Listen to and participate in discussions on current topics about water security and quality on June 13 and 14, 2024 in Bled.
President of the Republic of Slovenia,
Nataša Pirc Musar,
honorary patronage
of the international
Bled Water Festival 2024
BLED WATER FORUM 2024 PROGRAMME
CONTAMINANTS IN WATER AND GLOBAL TRENDS
9:00 – 9:30 |
OPENING ADDRESSES Marko Gaji?, BWF co-founder, Slovenia Anton Mežan, Mayor, Municipality of Bled, Slovenia Jaeyoun Ko, President, KISA, South Korea Julijana Ber?on Hlebanja, Liza Dora Popp and Katrin Stjepanovi?, Grade 9 pupils at Primary School Bled, Radovljica Satja Sajko, BSc student in Food Science and Nutrition, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana Blaž Kuster, MSc student in Nutrition, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana Rade Šerbedžija, actor, director and musician Aleš Musar, First Gentlemen of the Republic of Slovenia |
9:30 – 9:45 |
Icelandic water Eliza Jean Reid, the First Lady of Iceland |
9:45 – 11:00 |
PANEL 1: Chemicals in water: what, how, solutions, legislation Moderator: Aleš Musar, First Gentlemen of the Republic of Slovenia Alistair Boxall, Professor in Environmental Science in the Environment and Geography Department, University of York and NERC-funded ECORISC Centre for Doctoral Training, United Kingdom Boštjan Križanec, Acting principal of the Centre, National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, Slovenia Veronika Matuszná, Water Protection, Department Ministry of Environment, Czechia Ljiljana ?uri?i? Assistant Professor, Vice Dean for cooperation with Commerce, Faculty of Environmental Protection, Educons University, Serbia Ta?ána Halešová, Project manager, ALS, Czech Republic |
11:00 – 11:30 | Coffee break I Press Conference |
11:30 – 12:30 |
PANEL 2: Chemicals in water – how they impact human health Moderator: Aleš Musar, First Gentlemen of the Republic of Slovenia Gonzalo Meschengieser, CEO, Argentine Chamber of Water (CAA), Argentina Mari Asami, Chief Senior Researcher, National Institute of Public Health, Japan Evgen Benedik, Assitant Professor, Clinical and Research Dietitian, Division of Paediatrics, University Medical Centre Ljubljana and Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Dražnka Stipani?ev, Head of Central Water Laboratory, Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute, Croatia Damjana Drobne, Full Professor, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Mira Pucarevi?, Full Time Professor, Dean, Faculty of environmental protection, Educons University, Serbia |
12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch |
14:00 – 15:00 |
PANEL 3: The role of innovation and water distribution Moderator: Milin Patel Matjaž Ber?on, Director, Komunala Kranj, Slovenia Gonzalo Meschengieser, CEO, Argentine Chamber of Water (CAA), Argentina Henrique Gustavo da Costa, Director of the Smart Water Solutions Business Unit, Iskraemeco, Slovenia Weslley H. A. Barbosa, Coordinator-Smart Water, Iguá Saneamento, Brazil |
15:00 – 16:00 |
PANEL 4: Ensuring the quality of bottled water Moderator: Milin Patel Rebecca Gerbec, Head of Sales and Marketing, Voda Rogla, Slovenia Avanti Mehta, Water Sommelier and Brand Lead, Aava Natural Mineral Water, India Nataša Stoji?, Associate Professor, Vice Dean for Education, Faculty of Environmental Protection, Educons University, Serbia Rafa? Paw?owski, Sales Manager, Masuria Spring, Poland Matis Allikmaa, Sales Director, HAAGE Water, Estonia Boštjan Jelov?an, Živa voda, Slovenia Kamil Schaumann, Schaumannovka, Czech Republic Ildikó Turóczi-Németh, Quality Manager, Chernel Water, Hungary |
16:00 – 16:30 | Break |
16:30 – 18:00 | PANEL 5: Does Lake Bled deserve a more detailed management plan? The panel will be Slovene speaking. Moderator: Matjaž Ber?on Alenka Mubi Zalaznik, Project Manager, LIMNOS Nataša Sovi?, Director, State of the Environment Office, Slovenian Environment Agency Blaž Veber, Director, Bled Tourist Board |
8:30 – 9:30 |
PANEL 6: Water and sustainable tourism Moderator: Milin Patel Dubravka Kalin, General Director, Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport, Tourism Directorate, Slovenia Klemen Langus, Director, Turizem Bohinj, Slovenia Iztok Altbauer, Director, The Association of Slovenian Natural Spas, Slovenia Sigrún Tómasdóttir, Resource leader for water and waste water utility, Veitur Utilities, Iceland |
9:30 – 10:15 |
PANEL 7: Introduction to global trends and new understanding of drinking water Moderator: Milin Patel Marko Gaji?, BWF Co-founder, EWSA founder, Slovenia Boštjan Oblak, Co-founder, Aquinity8, Slovenia Tanja Andrejasic Wechsler, Water Advocate and Designer, USA Sungwon Ahn, CEO, Pinot Lab, South Korea Mojca ?erpnjak, Head of marketing, Marmor Hotavlje, Slovenia |
10:15 – 10:45 | Coffee break |
10:45 – 11:45 |
PANEL 8: Global water trends in gastronomy and everyday life Moderator: Milin Patel Jaeyoun Ko, President, KISA, South Korea Peter Mihel?i?, Director, Vocational College for Hospitality, Wellness and Tourism Bled, Slovenia Danuša Škapin, Senior Advisor, Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training, Slovenia Gonzalo Meschengieser, CEO, Argentine Chamber of Water (CAA), Argentina Haneul Kim, EWSA Vice President, EWSA, KISA, South Korea |
11:45 – 13:00 |
PANEL 9: European Water Awards innovations showcase Draško Veselinovi?, President of the Slovenian Business and Research Association from Brussels Hubert Bialous, Prote, Poland, winner of EWA 2023 EWA 2024 finalists presentations |
13:00 – 14:30 | Lunch |
15:00 – 16:00 |
European Water Awards award ceremony Nataša Pirc Musar, President of the Republic of Slovenia Mario Gaji?, BWF Co-founder |
16:00 – 18:00 | International Water Tasting and Water Cocktails Under the aegis of European Water Sommelier Association Presentation and testing of waters and water cocktails according to new global trends in understanding water. |
The Forum will take place at the hotel Vila Bled in Bled, one of the ten most beautiful places in the world.
Forum address:
Vila Bled
Cesta Svobode 18, Bled, Slovenia
Registration is required for participation.
During the festival, we recommend accommodation in the Vila Bled hotel.
w: Vila Bled
e: recepcija-vb@brdo.si
t: +386 (0)4 575 3710
For BWF special offer please use the code BWF.
Co-organiser of the Bled Water Forum/Festival: