A month to go until our much-anticipated World Confectionery Conference

With just over a month to go until our 2025 edition of the World Confectionery Conference, there’s been plenty of anticipation building for the event, with the completion of its diverse line-up.

As we return to Brussels on 11 September, we once again place sustainability and industry innovation in the limelight, alongside a key spotlight on supply chains for the sector, including its crucial cocoa market.

Clearly, there have been plenty of tests for the latter in the past couple of years, including the comparatively high prices fetched on commodities markets, as well as persistent challenges of below poverty-line pay for many farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast, which has been at the centre of concerns over cocoa deficits during this year.

As previously, we are aiming for some straight talking debate and discussion on these topics, including how concerns over child labour are being met, environmental goals attained,  and consumers ever-shifting preferences being taken into consideration.

We will look at general issues facing the industry including how it engages with the march of technology with the advent of AI, how the sector becomes more resilient and some of the technology and solutions being put forward by companies to navigate market tests.

This year’s show has keynotes including Ferrero’s health and nutrition policy specialist, plus Caobisco’s vice president, Aldo Cristiano offering an update on the state of the sector, as well as Luker Chocolate, fresh from winning an accolade for sustainability practices at our last iteration of the conference.

Critically, there will also be plenty of sector insights under the microscope courtesy of presentations from Mintel Research group, as well as Euromonitor, offering its take on some of the major policy decisions that are shaping our industry this year and beyond. 

There will be a full additional cast backing our event, including some significant contributions from the Cama group on machinery trends, as well as ingredients developments, courtesy of Palsgaard, Alland & Robert, Bartek, Corbion, and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.

Then there’s our key QandA session on sustainability and the future of the confectionery industry, that will offer a frank forum on some of the biggest challenges that our sector is grappling with, as it faces increased operating costs, as well as regulatory pressures. There is also a greater thirst than ever to satisfy demand from consumers for new and engaging product ranges,

So, if you’ve yet to register for our 2025 event, make sure to do so as a priority via our dedicated website at the following link: confectioneryconference.com