From Heylo product launches to coffee technician summits, November is set to be a busy few weeks in the world of coffee. New Ground rounds up all the highlights for the month ahead.

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And, just like that, 2022 is almost at an end. This year has been fit to burst with events and trade shows, as life has slowly returned to some semblance of normality after two years of pandemic-induced travel disruption.

Last month saw the long-awaited return of the New York Coffee Festival, while FHA Singapore attracted thousands to the Singapore Expo, where Carimali and Elektra both exhibited.

November is set to be equally busy, with the final flurry of international coffee events, product launches, and a world barista champion tour. Here is a roundup of this month’s most interesting things to look out for:

Join the fun at Milan Coffee Festival | Nov 12-14

Milan has become Europe’s unofficial coffee event capital in recent years, with the last instalments of HostMilano and World of Coffee both held there.

Milan Coffee Festival may not have the same global pull as those events – but it’s sure to be a blockbuster three days nonetheless.

Returning to Superstudio Piu in the city’s lively Zona Tortona between November 12 and 14, Milan Coffee Festival is set to feature a packed schedule of competitions, talks, and exhibitors.

Attendees will have the chance to delve into the Roasters Village, watch some of the world’s best latte artists, and enjoy cold brew negronis over in the Aperitivo Corner.

A must-watch is Roast Masters, where 14 of Italy’s best specialty roasters will compete in teams in a fast-paced, head-to-head, knockout tournament.

Discover the potential of Asia’s coffee industry at Cafe Show Seoul | Nov 23-26

Over the last few years, Asia has become a key market for coffee businesses around the world as younger generations take an increasing interest in coffee. In China alone, coffee consumption is growing at around 15% per year, compared to a global average of just 2%.

The Cafe Show Seoul presents the perfect opportunity for industry professionals to learn  more about the Asian coffee market, discover its unique trends, and network with a diverse range of businesses. 

Held at the Coex, World Trade Center in South Korea’s capital city, Cafe Show Seoul has gone from strength to strength since launching in 2002 and is expected to draw tens of thousands to this year’s event.

It will take place across four days from November 23 to November 26, and is set to run alongside the 2022 World Coffee Leaders Forum and the Seoul Coffee Festival.

Heylo to roll out new models for client testing | Nov

Heylo Coffee already sent shockwaves through the coffee industry when it unveiled its innovative espresso and milk modules.

The boiler-free system, designed to rapidly heat small quantities of water or milk on demand, was praised as being a game-changer at a time when environmental sustainability is the number one concern.

Now, after a series of successful field tests, including the first at Nowhere Coffee & Community in Milan, Heylo is ready to officially launch to the wider public.

“We have already installed the first units of Heylo here in Italy and the feedback from our clients was amazing,” says Jaime Gamoneda, Heylo’s commercial director.

“The most important feedback we got is that thanks to the flow and temperature control Heylo performs, our clients get super consistent extractions, one after the other.

The temperature profiles we develop during the shot together with the flow ratio profiles also helped clients find different flavour profiles in their coffee, while highly improving their espresso extraction. And, all of that saving up to 90% energy – it is just amazing.”

WBC champion Anthony Douglas set to tour around Australia | Nov 3-17

In September, a new World Barista Champion was crowned at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE).

Anthony Douglas, a coffee training manager at Axil Coffee Roasters, took the title from last year’s winner, Diego Campos, after impressing the judges with his “freeze-dried milk” (AKA cryodesiccated milk). 

Now, Douglas is embarking on a nationwide tour of Australia, his home country. Between November 3 and 17, the new WBC champion will be travelling through Adelaide, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Sydney, before finishing up in Melbourne where it all began.

People will have an opportunity to try Douglas’ winning coffee and cryodesiccated milk prepared by the man himself.

He will also be answering questions on a panel alongside others from Axil Coffee Roasters, giving those in attendance unprecedented access to the inner workings of the road to becoming a world barista champ.

Coffee Technicians Guild Summit 2022 | Nov 29-30

The Coffee Technicians Guild Summit is a mecca for coffee machinists, technicians, designers, and engineers from around the world.

This year’s event is set to take place at Accademia del Caffé Espresso in Northern Italy. Over the course of two days, attendees will have the opportunity to get involved in hands-on workshops and educational sessions with industry experts.

Returning for the first time since 2019, the focus will be on automatic and superautomatic coffee machines, scale accuracy and calibration, and sustainability best-in-practice.

However, the summit will also provide a space for networking and learning about the latest developments in coffee technology.

Photo credits: Gary Handley (Milan Coffee Festival), Sinan Muslu (World Barista Champion)