March 11th, 2020
Today, the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) is announcing the postponement of their event until November 3-6, 2020, in light of local concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic. MICE is the host of the 2020 World Barista Championship and World Brewers Cup; consequently, these championships have also been rescheduled to November of 2020.
The producers of MICE have been working in close coordination with local governments since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Today’s decision was informed by consultation with both local officials and the community.
The other 2020 World Coffee Championships are being held at World of Coffee in Poland, produced by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). The SCA is in contact with its partner venues following today’s announcement from the World Health Organization recognizing the current COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic, to review options for postponing upcoming events, including World of Coffee. For more on this, please see this statement.
This postponement may present a number of logistical questions and changes, but we are committed to producing the best possible events, and to continue working with licensed WCE Competition Bodies to address any challenges that the still-evolving COVID-19 situation presents. Any competitors, volunteers, or judges who anticipate issues participating during the new dates should get in contact with WCE directly by emailing info@wce2.flywheelsites.com. National Champions who are not able to participate may be eligible to compete in 2021 through the Deferred Candidacy policy, which they can access by following this link.
We will work to share further updates with the community as soon as possible. We appreciate all the feedback and support as we work to address the diverse challenges facing our global community at this time.
YANNIS APOSTOLOPOULOS
CEO, Specialty Coffee Association
