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MILAN – With Luigi Morello and M25, Host Talks becomes an international laboratory: networking, training, and sustainability to rethink coffee as a strategic lever that goes beyond the simple product.
Coffee is much more than a cup. It is culture, innovation, sustainability, and future. From this conviction comes Beyond the Cup – Host Talks, the new format that, at Fiera Milano from 17 to 21 October during Host 2025, will place the entire coffee supply chain at the center, with an innovative, inclusive, and multidisciplinary approach.
Coffee at HostMilano
“In the coffee world there are already many events, but we felt that something like Host Talks was missing,” says Luigi Morello, who coordinates the initiative with M25 Consulting. “The idea is to create a platform that allows professionals across the supply chain to share the most interesting emerging themes, highlighted through careful international research. That’s why we chose the subtitle Beyond the Cup: the goal is precisely to go beyond the cup.”
This concept translates into a rich program of conferences, workshops, and round tables, designed to provide a 360-degree vision.
“Today, from raw materials to machines, from design to next-generation technologies, all the way to sustainability, everything forms a single integrated system,” Morello explains. “Coffee is no longer just a product, but a strategic lever that crosses all of hospitality. What differentiates Host Talks from other events is precisely this ability to shift the focus from the product to an integrated vision, which becomes a path of growth.”
The heart of the project is also networking
“We Italians are not always good at creating system, and for this reason we wanted to focus also on mutual knowledge. Every real change is born by putting people at the center,” observes Morello. People will also be protagonists of an important educational dimension, another key aspect for the evolution and growth of a sector that must respond to the demands of an increasingly complex market.
“Our goal is to highlight and communicate the full potential of training and professional schools. Abroad there are highly specialized paths, for example to become sales managers in the coffee machine sector. In Italy, today, such skills are learned only in companies: it’s time to fill this gap.” Educating professionals, according to Morello, also means educating consumers.
“In Italy we have a strong coffee culture, but too often espresso is still perceived as a commodity, a fixed-price product to drink quickly at the counter. This penalizes quality, because those who choose a lower-quality product can maintain higher margins. We need to give consumers the tools to recognize quality and become a positive challenge for professionals, pushing them to improve.”
The outlook also extends to new market dynamics. “I don’t see the growing popularity of specialty coffees or alternative brewing methods as a threat, but as an opportunity. It’s an evolution that integrates with tradition, broadening the choices available to an increasingly demanding and informed public,” Morello states. Coffee chains, which currently account for 10% of the Italian market compared to an international average of 30%, represent another imminent challenge. “There will certainly be room for growth, and many major companies are eyeing our country with interest.”
Sustainability, finally, is a common thread running through the whole of Beyond the Cup
“Coffee is among the crops most vulnerable to climate change: we need more resistant varieties, innovative farming practices, and sustainable solutions. But the future also opens up new scenarios: people are already talking about cultivating coffee in parts of Southern Europe, such as Sicily and Calabria, where the climate is becoming increasingly similar to the areas of origin.”
With Beyond the Cup, and with the historic SIC – Salone Internazionale del Caffè, HostMilano once again confirms its role as the international reference point for the future of coffee and hospitality. “We are experiencing a moment of great challenges, but also of great opportunities,” concludes Morello. “With Host Talks we want to face them with a holistic vision, connecting people, skills, and ideas. That’s what it means to go beyond the cup.”
With Beyond the Cup, HostMilano 2025 establishes itself as the global meeting point for those who live the world of coffee and hospitality, through training, networking, and sustainability. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this journey that looks beyond the cup: purchase your ticket now at a special price with the Early Bird option, available only until 17 September on the Host online ticket office.
