General Meeting & Export Conference

This year’s German Sweets Annual Conference, held on June 26 and 27, 2025, offered not only in-depth content but also many opportunities for personal exchange in an inspiring setting. Around the general meeting, members gathered in Berlin-Friedrichshain to discuss developments in export business and to gain new insights for their future work.

During an interactive World Café workshop, participants discussed the needs of their export departments as well as potential new services that German Sweets could offer. The high level of engagement highlighted the importance of the association’s strategic development in providing optimal support for member companies.

The first day concluded with a scenic solar boat tour on the Spree River, followed by dinner at the “Pirates” restaurant – a successful mix of relaxed atmosphere and meaningful conversations. On the second day, the export roundtable took place at the “Treehouse” on the RAW grounds.

Top-class presentations provided a wealth of inspiration:

• Prof. Dr. Hinz from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy discussed the economic impact of the new U.S. tariff policy.
• Dr. Uwe Lebok spoke about the “wow effect” in target group-oriented marketing.
• Christopher Peters, CEO of the gourmet popcorn company “Knalle,” shared his journey into the premium segment through creative brand development.
• Margret Knitter (SKW Schwarz) gave a practical overview of origin labeling in international markets.
• Manuel Leckel from Euromonitor outlined which global markets offer strong growth opportunities for the confectionery industry in the future.

Once a year we organise a General Meeting and an Export Conference for our members. Each event takes place over two days.

General Meeting
At the General Meeting we report on the activities and strategies planned by German Sweets, which are intended to provide our member companies with even greater support at the present time. However, the General Meeting not only serves to ensure a smooth flow of information, but also to encourage the exchange of information among members. This is because the event is usually embedded in the overall programme of the Annual Conference. In addition to the General Meeting, the programme consists of numerous other activities, such as various export rounds, joint lunches and dinners and an interesting evening programme.