Coffee Catering for Conferences and Expos
High-volume specialty espresso service for multi-hour events with hundreds of attendees. We handle the coffee. You focus on the conference.
WHY SOLARIUMBuilt for High-Volume, High-Stakes Events
Conferences and expos run on tight schedules. Breaks are short, lines form fast, and attendees remember a bad cup of coffee just as well as a good one. Solarium Coffee is set up specifically for high-throughput service: a La Marzocco espresso machine, experienced baristas who move with purpose, and a menu that is simple enough to execute quickly without sacrificing quality.
We have served events ranging from 25-person boardroom summits to multi-day events to expos with several hundred attendees. Whether you need one barista for a half-day breakout or two baristas running back-to-back sessions across a full conference day, we scale to your program.
✓ We bring everything. La Marzocco machine, grinder, all cups and lids, milk and oat milk, serving equipment. Nothing to source or coordinate on your end. ✓ We arrive early. We are dialed in and pulling shots before your first session starts.
✓ We stay through the last pour. Service runs for your full event duration, from opening keynote through the final networking block.
✓ We clean up completely. We leave your venue exactly as we found it.
WHAT SETS CONFERENCE SERVICE APARTNot All Catering Coffee is Conference-Ready
Most conference coffee is a hotel urn that was brewed two hours ago. Here is what Solarium does differently.
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Speed Without Shortcuts
Our baristas are trained for volume service. We move efficiently. Every drink is still pulled fresh to order, not pre-batched or sitting in a thermos. Our menu is designed to make it easy to craft a variety of high quality drink options quickly.
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Specialty Coffee, Not Hotel Coffee
We source single-producer beans from some of the world’s most respected roasters. We bring our house-made seasonal and signature syrups to every event too. Attendees notice the difference immediately, and they talk about it.
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A Brand Moment, Not Just a Beverage
Custom cups printed with your event or sponsor logo, a signature drink named for your conference theme, and a fully branded cart are all available. Check out our gallery.
CAPACITY AND PRICINGScale to Your Attendee Count
Our pricing is transparent and published. No quote forms that take three days to hear back from. Below is our standard service structure for conference and expo events. Travel fees may apply for conferences outside of our service area.
1 Barista
Est. Drinks / Hour: 50
Best for: Breakout sessions, half-day summits, events up to 100 attendees.
Starting price: $599
2 Baristas
Est. Drinks / Hour: 100
Best for: Full-day conferences, expos, events with 150 to 350+ attendees.
Starting price: $999
Hourly rates apply ($200/barista-hr) for events beyond 2 hours. Add-ons including custom cup branding ($150), a custom signature drink ($100), custom cart branding ($300), as well as menu additions of specialty drip coffee, cold brew, matcha lattes, and chai lattes are available by request. Tax and platform fees not included.
BOOKING PROCESSFrom First Message to Event Day in Four Steps
Conference planning involves enough moving parts already. We make the coffee portion straightforward.
1. Send Us Your Event Details
Tell us your date, location, estimated headcount, and how many hours of service you need. Email, form, or text all work. Ben or Halle responds the same day, usually within minutes. We collect all the information we need in our quote form.
2. Review Your Quote
We confirm barista count, service duration, any add-ons, and travel fee if applicable. Our pricing is transparent and you will see the full number before committing to anything.
3. Confirm and Pay
We hold your date with a prepaid booking. For conferences with branding add-ons, we coordinate those details in the two weeks leading up to your event.
4. We Show Up Early and Handle Everything
On event day, you will recognize us. We are the same people you have been texting. We arrive before your first attendees, run clean and efficient service throughout, and leave your space exactly as we found it.
CUSTOM BRANDINGTurn the Coffee Cart Into a Conference Asset
Conferences live and die by their details. A coffee station is a natural gathering point during every break. With a few add-ons, it becomes something people photograph, share, and remember.
We offer custom cups with your event logo or sponsor mark, a bespoke signature drink named for your conference, and full cart branding with your graphics. All of these are available with two weeks notice.
For events with a sustainability or sourcing story to tell, our single-farm espresso upgrade sources from a traceable single-producer lot from specialty roasters. It is a specific, credible detail that resonates with audiences who care about where their food and drink comes from.
Branding Add-Ons
Custom Cup Branding: $150
Custom Signature Drink: $100
Custom Cart Branding: $300
Branding add-ons require 2 weeks notice. Quantities confirmed at booking.
Menu Customizations
Single-Farm Espresso Upgrade
Specialty Drip Coffee / Cold Brew
Matcha / Chai
Menu customizations are priced based on final guest count.
WHAT CLIENTS SAYReviewed by Event Professionals
Every review below came from a real event in Greater Boston. We have over 40 five-star Google reviews.
★★★★★
"The most unique specialty coffee we have ever had at one of our events."
DOM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EVENTS
★★★★★
"Great customer service and delicious coffee. Perfect for a corporate event, will definitely hire again!"
EMILY, VP EMPLOYER SALES
★★★★★
"Ben at Solarium was fantastic and so professional to work with for a corporate event. The coffee cart setup was impressive and aesthetic, and the drinks themselves were unbelievable."
GILLIAN, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Organizations We’ve Worked With
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions from conference and event planners we hear often.
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Our pricing starts at $599 for one barista (covering 1 to 2 hours of service) and $999 for two baristas. Multi-hour events are priced per additional hour beyond the base rate. A travel fee applies for venues outside our service area. Full pricing is published on our pricing page, so there are no surprises.
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Yes. With two baristas running simultaneously, we can serve roughly 90 drinks per hour. For conferences where the full attendee count is not in line at once (which is typical during breaks), this covers events well into the 300 to 400 range. We can discuss your specific break schedule and expected traffic patterns to recommend the right configuration.
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We do. Multi-day events are priced per day of service. Get in touch with your event dates and we will put together a quote for the full run.
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Access to a standard electrical outlet and a small footprint for the cart (roughly 6 by 6 feet). We do not require a dedicated water line. We bring our own water supply for standard service.
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We recommend reaching out at least three to four weeks before your event, especially if you want branding add-ons, which require two weeks notice. That said, we accommodate shorter timelines when our calendar allows. It is always worth asking.
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We serve conference and expo venues across Boston (Financial District, Seaport, Back Bay, Downtown Crossing), Cambridge (Kendall Square, Harvard Square), Newton, Waltham, Needham, Framingham, Natick, Dedham, Quincy, and surrounding communities.
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Yes to both. We carry oat milk as a standard dairy-free option and can accommodate decaf requests. Let us know your audience profile when you book and we will plan accordingly. We always bring a handful of decaf servings. If you expect decaf to be a popular option, we recommend adding the Decaf Espresso add-on to your service.
Book Specialty Coffee Catering for Your Conference or Expo
Ready to bring the Solarium Coffee cart to your event? Fill out this form for a quote (we’ll get back to you in minutes), or call us at (617) 620-0232.