Hosted buyer preview — COHO Expo
By invitation only. Various brand experiences across COHO, including Roaster Manifesto and Cupping Exchange.
JW Marriott Berlin · 24–26 November 2026
Master Event
Programme
Programme
Europe's most influential coffee & hospitality event returns to Berlin. 2,500+ senior decision makers under one roof for three extraordinary days — the 17th edition of the European Coffee Symposium, the Supply & Innovation Day, and the COHO Expo: truly the growth engine of Europe's coffee & hospitality.
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Senior Decision Makers
Across 52 countries
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VIP Buyers
€6BN collective buying power
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ECS Edition
Europe's premier coffee symposium
Plan Your Visit
Select a day to explore the full programme
Day 1 — Tuesday 24 November
COHO VIP Buyer Preview & Procurement Summit
The Procurement Summit
Three consecutive live podcast sessions decoding the sourcing and supply agenda for 2027 — consumer shifts, beverage innovation, and the bakery–coffee convergence.
Hosts: Tobias Pearce — Editor, 5THWAVE / World Coffee Portal & Jeffrey Young — Founder & CEO, Allegra Group & World Coffee Portal
Gen Z: the consumer your business cannot afford to misunderstand
Social-first discovery, visual drink choices and values-alignment — how Gen Z reshapes sourcing decisions now.
Elevating your beverage menu: functional drinks and alternative categories
Matcha, adaptogens, prebiotic sodas — which categories are genuinely growing and how to build a diversified menu.
Winning the one-stop visit: bakeries versus coffee shops
Operators from both sides of the convergence — what worked, what failed, what the supply chain had to do.
Communities aren't built on social media
A deep dive into the role of the coffee shop and hospitality in today's digital-first society.
Welcome drinks reception
JW Marriott Berlin
Day 2 — Wednesday 25 November
Supply & Innovation Day / COHO Expo / European Coffee & Hospitality Awards
1:1 meeting programme — open all day
300+ VIP buyers. €6BN collective buying power. Min. 10 pre-scheduled meetings per supplier/buyer participant — guaranteed. Until 17:30.
The Business Insight Summit
Six sessions. Six market lenses. In partnership with World Coffee Portal & Allegra Group. All sessions recorded live as 5THWAVE Podcasts.
Hosts: Jeffrey Young (Allegra Group) & Tobias Pearce (5THWAVE / World Coffee Portal)
Coffee in DACH 2026 — premiumisation, competition and the rising tide
Germany (8,400 outlets), Austria & Switzerland. The food-coffee convergence epicentre of Europe.
The technology market — investments separating leaders from the rest
Bean-to-cup automation, AI inventory, premium vending and the technology layer driving measurable returns.
Eastern Europe: the growth frontier
Romania +18.4%. Turkey +8.4% (5th consecutive year). Kazakhstan +10.1%. These markets have arrived.
France: from underdeveloped to unmissable
4,500+ branded outlets. €4.49 avg cappuccino — highest major European market.
China: the most significant competitive force entering European coffee
Cotti Coffee in four European markets. The Asian influence reshaping menus continent-wide.
Automation: from debate to decision
41% of consumers believe automated coffee can rival baristas. What the ROI data actually shows.
Brand experiences — COHO Expo floor
Various brand experiences across COHO, including Roaster Manifesto and Cupping Exchange.
European Coffee & Hospitality Awards & Gala Dinner
Grand Ballroom, JW Marriott Berlin
Day 3 — Thursday 26 November
European Coffee Symposium & COHO Expo
Brand experiences — COHO Expo floor
Various brand experiences across COHO, including Roaster Manifesto and Cupping Exchange.
Project Café Europe 2026 — the report that defines the market
Headline findings from the most authoritative dataset in European coffee. 57,700 outlets approaching 70,000.
Jeffrey Young — Founder & CEO, Allegra Group & World Coffee Portal
The scaled specialty brand — scaling excellence without compromise
How to grow a specialty coffee business without losing the quality, identity and authenticity that made it worth scaling.
The bakery reinventing coffee — food, coffee and the one-stop visit
How food-led operators build coffee programmes that genuinely compete — and what it means for the category.
The challenger brand — building and scaling for the next generation
The mindset, model and commercial decisions driving Europe's most exciting emerging coffee brands.
The technology-native operator — scaling with technology at the core
How a new generation of operators builds technology into the architecture of their business from day one.
The independent defining its category — the independent advantage
How Europe's most celebrated independents compete not despite their size — but because of it.
The Eastern European growth story — from local champion to international brand
The ambition, model and lessons from operators building Europe's fastest-growing coffee businesses.
The luxury reinvention — redefining premium in European hospitality
How the most sophisticated premium operators build propositions that command price, loyalty and admiration.
The sustainability pioneer — proving doing good and doing well are not in conflict
How businesses with strong sustainability credentials translate purpose into genuine commercial advantage.
The international expansion story — from one country to many
The decisions, mistakes and frameworks behind Europe's most successful cross-border coffee expansions.
Closing fireside — today's excellence is tomorrow's ordinary: the verdict
Jeffrey Young in conversation with the day's speakers. Ten stories. One question: what does the next standard look like, and who is building it right now?
Jeffrey Young — Allegra Group & World Coffee Portal
