The best events to serve coffee at (and why it works)

We’ve served coffee at over 2,500 events across the UK and Europe, so we’ve seen firsthand what works and what doesn’t.

Multi-day exhibitions at Excel London work differently to one-day product launches. A conference needs different thinking to a roadshow. Ultimately, the best events to serve coffee at are the ones where it helps you achieve what you’re there for, whether that’s generating leads or just making your brand memorable.

Here’s what 12 years of working exhibitions, conferences, product launches, roadshows and corporate events has taught us.

Why coffee works at events

Coffee does something a lot of marketing tactics can’t: it gives people a reason to stop and engage. At an event where people are trying to decide where to spend their limited time, a proper coffee, made well and served with a smile, cuts through the noise.

Here’s why it works:

• Increases footfall: coffee draws people to your stand space or pop up
• Extends dwell time: a five-minute coffee stop turns into a ten-minute conversation about what you do
• Creates quality conversations: people are more relaxed with a drink in hand, making genuine engagement easier
• Associates your brand with quality: freshly ground espresso shows attention to detail and high standards
• Spreads far and wide: branded cups become mobile advertising as people carry them around
• Captures leads: systems like SmartServe mean you collect data with every coffee order – name, company, contact details – so you know exactly who engaged with your brand
• Creates shareable moments: branded cups, latte art and a good-looking setup can end up on social media, giving you free visibility after the event ends 

The event type shapes how these benefits play out. Here’s what works where.

The best events to serve coffee at

Exhibitions and trade shows

Exhibitions are packed, with hundreds of stands competing for attention. A coffee bar gives attendees a reason to stop at your stand, giving you chance to start a conversation that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

We’ve worked at all the major exhibitions across major UK and European venues, including Excel London, NEC Birmingham, Olympia London and Fira Barcelona. Different venues mean different challenges and experience with each one means fewer surprises on the day.

A barista can serve up to 500 coffees a day at busy shows – that’s hundreds of potential customers to connect with. You need baristas who can handle the pace without standards dropping.

Your coffee bar is part of your stand design. If it looks cheap or out of place, it reflects badly on you. Branded cups, a good-looking bar setup, professional baristas – it all shapes how people see your brand.

Here’s what to consider for your exhibition stand coffee service:

• Exhibition stands have space constraints. Your coffee provider needs to work with the space and handle setup to pack down without adding to your workload
• Plan for volume. At busy exhibitions, you might need multiple baristas to keep queues moving
• Branding matters. Your coffee bar should look like it belongs at your stand, with branded cups, bar design and uniforms that fit your aesthetic

Conferences and summits

Conferences work differently to exhibitions. People aren’t browsing; they’re sitting through hours of presentations and workshops. Coffee breaks are when they do the networking the organisers want them to do.

We work conferences at venues like ICC Birmingham, QEII Centre and Manchester Central, and we’ve learned the main challenge is often timing. A 200-person conference might mean 150 people all wanting drinks in a 20-minute break, so you need enough baristas to handle the rush.

Conference coffee bars also work great for sponsors. Coffee bars can be branded with logos on cups, aprons and the bar itself, giving sponsors visibility throughout the event. At Customer Engagement Summit 2025, we delivered eight branded coffee bars, each with a different sponsor. We served 2,306 drinks across the event, so each sponsor got serious visibility.

What to consider:

• Plan for 75% of attendees wanting coffee during each break, with enough baristas to keep service moving  
• Multi-day conferences need baristas who won’t let standards slip under pressure, plus fresh beans and clean equipment throughout
• Conference venues have different layouts, so coffee bars need to work with the space
• Event branding, host organisation or sponsor logos can all be incorporated into cups and bar design

Product launches and brand activations

Product launches and brand activations put your brand front and centre. A good coffee bar is part of the experience – it should look and feel like it belongs to your brand.

These events can vary hugely. You might have an intimate launch for 50 VIPs where every detail matters, or a high-traffic pop-up in a busy retail space, like the in-store café experience we served up at Coach on Regent Street. The volume is different, but the branding always matters.

Perhaps the biggest benefit is creating shareable moments. When your branded cups, bar setups and latte art look polished, people take photos. That content ends up on Instagram and LinkedIn, extending your reach beyond those who actually attended.

What to consider:

• Your coffee bar is part of your event design. Branding, bar styling and uniforms should all fit your brand
• Match your menu to your audience. Iced lattes and matcha for younger crowds, winter warmers for seasonal events, juice shots for wellness brands
• Brand activations often happen in spaces like retail environments, outdoor venues and pop-up locations, so setup needs to be flexible
• Volume expectations vary. An exclusive product launch needs every drink perfect while a busy activation needs speed without quality dropping

Internal engagement events

Internal events are about showing your team they’re valued. Coffee at team days, staff appreciation events or office gatherings gets people to show up and engage. It makes the event feel worth their time, not just another obligation.

What to consider:

• Office spaces have different constraints than event venues – power access, kitchen facilities and available space all vary
• Internal events are a chance to do something different. Latte art workshops, tasting sessions or themed drinks make it more than just another meeting
• Regular bookings work well for building culture – monthly coffee mornings or quarterly team days where good coffee becomes something people look forward to
• Use branding to reinforce what matters. Branded cups and coffee bar setups can tie into your company values, internal campaigns or quarterly themes

Roadshows

Roadshows mean moving from city to city, sometimes with just hours between events. You’re packing down in Manchester and setting up in Cardiff the next morning. A coffee bar gives people a reason to engage while keeping your brand visible across different locations.

An experienced provider makes roadshows work. We delivered Xero’s 2019 UK roadshow – 13 coffee bars across 11 events in one month, serving 2,726 drinks to small business owners and accountants. Consistency mattered most here: we had to deliver the same quality coffee and same branded experience from the first event in Newcastle to the last in London.

What to consider:

• Roadshow logistics can get complicated. Equipment needs to travel between cities, setup needs to be quick and everything needs to work first time in an unfamiliar space
• Multi-city campaigns are demanding on teams. Baristas need to handle the pace and keep quality up from the first stop to the last
• One provider across all locations makes coordination simpler. You’re not managing different supplies in different cities or risking inconsistent branding or service

Networking events

Networking events are about getting people talking. A coffee bar gives people a reason to move around instead of standing in the same spot with the same people. It creates natural breaks in conversation and opportunities to meet someone new.

These events are usually smaller and more informal than conferences or exhibitions. The coffee bar gives people an easy conversation starter.

What to consider:

• Networking events often run in the morning or late afternoon, so coffee fits the timing
• Volume is typically lower, but everyone might want coffee at once when they arrive. Our baristas are experienced and can serve up to 60 coffees per hour, so we handle the rush without queues forming
• The coffee bar becomes a focal point in the room, which helps get conversations started
• Branding works well here. A professionally branded coffee bar with your logo on cups and setup puts your messaging in the opportune spots – where people gather, relax and have conversations

What to look for in a coffee provider

When you’re choosing a coffee provider, here’s what actually matters:

Logistics handled end-to-end

A good provider manages power and water, brings equipment and handles setup to pack-down. You shouldn’t need to chase health and safety documents – risk assessments, insurance certificates and PAT testing should come as standard.

Experience with venues is important. We’ve served over 1 million coffees across 16 countries in 10+ years, working everywhere from Excel London to Fira Barcelona. That experience means we understand venue quirks – space restrictions, access points, timing constraints – so setup and service run smoothly.

We also learn from every event. As our Marketing and Operations Project Manager Elsie explains, “After every event, our baristas complete a debrief and we use these notes to refine our planning. It’s gold dust when the same client books again and we know what worked from their previous events. The fundamentals work for any type of event: plan sensibly based on realistic numbers, brief clearly so everyone knows what’s expected and keep records to improve your approach over time.”

Coffee quality

Freshly roasted beans, ground to order for each drink, taste better than pre-ground coffee that’s been sitting around. We roast our own signature blend, Northern Espresso, in our micro-roaster specifically for events. Combined with proper espresso machines and experienced baristas, it makes the difference between coffee people want and coffee they leave half-finished.

Quality also means having the right menu options. Milk alternatives should be standard, not an afterthought. Your provider should also be able to offer teas, hot chocolates or extras like iced matcha based on what fits your event.

Lead capture options

For events where lead generation is the goal, lead capture turns casual conversations over coffee into leads. Badge scanning or digital ordering captures guest details with each drink, so you know who stopped by.

Systems like SmartServe use tablet ordering where guests input their details and drink order, and you can add custom survey questions to qualify leads.

Flexible branding

An exhibition stand might need full branding, with custom cups, branded aprons, bar units and even cappuccino stencils with your logo. An internal team event might just need clean, professional service without logos everywhere.

The branding itself should look polished, like printed cups that feel premium, not stickers that peel off. For repeat events, ask if your provider can store branded items so you’re not reordering every time.

Find out more about our branding options

Sustainability credentials

Sustainability is increasingly part of how people choose who they work with. We hold ESSA Tier 5 accreditation and offset our travel emissions as standard on every UK booking.

We also offer carbon offsetting for your entire event through our partnership with Ecologi, supporting tree-planting projects in coffee-producing regions. Recyclable cups, ethically sourced coffee and waste management are built into our service, not sold as extras.

Learn more about our carbon offsetting scheme with Ecologi

Approachability

Event planning is stressful enough without difficult suppliers. You need a partner who responds quickly, explains clearly and lets you ask questions. Good communication means straightforward quotes without hidden costs, updates without you having to chase and a team who understands that last-minute changes happen.

How to plan coffee for your event

Here’s what you need to consider when planning your coffee service:

Estimating volume

• Conferences: around 75% of attendees might want coffee during breaks, though this varies
• Exhibitions: can range from a few hundred to 500+ drinks per day depending on foot traffic, stand location and event length
• Your provider should help you estimate based on your specific event type and expected attendance

Timing

• Conference breaks need enough time for people to get their coffee – a 20-minute break for 200 people typically needs multiple baristas to avoid long queues
• Exhibition service runs all day with consistent availability rather than rush periods

Space and setup

• Share your stand layout or floor plan early
• Your provider needs to know about power access, water supply and available floor space
• Coffee bars are flexible but work best when logistics are sorted upfront

Booking

• The earlier you book, the easier planning becomes
• Get a clear quote that includes service, equipment, setup and branded cups if you want them
• Your provider should handle logistics and advise on what works for your space

Add coffee to your next event

Whether it’s a stand at the NEC or a multi-day conference, we’ll make sure your coffee service delivers. We’ve been doing this for over 10 years across major UK and European venues, so we know exactly what works and what doesn’t.

Want to discuss coffee for your next event? Get in touch and we’ll help you turn coffee into conversations, leads and brand moments.