Catering case study
Payabl at ICE Barcelona: A Coffee and Matcha Bar for an Exhibition Stand
Three days of barista-made coffee and matcha on Payabl's stand at ICE Barcelona, 19–21 January 2026, running alongside the client's own VR basketball challenge.
Event at a glance
- Event
- ICE Barcelona
- Dates
- 19–21 January 2026
- Service
- Coffee and matcha bar
- Drinks capacity
- Approx. 550 (planned)
Who, where and when
Payabl, the payments company, exhibited at ICE Barcelona from 19 to 21 January 2026. Pearl Lemon Catering was booked to run a barista coffee and matcha bar on the stand for all three show days, and was confirmed as the paid supplier on 19 January.
What made this brief different
Payabl wanted the drinks to look like part of the stand, not a generic coffee counter. The planning discussed green and purple matcha, purple foam, and branded cups, stickers, aprons and menu boards. Each extra colour, recipe or branded item adds preparation time and supplier lead time, and slows a bar that has to keep moving through peak aisle traffic. We can confirm that these ideas were explored; we do not claim which of them appeared on the stand.
Show-floor logistics set the limits. Power, water, refrigeration and waste all had to work within the stand footprint and the venue’s rules, and visitors needed room to order without blocking Payabl’s sales team.
Who did what
- Payabl: the stand, its design, the sales team and its own VR basketball challenge, which Pearl Lemon did not provide.
- Pearl Lemon Catering: the barista service, the coffee and matcha menu, equipment and stock, and running the bar across the three days.
The menu and operating method
The menu was deliberately compact, at four drinks, so baristas could serve quickly at busy moments and stock would last a long show day without constant restocking through crowded aisles. Planning allowed for roughly 550 drinks across the show; that was the capacity we prepared for, not a count of drinks served. The bar was positioned to sit beside the VR challenge, offering visitors a quieter second reason to stay on the stand after the more energetic attraction.
Outcome
Pearl Lemon ran the coffee and matcha bar on Payabl’s stand across all three days of ICE Barcelona. We do not publish a served-drinks total or any claim about leads or visit length, because neither was measured by us.
Scoping a stand bar
Decide first what the drinks are for: drawing people in, keeping them on the stand longer, or giving the sales team an opening. Then size the menu, staffing and stock to that goal. Send us:
- the show name, dates and opening hours
- stand size, layout and where the bar can go
- the power, water and waste arrangements provided by the organiser
- any branding you want on cups, foam or signage, and your artwork deadlines
- expected visitor numbers per day, as an estimate
Branded items need the longest lead time, so raise them early. To start, contact our events team or book a call.
Questions buyers ask
Can you run a coffee and matcha bar on a trade show stand?
Yes. We ran a barista coffee and matcha bar on Payabl's stand at ICE Barcelona for all three days, 19 to 21 January 2026. The menu was focused on espresso drinks and matcha so the bar could run efficiently through peak visitor periods.
How many drinks should we plan for a three-day show?
For Payabl capacity was planned at approximately 550 drinks across the show. That figure was the planning allowance, not a count served. We size stock to your stand traffic, opening hours and goal for the bar.
Did Pearl Lemon run the VR activation on the stand?
No. The VR basketball challenge was Payabl's own activation. Pearl Lemon's remit was the hospitality: the barista service, the coffee and matcha menu and running the bar across the show days.
Can stand drinks be branded?
Branding ideas such as coloured foam, aprons and cups can be explored during planning, as they were with Payabl. Tell us your brand assets and deadlines early, because branded items need lead time before a show.
What should we send for an exhibition bar quote?
Send your stand size and position, show dates, opening hours, the venue's water and power provision and what you want the bar to achieve, such as footfall or longer visits. We plan a bar that fits the space.
