Catering case study
Reuters Events Pharma Barcelona: Two Branded Coffee Zones at CCIB
Barista service at two branded coffee zones for Reuters Events Pharma at CCIB Barcelona, 22–24 April 2026, including how the service was adjusted after a slower first day.
Event at a glance
- Event
- Reuters Events Pharma
- Venue
- CCIB, Barcelona
- Dates
- 22–24 April 2026
- Service points
- 2 branded coffee zones
The brief
Reuters Events Pharma is a major European conference for the pharmaceutical industry, held at the Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB) from 22 to 24 April 2026. Reuters organised the event and its sponsorships. Pearl Lemon Catering was engaged to run barista service at two branded coffee zones for the three days of the conference.
The constraint: conference break peaks
Conference coffee does not follow a steady flow. Demand peaks at registration and in the short breaks between sessions, when hundreds of delegates want a drink at the same moment. With two service zones, staffing, stock and machines needed to keep up with those peaks while each zone stayed presentable for its branding.
Our remit
Pearl Lemon's scope was the hospitality: staffing and running the two coffee zones, the drinks offer and the stock behind it. The conference, its programme and its sponsor arrangements were Reuters' own.
Adjusting after day one
Service on the first day was slower than planned at peak times, and Reuters raised concerns. On 23 April, Pearl Lemon wrote to Reuters to acknowledge the slower service, offer a stock top-up, and clarify how additional drinks would be billed. The 900 extra drinks referred to in that message were a billing allowance, not a count of drinks served. Replenishment and closer communication with the organiser then supported the rest of the three-day service.
The outcome
Pearl Lemon ran both coffee zones across all three days of Reuters Events Pharma, including the top-up agreed with the client during the event. We include the first-day challenge here because it is part of the story and shows how a multi-day service should respond when demand runs ahead of plan.
What this means for conference organisers
For multi-day conferences, plan coffee around the peaks rather than the daily total. Share the session timetable and expected delegate numbers in advance, agree how stock top-ups and extra drinks will be handled before the event, and keep a direct line between the organiser and the catering lead throughout. Tell us your break times and we will staff to them.
Questions buyers ask
Can you run barista coffee at a large conference?
Yes. We ran barista service at two branded coffee zones for Reuters Events Pharma at CCIB Barcelona over three days, 22 to 24 April 2026. Staffing, stock and machines are planned around registration and session-break peaks.
What happens if demand is higher than planned?
We act during the event. At Reuters the first day was slower than planned at peak times. On 23 April Pearl Lemon acknowledged this, offered a stock top-up and clarified billing for additional drinks, then supported the remaining days with replenishment and closer communication.
How are extra drinks billed at a conference?
Agree it before the event. At Reuters additional drinks were handled as a billing allowance, separate from the number served. Setting the allowance, top-up process and approval contact in advance avoids surprises when demand runs ahead of plan.
What should conference organisers send for a coffee quote?
Send the venue, dates, session timetable with break times, expected delegate numbers, number of service points and any sponsor branding. We staff to the peaks rather than the daily total.
