Minister of Economy of Zenica-Doboj Canton Samir Šibonjić visited the headquarters of the Celje Fair in this city, together with the delegation of the International General BH Economy Fair ZEPS, led by General Director Elvir Ajanović, Executive Director Sanel Ibrić, and Director of Corporate Communications Adis Hasaković.
In a conversation with the President of the Board of Directors of Celje Fair Nina Ermenc Pangerl, Director of Commercial Relations Amadeja Gande, Fair Manager Brigita Bakarić and Fair Project Manager Špela Peras Podpečen, the readiness to establish cooperation between these two prestigious fairs was confirmed.
– It is very important that we opened this type of cooperation with a prestigious regional fair such as the Celje Fair. Trade fairs are promoters of the economy and they open cooperation for national economies in the best way. Fair partnerships are therefore of great importance. I am very glad that with joint efforts we raised the quality and importance of ZEPS, and that in a very short time, to the extent that we now have the opportunity to discuss partnerships with fairs such as the Celje Fair. This is a great success for ZEPS, its team of people who have been successfully implementing it for the third year, but also for the Zenica-Doboj canton and the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina – said Minister Šibonjić.
The cooperation will refer to the mutual promotion of ZEPS and the Celje Fair, that is, the implementation of joint promotional activities through our own communication channels and through the networks of chambers.
Also, the subject of cooperation will be the animation of exhibitors and visitors from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia for mutual collective performances. The two sides also discussed the possibility of signing a Memorandum of Cooperation, as a basis for a long-term partnership, which should take place at the beginning of next year.
“Celjski sejem dd” has a modernly equipped fairground and congress center in the center of the city, which they say is “the heart of Slovenia”, just as Zenica is “the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
The company is known as one of the leading organizers of trade fairs and business events in the region. The Celje Fair has a rich tradition dating back to 1963 and has become synonymous with innovation and quality in the fair industry.
Today, the company manages a large fair complex with more than 20,000 square meters of indoor exhibition space, as well as larger outdoor areas for organizing large events. The Celje Fair is known for its flexibility in adapting to the different requirements of exhibitors and visitors. This flexibility allows it to host a variety of events spanning multiple industries, including MOS and many other events.
The Celje Fair has so far organized 300 large fair events, on an area of 60,000 m², with 500,000 visitors. According to the schedule of the Celje Fair, there are three major events that will take place in the first half of next year: the Agritech Fair from January 29 to February 2, the March Fair from March 13 to 15, and the International Industrial Fair from April 14 to 17.
The international general BH business fair ZEPS will be held from September 2 to 5, 2026. With the message BUSINESS FIRST, the organizers of ZEPS recently invited exhibitors from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entire region to contribute together to the key imperative of putting the issue of development and strengthening of the economy in the region of Southeast Europe into focus, at a time when global economic conditions are changing significantly and when more and more opportunities are opening up for all of us.
They added that the message “BUSINESS FIRST!”, which is also the slogan of the ZEPS 2026 fair, should and must become a common commitment of everyone. ZEPS is one of the fast-growing fairs and today represents the largest multi-sector business platform in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and one of the most significant in Southeast Europe. More than 500 exhibitors from more than 15 countries participate in the ZEPS fair every year.
ZEPS is known for hosting an extremely large number of B2B meetings, and at the last fair alone, as many as 2,500 specific business meetings were recorded, along with business agreements. Precisely because of its reputation and regional significance, ZEPS 2026 is already positioning itself as the economic event of the year and a strategic place for strengthening regional and international economic cooperation, knowledge exchange and the placement of products, innovations and technologies.
