Press Release
ISM EXCELS AS AN INTERNATIONAL PLATFORM
Around 80 percent of the visitors from abroad – more time for a professional exchange at high level
Cologne, 4th February 2022 – After four trade show days of intensive discussions and presentations of new products, when ISM 2022 came to a close it had recorded around 15,000 trade visitors from 96 countries including estimated figures for the last day of the show. “We are delighted that the restart of the leading global trade fair for sweets and snacks was successful amid these challenging times. This is not least also thanks to the exhibiting companies, who took part in the 51st edition of the trade fair. Of course, we weren’t expecting a superlative trade fair or new records, but the fact that ISM 2022 took place underscores once more the fact that trade fairs with a clear business focus can be staged safely also in pandemic times and can offer their respective industries the urgently needed platform for the development and expansion of international business. The leading global trade fair for sweets and snacks is thus sending an important signal to the sweets and snacks industry, also to the entire trade fair business in terms of confidence and optimism,” explained Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH. “Precisely now, it is important to offer the industry a central business platform, which it can use to present existing and new products to a broad trade audience. The high internationality of the exhibitors and visitors shows once again how important the event is for the global sweets and snacks industry,” emphasised Dr. Uwe Lebens, Deputy Chairman of the International Sweets & Biscuits Fair Task Force (AISM).
The joy at personal encounters, engaging in an exchange face to face as well sampling a variety of sweets and snacks dominated this year’s ISM. In addition to the high quality of the visitors, the exhibiting companies praised above all the opportunity to engage in intensive discussions with partners and customers. As was already the case at the autumn events, Koelnmesse’s safety and hygiene concept prove itself and ensured the smooth running of the trade fair.
Furthermore, the good international response with a 78% participation of foreign trade visitors contributed towards the positive mood of the trade fair. The European countries with the strongest participations this year were the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Turkey. Growth was particularly registered from Eastern Europe and Russia. Beyond Europe the trade visitors predominantly came from the Near and Middle East, but also from the USA as well as from Central and South America.
Alongside the high quality of the visitors, according to the exhibitor survey, above all the share of persons decisively responsible for purchasing decisions also increased. An initial evaluation of the visitor survey emphasises that around 90 percent of the respondents have a “decisive” or “contributory” influence on procurement decisions.
This high decision-making competence significantly contributed towards the satisfaction of a large number of the exhibiting companies. The trade attended in smaller delegations this year.
New products and trends
Innovations and new developments not only led to satisfied buyers, but also underlined the vitality and performance capacity of the industry. This year the exhibiting companies primarily presented healthy, natural and sustainable products. Whether plant-based, with an additional health-promoting effect or energy boosting, the new products took the needs of the consumers into account across the board.
New digital networking possibilities
With its hybrid concept and the new, digital platform, ISM & ProSweets @home, from the third day onwards ISM offered the exhibitors, visitors and media representatives numerous new possibilities of coming into contact with partners, potential customers and interesting companies. Every on-site exhibitor was simultaneously represented on the platform with a digital showrooom.
Furthermore, in addition to the personal discussions and the extensive on-site event and congress programme beyond the physical trade fair, ISM offers new digital networking options and digitally streamed contents such as expert lectures and presentations. The second edition of the future congress “#CONNECT2030 – The Future Summit for Sweets and Snacks – in transition” is also available on-demand and provides interesting insights into the themes the conservation of resources, CO2 reduction and the effects of the climate change on the availability of raw materials.
The digital ISM & ProSweets Cologne thus not only ensures an extended reach, but also gives all trade fair participants the opportunity to network, establish new contacts and call up contents they missed in person up until 30 April 2022. The ISM app, which was implemented parallel to the trade fair, also integrates new networking functions for the digital exchange, on during and after the trade fair.
The next ISM is scheduled to take place from 29.01.2023 to 01.02.2023.
#ISM
ISM IS BACK: 1,085 EXHIBITORS FROM AROUND 56 COUNTRIES
The world’s largest and most important trade fair for sweets and snacks will present new international products and a diversified event programme
After a two-year break, ISM 2022 is back with 1,085 exhibiting companies from 56 countries. The world’s leading trade fair for sweets and snacks will present the entire product range – from chocolate, confectionery and biscuits through to snacks, trend snacks and natural snacks, ice cream, frozen sweets as well as breakfast snacks – on around 90,000 square metres of exhibition space at the Cologne fair grounds. With 213 exhibitors, ProSweets Cologne, the international supplier fair for the sweets and snacks industry, is once again being staged parallel to ISM. Together both trade fairs cover the entire value chain in the production of sweets and snacks, a unique constellation worldwide.
“After a two-year break due to the pandemic, we are delighted that so many of our clients have decided to participate at the trade fair in spite of these challenging times. Meeting up face-to-face with important trade buyers as well as winning over new customers is indispensable for our exhibiting companies. This is precisely what we consider our task to be, offering support in the form of corresponding formats and especially by staging ISM now bringing important markets as well as the supply and demand together,” explained Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.
Traditionally, both market leaders as well as medium-sized and smaller companies participate at ISM. With a foreign share of exhibitors of 87 percent, the leading global trade fair for sweets and snacks is maintaining a stable, international level. The foreign participations with the highest number of exhibitors come from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the USA. We are also noting a positive development on the buyer side after receiving a high number of registrations from important trade buyers, above all from Europe. Hardly any international buyers, for example from the Asiatic region, are awaited at ISM this year.
ISM will once again offer diversified product segments this year and will pick up on the industry’s current trends. Alongside the traditional product groups, such as sweets and snack items ranging from chocolate products and confectionery through to ice cream, the industry’s leading trade fair will also be presenting segments that focus on the themes snacking, to-go items, breakfast as well as gourmet products.
As a conceptual innovation there is going to be a specialised trade section focusing on the small volume business with sweets and snacks for the first time at ISM 2022, which is entitled “Finest Creations – hand-crafted”. This exhibition section unites craft businesses, whose visitor target group comprises of confectioners, cake shops and specialised sweet shops. The new exhibition section will be located in Hall 5.2.
ISM with a hybrid concept
The leading global trade fair for sweets and snacks is treading new paths for the first time with its hybrid concept for the trade fair, which foresees the physical trade fair on-site in Cologne being additionally enhanced by the digital format, ISM & ProSweets @home. In addition to the Showrooms of the exhibiting companies, the digital counterpart to the exhibition stand, there are for instance target group-specific specialised stages such as the Expert Stage, which will provide valuable information and analyses on industry developments as well as interesting start-up pitches or panel discussions. The trade fair participants can engage in extensive networking opportunities on various specialist areas and fields of interest per audio, video or chat communication options. Beyond this, the digital platform offers a host of new opportunities for increasing one’s international reach and participation models for the generation of leads and networking. The platform is available to the exhibitors and visitors from 01.-02.02.2022. All programme items will also be subsequently available on demand up until 30 April 2022.
New products and trends
Product innovations and trends are as always a central theme of ISM. In addition to a diversified event programme on the Expert Stage in Hall 5.2, the New Product Showcase on the Boulevard is the central port of call for innovations and a major attraction for all participating trade visitors. What’s more, in the Start-up Area around 18 companies, which were founded no longer than five years ago, will present their ideas and concepts in the Trend Court in Hall 5.2. Also the new products tool on the ISM website is already offering initial interesting insights into the new products of the exhibiting companies. In the scope of the future congress “#CONNECT2030 in transition”, together with ProSweets Cologne, ISM is placing its focus on the future of the sweets and snacks industry. The congress addresses suppliers, manufacturers and the trade in equal measures. The centre of attention lies on themes like saving resources, CO2 reduction, zero food waste and the effects of the climate change on the availability of raw materials.
Award-winning moments
The highlights of ISM include the presentation of the ISM Award for exceptional services within the sweets and snacks industry as well as the selection of the winners of the New Product Showcase on 30 January 2022.
ProSweets Cologne, the international supplier fair for the sweets and snacks industry, will once again be staged parallel to ISM. It offers a wide-ranging spectrum of services and products from the areas of raw materials and other ingredients, sweets packaging and packaging technologies, machines and facilities for the sweets industry, food safety and quality management. Together both trade fairs cover the entire value chain in the production of sweets and snacks, a unique constellation worldwide.
Koelnmesse is the organiser of ISM and its industry sponsor is the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair Task Force (AISM).
#ISM
ISM AND PROSWEETS COLOGNE TAKING OFF IN 2022
Exhibitors and industry sponsors are showing great commitment
ISM and the co-located supplier fair ProSweets Cologne are under starter’s orders and will open their doors on 30 January 2022. A few weeks before the opening of the fair, with current registration figures of around 1,200 exhibitors from over 60 countries, the leading trade fair for sweets and snacks is looking optimistically ahead to the upcoming 2022 event. With around 230 exhibitors, ProSweets Cologne also boasts a very good booking situation. In total, the trade fair duo will cover exhibition space spanning 139,000 square metres.
Furthermore, 26 country pavilions have registered from over 20 countries. Most of which boast stand sizes that are comparable to the previous years. Registrations from many start-ups and newcomers also underline how important ISM is for the sweets and snacks market. We are also noting a positive development on the buyer side too after receiving many registrations from important trade buyers including Aldi, Catz BV, Edeka, Galeria Markthalle, Gebr. Heinemann, Hagen Grote, Kaufland, Metro, REWE, Spar and Suntjen.
“With the support of the national and international exhibitors, our long-standing partner associations and important buyers, we are offering an excellent starting point for the re-start of both trade fairs. After a two-year break, it is important that in the scope of ISM we finally offer our exhibiting companies a global platform again so they can present their new products and important future trends. Beyond this, we also know from discussions with significant industry representatives that getting together face-to-face is essential for the business of the participating companies,” explained Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.
Important exhibitors and the industry sponsors of the trade fair are also showing great commitment to ISM: In their capacity as a business meeting point, trend or innovation platform, both trade fairs have key importance for the sweets and snacks industry particularly in these ongoing challenging times. In addition, the new hybrid format with the new digital platform, ISM & ProSweets @home, particularly offers those industry players, who are not able to attend the trade fairs live, the opportunity to come into contact with business partners, discover new products and engage in intensive networking.
The long-standing exhibitor Lambertz is also looking forward to the trade fair in 2022. “ISM is the largest and most important sweets trade fair in the world. It offers the ideal forum to present product ranges, concepts and philosophies on the product world of sweets to distributors from all over the globe. Beyond this it is a platform for encounters between manufacturers, distributors, agencies and consultants of the sweets industry. Nothing can replace this personal exchange of experiences and it is something that simply can’t be reproduced virtually. At the start of next year I think it is going to be particularly important to set the signal that a normal business life based on face-to-face encounters can and has to take place again. We can rest assured that Koelnmesse will take all necessary precautions so that ISM can be staged in a Corona-conform way,” explained Dr. Hermann Bühlbecker, sole shareholder of the Lambertz group.
With its tried and trusted safety and hygiene concept, #B-SAFE4business, ISM, ensures the highest degree of safety and grants access to people, who have been vaccinated against, recovered from or who have tested negative for COVID-19. Moreover, with its new hall layout, which among others includes wider aisles of at least 5 metres, ISM will have no problem making sure the minimum distances are observed at all times.
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ISM 2022 UNDER STARTER’S ORDERS
Applications from 65 countries – an extensive safety and hygiene concept – Ticket Shop open immediately
Three months before the opening of the fair, with a current interim status of around 1,300 exhibitors and around 80 percent of the exhibition space already booked, ISM is looking optimistically ahead to the forthcoming event in 2022. 24 percent of the exhibiting companies come from Germany and 76 percent from abroad. The leading global trade fair for sweets and snacks covers seven halls in total and with exhibitors from 65 countries, including also companies from North Africa, South America and Asia, it is demonstrating its accustomed high level of internationality. In total, 27 country pavilions from 22 countries and regions have already registered. The country participations with the highest number of exhibitors come from Belgium, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, France, the Netherlands and the USA.
“We are delighted with this positive result. It shows how important ISM is for the industry as a central business meeting point. With our trusted safety and hygiene concept, #B-SAFe4business, we ensure comprehensive safety as we have already demonstrated in the course of trade fairs like Anuga,” explained Sabine Schommer, Director ISM.
The requirement for all attendees to be fully vaccinated, or have recovered from an infection within the last six months (but at least 28 days ago), or test negative for Covid, applies throughout the trade fair grounds. Admission to the fair grounds is exclusively possible on presentation of digital admission tickets using the ISM app. This ticket must be presented together with recognised digital proof of full vaccination, a negative test or recent recovery – a measure that will eliminate waiting times and ensure the safety of all trade fair participants. Attendees must also continue to wear a medical mask and maintain social distancing of 1.50 metres. At the same time, many of the restrictions have been relaxed: For example, it is no longer necessary to take contact tracing details at the stands or in the catering areas or to keep count of visitors in the stand areas. The blanket restriction on the number of people at trade fair stands has also been relaxed, although social distancing must still be observed. The mask requirement has been removed at fixed seating and standing areas. Masks can also be removed when tasting food or beverages. Sneeze guards are no longer required at fixed seating and standing areas. In addition, exhibits and info counters can now be placed at the edges of stand areas again and exhibitors can also hold “get-togethers” at their stand.
The Ticket Shop is open with immediate effect
The ISM Ticket Shop is open for all trade visitors of the trade fair with immediate effect. The following admission ticket options are available:
• Day ticket: EUR 69.00
• 2-day ticket: EUR 83.00
• Season ticket: EUR 111.00
• ISM & ProSweets @home ticket (digital only): EUR 69.00
The admission tickets can be purchased on the ISM website. The ISM app, which enables the admission tickets to be called up in the ticket wallet, is expected to be available mid-November.
#ISM
ISM 2022 BOASTS HIGH NUMBER OF REGISTRATIONS AFTER THE EARLY BIRD PHASE
Leading companies from home and abroad confirm their participation at the leading global trade fair for sweets and snacks
ISM 2022 already receives a good response from the sweets and snacks industry during the first months of the registration period. The leading global trade fair for sweets and snacks hasn’t quite matched the level of the previous event in 2020 after these difficult months and ongoing challenging conditions brought about by the Corona pandemic, it is however recording a very good number of registrations with exhibitors from 33 countries.
The international sweets and snacks industry is ready for the re-start. This is above all reflected by the fact that not only exhibitors from Europe, but also from countries beyond Europe have registered. These include for example, Egypt, Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, The People’s Republic of China, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Japan, Canada, Colombia, Morocco, Mexico, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia and the USA.
The leading companies from Germany that will be participating at ISM 2022 include among others Hitschler, Kuchenmeister, Niederegger, Riegelein, The Lorenz Bahlsen Snack-World and Zentis. Companies like Katjes, Krüger, Lambertz, Ritter, Rübezahl, Trolli and WAWI, which are among the top 100 sweets manufacturers with the highest turnovers worldwide, are also on board again.
From abroad, ISM has received applications from market leaders such as Arcor (Argentina), Baronie (Belgium), Canel’s (Mexico), Cemoi (France), Cloetta (the Netherlands), Elvan (Turkey), Fazer (Finland), Fini (Spain), Hamlet (Belgium), ICAM (Italy), Ion (Greece), Kambly (Switzerland), Loacker (Italy), Manner (Austria), Natra (Spain), Nestlé Italiana (Italy), Riclan (Brazil), Roshen (Ukraine), Sölen (Turkey), Valor (Spain), Vidal (Spain) and Wawel (Poland).
The booking status for country pavilions is very international too. To-date groups from Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and Turkey have already confirmed their participation.
In terms of contents, the focus will lie on the topics sustainability, healthy and enjoyable snacking as well as the quality of sweets and snacks. The planned event programme of ISM including the Expert Stage and trend lectures by Innova Market Insights and Euromonitor will also concentrate on these themes. Additional futureoriented topics in digital form will create new impulses within the industry. Trade visitors, who are interested in fruit and vegetable snacks, functional bars, products without additives and raw products with natural ingredients as well as new product ideas, will find a large variety of exhibits in the Trend Snacks Area as well as in the Start-up Area in Hall 5.2.
As a conceptual innovation there is going to be a specialised trade section focusing on the small volume business with sweets and snacks for the first time at ISM 2022, which is being staged in Hall 5.2 under the title “Finest Creations – hand-crafted”. This section, which unites craft establishments, whose visitor target groups comprise of confectioners, cake shops and specialised sweet shops, was initially planned for ISM 2021, which had to be cancelled due to the Corona pandemic.
As usual, ProSweets Cologne, the international supplier trade fair for sweets and snacks, is being staged parallel, which means the entire value chain will be covered in the Cologne exhibition halls.
#ISM
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