Balance the Challenge

In addition to world-renowned guest speakers and senior corporate guest speakers, there will be also two Ministers from cocoa-growing countries present at CHOCOVISION 2012.

A keynote address by His Excellency Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, will open the first session 'Strategy: Drivers and Directions'. In his speech about a new chapter for cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire, he will highlight the reforms announced for the cocoa sector in Côte d'Ivoire, the world's largest cocoa producing country.

In the session 'Sustainability: Joining forces to close the gap' the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Republic of Cameroon, His Excellency Lazare Essimi Menye, will take part in the panel discussion about 'Public Policies: How to secure and steer sustainable cocoa supplies?' In this debate, the strengths and weaknesses of the different cocoa supply chain models applied in various origin countries will be analyzed.

For an update of the program, click on this link.

The CHOCOVISION organizing team kindly asks all invitees interested in attending the conference to register online by clicking on the box "Register here" on the left hand side, rather than by fax or mail.

The CHOCOVISION organizing team would also like to inform that the conference package Morosani Schweizerhof Hotel 4* Standard is fully booked. Therefore, it invites all interested participants to choose one of the other three conference packages available (follow this link).

Thank you very much for your understanding and cooperation.

Many of the guest speakers attending CHOCOVISION 2012 have already shared their thoughts regarding the conference and the cocoa and chocolate industry. They reveal why they are so eager to attend the conference, what CHOCOVISION can offer them and which messages they will deliver to the participants. They also express their opinion on issues related to cocoa supply, supply chain management, consumer trends and sustainability.

If you would like to find out more about our guest speakers, their opinions and their experiences, click on this link.

Two months after the invitations for Chocovision – Balance the Challenge were sent to stakeholders along the cocoa value chain in the whole world, registrations are starting to accumulate.

By taking a closer look to the participants’ nationalities, it becomes immediately clear that Chocovision will, indeed, be an international conference with attendees coming from every corner of the world. We can already boast the presence of 15 different nationalities, and are certain there are more to come. So far, the following countries will be represented: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America.

A good sign that forecasts a one-of-a-kind conference where to meet many interesting people and listen to intriguing speakers.  

Chocolate demand has increased steadily over the years. More and more consumers, especially in the emerging countries with a rising middle class, are discovering the sweet side of chocolate. This offers great business opportunities. However, the same stakeholders along the complex and fragmented supply chain from the cocoa bean to the chocolate bar are also facing key challenges. In addition to changing consumer needs and behavior, the industry must cope with economic uncertainties and volatile prices of the respective raw materials and is confronted with increasing regulation. In the cocoa growing countries, unsustainable agricultural practices and challenging conditions in regard to social and political systems and infrastructure are also among the issues the industry has to face.

Read the entire press release by clicking here.

CHOCOVISION is an international bi-annual conference for senior business leaders around the world and key stakeholders in the cocoa, chocolate and retail industry. The goal is to bring key stakeholders together to explore and initiate new approaches and solutions for securing a sustainable, successful chocolate future.

CHOCOVISION aims at providing a neutral platform for informed debate between business and politics, NGO’s and scientists, suppliers, farmers and consumers. In other words: between all stakeholders involved in the value chain from cocoa bean to chocolate bar.

The conference program will be structured around these three themes:


Strategy: Drivers and directions
Consumer behavior and trends are decisive for future success in the marketplace. How are the global consumer markets developing, what is the Next Big Thing? What are the chocolate consumption markets of the future? What are consumers’ expectations and taste preferences? What impact will demographic changes and health regulations have on (chocolate) eating habits? What is the outlook for demand given current growth rates of GDP and population? What is the role of prices? Where is the fair value for cocoa?


Sustainability: Joining forces to close the gap
While global demand for chocolate continues to increase, the supply of cocoa does not seem to be able to grow at the same rate, as a result of several social, environmental and sustainability issues. How could cooperation between industry, NGOs and farmers be improved to achieve more impact for the benefit of all?


Success: Proven progress (case studies)
Chocolate began to globalize at the turn of the millennium, moving increasingly to emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, China, India and Turkey. Case studies will explore how challenges can be turned into opportunities. For example: What is the winning formula to satisfy consumers in these new chocolate markets? How can innovation help reduce obesity while satisfying consumers’ love for snacking; or to respond to rising material prices? What are the positive health aspects of cocoa? 

The detailed conference program is now available. If you want to register go to the online event registration.

If you have any questions, please contact:
info@chocovision.ch
phone: +41 43 204 04 60