Organisers Koelnmesse said exhibitors include several newcomers from countries like Armenia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela – and the share of foreign exhibitors is 88%. In total, there are 32 country pavilions from 25 countries and regions. The Special Edition of ProSweets Cologne, the international supplier fair for the sweets and snacks industry, which 117 exhibitors from 23 countries have registered for, is being staged parallel to ISM. Together both trade fairs cover the entire value chain for sweets and snacks.
After the ‘re-start’ edition last year, the one-off decision to run ISM and ProSweets Cologne in April, rather than in February, was based on the many challenges the sweets and snacks industry is currently facing due among others to the huge price increases for raw materials, energy and logistics of the past months.
"Which is why we are all the more delighted that we are recording such a strong national and international participation at ISM in spite of this one-off postponement. This confirms how important the leading trade fair for the sweets and snacks industry is and shows once again that the trade fair format is urgently needed by the exhibiting industry," said Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.
With this year's key theme ‘Encourage! Enable! Excite!’, ISM is addressing the industry's manifold challenges and drawing attention to the related opportunities. ISM has a reputation for offering a platform for dialogue between industry players and for joint discussions on innovative solutions and new approaches. Various event and networking formats offer the opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss issues and gain inspiration.
Organisers said the highest number of foreign exhibitors come from Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the USA. China, Latvia, Lithuania and Taiwan are represented at group stands at ISM for the first time again since 2020 - and Peru is participating with a country pavilion for the first time.
- ISM/ProSweets runs from 23 to 25 April at the Koelnmesse Exhibition Centre in Cologne. Check website for full programme.
