Boona: The Coffee Experience, Where Connection Begins
- Icon Corporate Events
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
In a world where teams are constantly moving, responding, adapting and performing, sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is slow down.
Not to stop. Not to switch off. But to become present.
This is the thinking behind Boona’s Ethiopian Coffee Experience, a 90–120 minute facilitated team experience inspired by one of Ethiopia’s oldest and most meaningful communal rituals.
It is an experience built around coffee, but it isn’t really about coffee.
It is about people.
Coffee was never just coffee
Ethiopia is widely recognised as the birthplace of Coffea arabica, and coffee has been deeply woven into Ethiopian social and cultural life for centuries.
But long before coffee became a global commodity, it was something profoundly human: a reason for people to gather.
The Ethiopian coffee ceremony, often known as Buna, is traditionally a deliberate ritual of hospitality. Green coffee beans are roasted, ground and brewed, often in the presence of guests. The aroma fills the room. Conversation unfolds. Coffee is poured and shared.
There is no need to rush.
The ceremony creates space for people to sit together, talk, listen and simply be present.
Traditionally, the ceremony can involve several rounds of coffee, with each round carrying its own significance and the gathering becoming an opportunity for connection, conversation and community.
That spirit is at the heart of Boona - Which simply means Coffee in Amharic.
What if your team simply slowed down?
Modern workplaces are full of noise.
Meetings. Notifications. Deadlines. Growth. Change. Targets.
And sometimes, in the middle of all that activity, we lose one of the things teams need most:
time to connect.
Boona's Ethiopian Coffee Experience creates a deliberate pause.
Through live roasting, brewing, tasting, storytelling and facilitated conversation, participants are invited to experience a ritual where presence matters more than productivity.
There is no performance to deliver.
No competition to win.
No technical coffee knowledge required.
Just coffee, conversation and people.
A different kind of team-bonding experience
The Coffee Ceremony is not performative.
It is participatory and relational.
Participants experience the ceremony together before being guided through a series of simple sensory and reflective activities.
They might be asked:
What stands out?
What feels familiar?
What feels unexpected?
There isn't a single correct answer.
And that's intentional.
One person might taste something completely different from the person sitting beside them. Both perspectives can be valid.
That simple observation becomes a powerful metaphor for teams.
We don't all experience the world in the same way.
We don't interpret situations in the same way.
We don't solve problems in the same way.
And that isn't a weakness. It's a strength.
From coffee to conversation
Guests take part in a relaxed small-group tasting of two to three curated coffees, guided by simple sensory prompts.
The groups then share their observations and reflections, creating an inclusive environment where everyone has an opportunity to contribute.
From there, Boona facilitates a deeper conversation around:
Collaboration
Trust
Listening
Perspective
Psychological safety
Respect
Community
The conversation isn't forced.
It emerges naturally from the experience.
And that is what makes it powerful.
The ritual becomes the lesson
Following the coffee experience, the team is guided through a facilitated discussion connecting the ceremony to the way they work together.
What happens when we slow down enough to listen?
What happens when we stop assuming that our perspective is the only perspective?
What happens when we create intentional rituals for connection?
What happens when people feel genuinely seen and heard?
These aren't simply questions about coffee.
They're questions about culture.
The experience encourages teams to consider how deliberate moments of connection can strengthen trust, improve collaboration and create a greater sense of belonging, particularly during periods of change, growth or uncertainty.
And then there's The Sweet Edit
Because connection should also be enjoyed.
The experience can be accompanied by The Sweet Edit, a curated tower of coffee-friendly treats, which can include:
Butter shortbread
Chocolate truffles
Macarons
Mini biscotti
Mini muffins
Portuguese or Japanese tarts
Sambussa
Other curated seasonal treats
It's another opportunity to gather around the table and share something together.
Because sometimes the simplest moments create the strongest memories.
Build Your Own Blend
For teams looking for a more hands-on experience, participants can create their own coffee blend.
Build Your Own Blend invites each participant to explore different coffees and create a blend that reflects their own preferences.
Everyone leaves with 100g of their custom coffee blend, a small, tangible reminder of the experience and the conversations shared.
What's included?
The Ethiopian Coffee Experience can include:
Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony Complete set-up and facilitated delivery.
Three curated sensory experiences Designed to encourage observation, curiosity and participation.
Two guided reflective discussions Connecting the experience to collaboration, trust and perspective.
One storytelling session Bringing the history, culture and meaning of the ceremony to life.
The Sweet Edit A curated tower of coffee treats to complement the experience.
Build Your Own Blend Participants create and take home their own 100g coffee blend.
Designed around your team
No two teams are the same.
That's why customisation sits at the heart of Boona.
The experience can be shaped around your company values, cultural themes, organisational mission or specific team objectives.
Perhaps your organisation is going through significant change.
Perhaps you're bringing together a newly formed team.
Perhaps you've grown quickly and need to reconnect.
Or perhaps you simply want to give your people permission to pause and spend meaningful time together.
We can tailor the experience and its facilitated conversations around what matters most to your organisation.
And through our trusted network of suppliers, we can coordinate everything from catering and entertainment to photography, styling and branded elements, creating a complete experience rather than simply delivering an activity.
Why Boona?
Because team building doesn't always need to be loud.
It doesn't need to involve competition.
It doesn't need to push people outside their comfort zone.
Sometimes, the most meaningful team experience is one that brings people closer to one another.
Boona takes an ancient communal ritual and creates space for modern teams to reconnect with something equally timeless:
the human need to gather, share, listen and belong.
Coffee becomes the connector.
The ritual creates the space.
The conversation creates the meaning.
And the team creates the experience.
Ready to bring your team together?
Let's create an experience that gives your people more than a break from work, give them a reason to connect.
Contact the Icon team today to discuss your objectives and create an Ethiopian Coffee Experience tailored to your organisation. Email info@iconcorpevents.com.
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