What Happens When Indonesia’s Coffee Community Meets in Jakarta?
The Jakarta International Coffee Conference (JICC) is scheduled for 13–15 November at Gedung A.A. Maramis. This year’s theme, “Indonesia: A Thriving Coffee Nation,” puts the people and businesses behind the cup in focus. The event is designed to connect the coffee chain, from origin through the market.
Pick one part of the coffee chain
A cup at the counter is the last step in a longer process. Growers make decisions about a crop; roasters work out how to bring out a bean’s character; baristas turn it into a drink. JICC’s programme also names farmers, business leaders, and policymakers alongside roasters and baristas, bringing different responsibilities into the same conversation.
Follow one handoff in the chain: how a processing choice becomes a roasting decision, or how a roast is translated into a drink. You do not need specialist vocabulary; notice what changes between the stages and how the people doing the work describe it.
Use the programme, not guesswork
The official programme lists talks and workshops, the Indonesia Latte Art Championship (ILAC), the Indonesia Cup Tasters Championship (ICTC), and SCAI Awards. The competitions test different skills: latte art is judged visually, while Cup Tasters is a blind comparison of coffees. The awards recognise work across the industry, from producers and roasters to cafés and professionals. Check the official programme for current times and visitor details before travelling.
Read session descriptions before travelling; note one you want to see and when it starts. That lets you plan around an actual programme item rather than guessing what the conference will offer.
Carry one detail forward
The most useful note may be a plain one: “this tastes sweeter,” or “that process changes the finish.” Write it in your own words while the detail is fresh. Later, you can look for the same thing in a cup you order or make at home.
If you work in coffee, compare how different roles define a good result. Visitors can listen for a detailed origin, processing, roast, or brewing that later appears in a cup. Linking one term to something you taste is easier than trying to retain a full glossary.
The market and culture around it
The market is part of the event, not an afterthought: the organisers list more than 50 curated tenants across the coffee chain, from producers to equipment and food-and-beverage businesses. If you visit, use the displays to connect a name or product with the stage of the process it belongs to. Check entry details and route before setting out.
Soundspresso is another part of the programme: a coffee-and-music experience with curated performances. It adds a cultural meeting point beside the talks, national championships, awards, and market for visitors interested in the community around coffee as well as its production.
Coffee for the journey, not the event
If you want a drink for the commute, Kopiko Lucky Day is one option. Check the venue’s rules before bringing outside drinks; the product is not presented as a JICC offer or part of the programme.
After the event, a cup at home or in a café gives you a point of comparison: you can trace one taste back to the stage where it was shaped.