Amsterdam Cocoa Week 2025 – In the Know
Connecting Cocoa, Chocolate, and More with a week of discussions, conferences, masterclasses, and more. Chocoa/Amsterdam Cocoa Week is a Team TCL Guru member – please join the TCL community in supporting them.
What is Amsterdam Cocoa Week?
Taking place from February 4th through the 9th, Amsterdam Cocoa Week will bring thousands of cocoa producers, traders, processors, chocolate makers, authorities, and NGOs to the city.
Amsterdam Cocoa Week Calendar
Chocoa 2025
Chocoa is a contributing partner to the festivities of the 750th birthday of the Dutch capital: Chocoa brings the focus on Amsterdam in the debate on cocoa sustainability.
This year’s Chocoa brings together nearly 200 exhibitors and more than 130 speakers, hosts more than 20 partner meetings, and will host more than 2700 professionals from all parts of the cocoa to chocolate supply web.
List of all events and link to purchase tickets.
Events Highlights
| Tuesday | February 4th |
|---|---|
| Financial Course | Cacao entrepreneurs will be equipped with the financial knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the industry. From mastering the basics of financial management to securing the right type of capital for your business, this course will guide them through every critical step of the process. From exploring traditional loans, pre-financing for export cooperatives, CAPEX loans for infrastructure at origin, or climate finance, to understanding the right funding sources. |
| Farmers’ Day | The first Farmers’ Day at Chocoa is scheduled on the first day of the Amsterdam Cocoa Week, so farmers can benefit optimally from other events and networking. The Farmers’ Day allows for a peer-to-peer exchange among cocoa farmers and gives farmers the opportunity to set the agenda for upcoming Chocoa editions. Moreover, on the Farmers’ Day, farmers can have direct interactions with experts, relevant service providers and supporting organizations. |
| Wednesday | February 5th |
|---|---|
| Port of Amsterdam | EUDR implications for Trade & Transport (Registration required) |
| Private label Session | From Bean to Brand: Building a Successful Craft Chocolate Private Label brings insights into mega trends and Private and White Label worlds, followed by a focused session tailored to craft chocolate makers interested in entering the world of private label production. Guiding attendees through the essentials of building a successful private label line, including market insights, key requirements like consistency, packaging, and licensing, and strategies for attracting and managing clients while maintaining top-tier quality. This session helps makers understand the demands of scaling, the importance of pricing and contracts, and how to develop a brand that stands out. |
| Thurday | February 6th Amsterdam Sustainable Cocoa Conference |
|---|---|
| Session 1 | : Are we ready for a new era? The combination of a sharp rise in world market cocoa prices and a sharp decline in cocoa production seem to have caught the industry off guard. We take stock of the latest insights and predictions on cocoa prices and cocoa production. Panelists will bring in compelling evidence and share their expertise on market dynamics and the current challenges that lie ahead of the sector. Topics include understanding market dynamics and outlook for cocoa production, a future for cocoa smallholders and market segmentation. |
| Session 2 | Let's hear it from retail! Retailers are well positioned to influence sustainable sourcing practices and sustainable chocolate consumption. Increasingly, retailers showcase their private label chocolate as fair and sustainable chocolates. In this session we will hear from different retailers how they take responsibility, what drives them, and what are challenges. Topics include Sustainable procurement, Alliances between retailers, brands and NGOs and Influencing consumer behavior: the role of price and quality. |
| Thurday | February 6th Chocolate Makers Forum |
|---|---|
| Session 1 | : EUDR - Navigating the EUDR, Practical Steps for Compliance: This session will guide chocolate makers and cocoa supply chain stakeholders through the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and its traceability requirements. The session begins with a panel discussion featuring industry experts on the role of competent authorities, useful compliance tools, and the story from an experienced cocoa trader. Following the panel, there will be a break session into focused groups on key compliance topics: readiness assessment, identifying remaining compliance gaps, and determining partners, tools, and resources needed for full compliance. |
| Friday | February 7th Chocolate Makers Forum |
|---|---|
| Session 5 | : Tourism with a Taste: Leveraging Sustainable Cocoa Tourism: Creative ways to diversify income include cocoa and chocolate tourism are emerging as exciting frontiers. This panel will dive into how both the cocoa producing side and craft chocolate makers can turn tourism into a thriving, sustainable revenue stream. Tourism not only elevates the appeal of chocolate but also strengthens the identity of the people and places behind it. Topics include How sustainable tourism supports local economies, Case studies, Marketing and branding benefits of chocolate tourism and Engaging visitors through farm-to-bar experiences and chocolate tastings. |
| Friday | February 7th Cocoa Talks |
|---|---|
| Masterclasses | Dive into the rich and delicious world of chocolate with our expert Masterclasses. Designed for baristas, gelato makers, chefs and culinary enthusiasts, these classes offer a comprehensive exploration of the various uses of chocolate and cacao in the culinary arts. Think of cocoa based drinks and cocktails, savoury dishes, the use of cocoa pulp and fibres, chocolate sorbets and more. The three masterclasses of Chocoa will each have a different focus to inspire you on the use of cocoa and chocolate. This years focus is on Cacao based drinks, Making Gelato with Cacao and Cocktails with Cacao. |
Chocolade Festival Amsterdam
Hosting more than 40 exhibitors and activities ranging from workshops to The Hot Chocolate Awards, the Chocolade Festival Amsterdam will see over 8,000 chocolate fans of all flavors taste the work of some of the world’s best chocolate makers.
Venue – the Beurs van Berlage
Located a short walk from Amsterdam Centraal and the Dam Square, the Beurs van Berlage has few rivals when it comes to a location to host cocoa and chocolate events. Built around the turn of the 10th century as a community exchange, cacao was physically traded here until the 1970s.
About the Organizers
Organized in cooperation with the Chocolate Festival Foundation, CHOCOA is dedicated to creating a world with more sustainable cocoa—the foundation for better chocolate. We envision a world where cocoa production benefits farmers, their communities, and the environment: A world in which high-quality chocolate is accessible to environmentally conscious consumers everywhere.
With this mission, CHOCOA launched in 2012. Our goal has remained constant: Together, we drive progress in sustainability and raise consumer awareness to grow the markets for sustainable cocoa and chocolate.
Chocoa events have grown significantly over the past 13 years and we would like to reach out and create partnerships to increase our impact. There are many ways to collaborate, please take a look at our Partners page. (Link below.)
Options range from booths at the trade fair and/or the festival, preferred supplier for culinary masterclasses, rooms for dedicated sessions for customers, tables at the Grand Diner du Chocolat, visibility during Chocoa sessions, the Amsterdam Cocoa Week Reception, in publications and more.
Don’t see something that matches your needs precisely? Contact us to propose a custom package.
Chocoa’s activities expanded in 2024 with the first Amsterdam Cocoa Week, where we brought together over 2,750 professionals from around the world and engaged with more than 8,000 consumers, inspiring collective efforts to transform the cocoa sector and shape the future of cocoa and chocolate.
Join us in Amsterdam to expand your business opportunities, meet peers and cocoa & chocolate enthusiasts, and collaborate in shaping a better industry. We love seeing the impact of inspired collaboration in the cocoa sector!
Contact the Organizers
Email the Chocoa Team for more information about sponsoring, exhibiting, or participating.