When the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Public Library in Mostar asked us to organise the 4th Children’s Book Festival, “The Tree in the Middle of the World”, we knew it would test every skill an event organiser in Bosnia and Herzegovina needs. Over three days in October 2026, we delivered 28 free programmes for 2,000 children, teachers and librarians.
At a glance
Programmes: 28+ free activities over 3 days
Participants: 2,000 children
School visits: 14 authors in 14 schools, from Neum to Međugorje
Guests: Speakers from 7 cities in 4 countries
One team, many moving parts
The festival combined workshops from kindergarten to secondary school, author visits across the canton and a professional programme for librarians. We brought in speakers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and North Macedonia and took care of their travel, accommodation and stay in Mostar.
Behind the scenes, we managed contracts, school schedules, registrations, photo consents, visual identity and six press releases. The library had one point of contact for everything, from the first concept to the closing ceremony.
Three venues, one continuous programme
We planned the festival outdoors in Zrinjevac Park, with permits, a stage and sound already arranged. When the forecast turned, we quickly moved everything indoors to the Croatian Cultural Centre Herceg Stjepan Kosača and Queen Katarina Gallery.
Midway through the festival, the gallery closed for renovation, so we relocated once more to the Public Library’s multifunctional hall. Every workshop stayed on schedule, and schools, workshop leaders and media received updates in good time.
Library Director Julijana Pavlović put it simply: “The children were happy, every workshop was very well attended, and some even welcomed more children than we had planned.”
What this means for your event
Contingency planning, stakeholder coordination and fast decisions on site are the same skills behind successful conferences and EU project events. International agencies gain a local partner who knows the venues, suppliers, institutions and media in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The library came back to us for a second, very different project, and that is the finest recommendation we could ask for. Planning an event in the region? Talk to an experienced event organiser in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we will keep your programme on track from the first idea to the final report.
Author: Josipa Terzić – Rezić, CIS and CCMEP Certified Professional Event Organiser
CIS – Certified Incentive Specialist (certified by SITE – Society for Incentive Travel Excellence)
CCMEP – Certified Congress, Meeting, and Event Professional (certified by the HCCP – Croatian Association of Congress Professionals)
mice@mice.ba | GSM: +387 63 408 597 | www.mice.ba
