Rick Mead is the Managing Director of Pelican Rouge Australia, a Melbourne-based specialist in automated coffee machine systems for workplace, B2B, OCS and hospitality markets. With over 25 years in coffee machine automation, Rick has spent his career helping café and hospitality operators adopt smarter equipment and systems that save time, cut waste and lift consistency across high-volume service.

As the Australian partner for the Dr. Coffee and CAYE automation brands, and owner of Dr. Coffee Australia, Rick works closely with operators — from petrol stations and convenience stores to cafés and offices — to match the right level of automation and connected technology to their business, without over-engineering the solution. His approach is grounded in practical, real-world implementation: understanding where automation genuinely improves speed, quality and profitability, and where it doesn’t.

In this session, Rick draws on decades of hands-on industry experience to share where AI, automation and smart equipment are making the biggest difference for café operators today — and how to adopt the right tools without the guesswork.