in the mean time. The place are your spending priorities? Does attending this occasion nonetheless have the identical profit it did ten years in the past?” David asks. “In 2025, when your working capital for a similar quantity of inexperienced espresso is now roughly double what it was final yr or the yr earlier than, there’s a development of ‘battening down the hatches’.”

A rising variety of roasters are actually questioning the worth of exhibiting at bigger trade occasions, and as an alternative, must dedicate extra time and funds to stabilising operations and navigating unpredictable market actions.

“There are actually dangers connected to not attending occasions, although; chances are you’ll miss a key contact or be seen as being outdoors the specialty espresso scene,” David says. “A roaster who’s there could have a chance to speak to your buyer, which may tempt them away. But when the money isn’t there to assist the present, then what choice is there?”

Smaller format occasions could supply a extra viable answer

Regardless of persistent challenges, roasters nonetheless want to stay related and retain their market presence – and attending trade occasions is a key a part of this.

Relatively than focusing totally on bigger festivals and commerce exhibits, we may see extra roasters pivot in direction of native and regional, smaller-format occasions. With decrease exhibitor prices and extra intimate settings, these occasions may present a extra accessible path to attach with potential purchasers and clients, providing roasters extra worth.

“For those who’re targeted in your native market, then the massive commerce present could be the one to sacrifice; nevertheless, when you’re aiming for a bigger attain, it might take precedence over smaller, in-person native occasions,” David says. “There’s no substitute for that spark of non-public interplay.”

Occasions like Dublin Espresso Competition, COFFeEAST, Iran Worldwide Espresso Competition (also referred to as Coffeexiran), and Ljubljana Espresso Competition have skilled explosive development in recent times, as roasters leverage these platforms to develop their networks extra strategically. 

This yr’s Glasgow Espresso Competition, as an example, noticed a record-breaking 2,000 attendees, signalling a rising curiosity in smaller-format espresso occasions. As main commerce exhibits like World of Espresso develop into completely different areas, the presence of native and nationwide roasters could enhance, making these occasions extra localised moderately than worldwide.

Unbiased pop-up occasions can also proliferate, as roasters look to have extra management over their branding and operations. Various outstanding specialty espresso roasters, together with Meeting Espresso, hosted their very own pop-up occasions at the side of LCF, whereas additionally co-exhibiting with tools manufacturers on the essential pageant.

Worth volatility poses quite a few challenges for espresso roasters, and its impression is clear at trade occasions. As securing the capital for inexperienced espresso turns into an even bigger precedence, attending massive festivals and commerce exhibits could develop into much less priceless.

As a substitute, we may even see a transition in direction of native and regional occasions, which inevitably may increase the recognition of smaller-format festivals and permit roasters to amass new purchasers and clients in additional strategic methods.

Loved this? Then learn our article on how smaller roasters can mitigate threat.

Good Day by day Grind

Wish to learn extra articles like this? Join our e-newsletter!