At the new Chocolate Summit, which is slated to take place in London on September 5 and 6, 2019, AAK will showcase the expertise based on the findings of a recent survey of chocolate consumers in 12 countries, which include the fact that as many as 80 percent of chocolate consumers globally would like to try non-dairy milk chocolate; 31 percent considered a high-protein claim to be important when buying chocolate, and 40 percent admitted that they ate sweet chocolate and nut spreads with a spoon straight from the jar. These findings underlined how the company was able to deliver the very latest consumer insights to support customers with product development.

The event will be highly interactive, with an opportunity for attendees to take part in a Chocolate Safari on the streets of London, visiting independent boutiques, larger businesses, department stores, and restaurants.

There will be creative roundtable discussions and a chance to taste the newest innovations in chocolate, developed to align with the latest emerging trends, including formulations that are high protein, plant-based/vegan, and very low in sugar.

The Chocolate Summit is targeting B2C (business-to-consumer) brand and marketing professionals from the chocolate industry all over the world, who can register online to attend it.

There will be sessions focussing on topics such as brand strategy, overcoming barriers for growth, consumer drivers and online experiential marketing.

The line-up of speakers includes:

Joost Lindeman, global brand director, Barry Callebaut
Simon Black, chief strategy officer, Design Bridge
Christopher Slim, chairman, N!CK’s
Metin Salih, international artist and illustrator
Johan Westman, president and chief executive officer, AAK Group

The Chocolate Summit will be facilitated by Peter Wennström, president, The Healthy Marketing Team. He said, “This event will be an excellent opportunity to understand the motivations of today’s chocolate consumers. How is greater interest in raw material sourcing practices affecting purchasing decisions? In what way is concern about sugar impacting on how people shop the chocolate category?”

“We will be taking a deep dive into these issues, and more, with an emphasis on delivering frontline insights to delegates that will give them an edge in a fiercely competitive market,” he added.

Marco Oomen, global business director, chocolate and confectionery fats, AAK, said, “The results from AAK’s latest consumer research give the chocolate industry a lot to think about by highlighting the beliefs and behaviours that are re-shaping the industry.”

“Our Chocolate Summit in London will bring together marketing and brand experts from across the chocolate supply chain to explore how we can interpret these emerging trends, and others, to create products aligned with the needs and preferences of modern consumers,” he added.

AAK is one of the world’s leading suppliers of oils and fats to the chocolate industry, with chocolate and confectionery innovation centres located globally.

With a focus on co-development, AAK is committed to working closely with its customers to create products that consumers will want to buy time and time again.