Minister Šibonjić spoke with representatives of the prestigious fair: Cooperation established between ZEPS and Celje Fair

(Patria) - Minister of Economy of Zenica-Doboj Canton Samir Šibonjić visited the headquarters of the Celje Fair in this city, accompanied by a delegation from the International General BH Fair of Economy ZEPS, led by General Director Elvir Ajanović, Executive Director Sanel Ibrić, and Director of Corporate Communications Adis Hasaković.

In discussions with the President of the Management Board of Celje Fair, Nina Ermenc Pangerl, Director for Commercial Relations Amadej 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 have opened this form of cooperation with a prestigious regional fair such as the Celje Fair. Economic fairs are promoters of the economy and they best open cooperation for national economies. Fair partnerships are therefore of great importance. I am very pleased that we have jointly raised the quality and significance of ZEPS, and in a very short time, to such an extent that we are now in a position to discuss partnerships with fairs like the Celje Fair. This is a great success for ZEPS, its team that has been successfully realizing it for the third year, but also for the Zenica-Doboj Canton and the economy of the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina – said Minister Šibonjić.

The cooperation will relate to the mutual promotion of ZEPS and the Celje Fair, i.e., the implementation of joint promotional activities through their own communication channels and via chamber networks.

Furthermore, the subject of cooperation will be the animation of exhibitors and visitors from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia for mutual collective appearances. The two sides also discussed the possibility of signing a Memorandum of Cooperation, as a basis for long-term partnership, which should take place at the beginning of next year.

“Celjski sejem d.d.” has a modernly equipped fairgrounds and congress center in the city center, which they call the “heart of Slovenia”, just as Zenica is the “heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.

The company is considered one of the leading organizers of fairs and economic events in the region. Celje Fair has a rich tradition dating back to 1963 and has become a synonym for innovation and quality in the fair industry.

Today, the company manages a large fair complex with over 20,000 square meters of indoor exhibition space, as well as larger outdoor areas for organizing major events. Celje Fair is known for its flexibility in adapting to the different requirements of exhibitors and visitors. This flexibility allows it to host various events covering multiple industries, including MOS and many other manifestations.

Celje Fair has so far organized 300 major fair events, on 60,000 m² of space, with 500,000 visitors. According to the Celje Fair schedule, there are three major events to be held in the first half of next year: Agritech Fair from January 29 to February 2, March Fair from March 13 to 15, and the International Industrial Fair from April 14 to 17.

The International General BH Fair of Economy 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 jointly contribute to the key imperative of focusing on the development and strengthening of the economy in the Southeast European region, at a time when global economic conditions are significantly changing 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 for everyone. ZEPS is among 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 exceptionally large number of B2B meetings, and at the last fair alone, as many as 2,500 concrete business meetings were recorded, along with concluded business deals. 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.