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With the global economic crisis eroding values and trust in the international community, the forum scheduled to be held at the picturesque lakeside resort on 1 and 2 September will be a platform for deliberations on ways for restoring trust through cooperation across various fields.

Running under the title "The Power of Trust", the event will feature panels on global leadership, cooperation in SE Europe, demographic change, contemporary topics such as cyber security and new technologies, and the role of tourism in global relations.

Cooperation with India will be given special attention, with emphasis on strengthening economic ties with the Asian behemoth. A debate on cooperation in the Western Balkans, a staple of the event, is also scheduled.

Foregoing debates directly related to current global flashpoints, the forum will debate burning issues in the world through cross-cutting themes which seek to pinpoint ways for overcoming gridlock in global relations.

Getting underway with a ceremonial opening on 1 September which will feature senior Slovenian officials, including Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec, the event will delve into global leadership through the main panel "The Philosophy of Leadership".

The panel featuring high-level participants from Turkey, China, India and Sri Lanka will be opened with a keynote address by Slovenian President Borut Pahor and is likely to touch on some of the most pressing topics in the world.

Although Slovenia is still in the midst of getting a new government, a reason that high-level visits from abroad that customarily accompany the forum are not planned this year, the organisers expect that the opening proceedings will also be attended by Prime Minister-designate Miro Cerar.

Also on hand will be new Parliamentary Speaker Miran Brglez, who is due to address the opening ceremony.

Despite a lack of heads of state or government from abroad this year, the event has attracted at least half a dozen foreign ministers from the region and further abroad. Also in attendance will be representatives of several international organisations, including heads of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European Investment Bank (EIB), Suma Chakrabarti and Werner Hoyer.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will meanwhile use the event to present its better life index, which it uses as an alternative to GDP for measures the quality of life in individual countries.

The forum's organisers, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry and Centre for European Perspective, say that this year's event will lean heavily on promoting networking among the participants. This is also why the panels in what have been the two key sections - politics and business - will run in parallel.

Efforts have also been made to expand the pool of countries which contribute participants, with the number rising by more than half a dozen from last year to around 65.

In another novelty, a standalone event dedicated to global tourism will open a new focus theme for the BSF. "The Power of Tourism" debate is expected to feature as many as 200 participants from around the world debating topical industry issues.

As has become tradition, a version of BSF for young leaders from around the world is to accompany the main forum this year. The 20-to-30-somethings will focus their deliberations on ways to build global trust and be given an opportunity to present their findings on the first day of the forum.

Meanwhile, several teams of post-graduate students from seven countries will work on a business case study as part of a competition running from 27 to 29 August. The winning team, which will win a EUR 2,500 prize, will be announced on the second day of the BSF.

As part of the focus on economic cooperation with India, a 50-strong business delegation featuring representatives of two leading Indian business chambers will visit Slovenia to take part in the forum and meet Slovenian politicians and business officials.

India views Slovenia as a potential springboard to SE Europe and Slovenia has in recent years focused heavily on advancing bilateral ties.

This will be the ninth edition of the annual forum, which Slovenian officials have labelled a showcase event for the country. With the 10th anniversary looming, the organisers are confident the forum has caught on internationally and can be compared to other similar events in the region, including the European Forum Alpbach.

To solidify its place among events in Europe dedicated to strategic brainstorming on topical issues, the forum's organisers are already eyeing ways to step up partnerships with various international bodies and think-tanks.