The largest trade fair for sweets and snacks takes place from the 28th to the 31st January, with a host of exhibitors from all over the world showing off their products.
Once a year, at the end of January, Cologne attracts buyers and marketers from all over the world to ISM, the world’s largest trade fair for sweets and snacks. Once again in 2018 the offer of diversity and internationality is unbeatable.
Over 1,600 exhibitors from 60 countries will present the entire spectrum of products from the sweets and snacks industry: from cocoa and chocolate, to chocolate products and confectionery, from biscuits to snack products, ice cream and pastes.
Furthermore, since 2015 ISM has been presenting products on the themes snacking, to-go products, breakfast, coffee and gourmet products and thus satisfies the growing demand in the different channels and among the consumers.
ProSweets Cologne – the international supplier fair for the sweets and snacks industry, will be staged parallel to ISM again, which is taking place for the 48th time in 2018. Together, both trade fairs offer two information and procurement platforms for the industry and trade that complement each other perfectly.
This concentrated and unique information and networking package is flanked by an event programme that targets professionals, which offers further input and inspiration for the business of tomorrow.
The overview:
Over 1,600 exhibitors: These include leading national and international companies such as, for instance, ABK Confectionery, Barcel, Barry Callebaut, Baronie, Cémoi, Colombina, Fini Golosinas, Griesson – de Beukelaer, Guylian, Icam, Ion, Kalfany, Kambly, Katjes, Lambertz, Loacker, Manner, Millano, Natra, Niederegger, PEZ, Ragolds, Ricola, Riegelein, Roshen, Rübezahl, Seeberger, Seitenbacher, Sölen, The Lorenz Bahlsen Snackworld, Toms Confectionery, Trolli, United Confectioners, Vidal Golosinas, Wawel, Wawi and Zentis.
However, the special quality of ISM is just as much determined by numerous medium-sized and smaller companies, who regularly exhibit at ISM. They bring specialities, selected products, country-specific delights, exceptional creations and taste experiences with them to ISM and thus offer the trade even more possibilities to compile the most attractive offer possible for their customers.
In addition to numerous participations from the big sweets nations such as Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey for example, companies from Armenia, Guatemala, Iceland and Nepal are exhibiting, which enhances the diversity of the offer excellently.
The offer of savoury snacks, i.e. fruit and vegetable bars, breakfast snacks, jerkies and meat snacks, protein and raw vegetable bars, etc. that was presented for the first time at ISM in 2015 has shown further successful development. 35 companies from 16 countries are exhibiting in the “New Snacks Area” in Hall 5.2 this year and thus offer a concentrated contact point at the trade fair. Moreover, further snack offers such as chips or other snack items, but also savoury bars and nut specialities can be found all over the trade fair.
The “Cologne Coffee Forum” in Hall 5.2 will also be presenting a host of interesting coffee manufacturers and roasting companies again. They will demonstrate on-site how excellently sweets, biscuits and coffee or cocoa and tea go together and will provide new impulses for the trade and for cafés. The same applies here too: Coffee, tea and cocoa offers are also on display at the stands of many of the other ISM exhibitors. However, the “Cologne Coffee Forum” is lending the theme coffee a special anchor point at ISM.
The complete offer of ISM exhibitors is available in a fast and simple process via the exhibitor database, which is found on the website. The exhibitor data can for example be sorted according to nations and product segments, as well as according to trend themes. These include i.e. Organic, Fair-traded, Vegan, Allergy-friendly, Halal and Kosher. ISM in Cologne encompasses among others the world’s largest offer of sweets and snacks trademarks. These can also be found in the exhibitor database of ISM.
Two further highlights are awaiting to be discovered by the visitors in 2018.
Companies that want to test the marketing platform ISM for themselves are exhibiting in the “Newcomer Area” again. This special area is fully-booked again this year with the participation of 12 companies.
ISM is offering an own platform for “Start-ups” for the first time this year. 14 companies that have not existed for more than five years will be exhibiting here and presenting their products and concepts.
The event programme of ISM offers further input, not only at ISM, but also at ProSweets Cologne, which is being staged parallel. These include lectures, workshops and special events such as the “New Product Showcase”. Wednesday, 31.01.2018, the last day of the fair, is no exception to the rule here: ISM is presenting the “Trend and Theme Day”, a special programme for both buyers and the industry.
An overview of the event programme:
Hall 2.2
New Product Showcase
The exhibitors’ current new products. Furthermore, the four top products of the affiliated fair “yummex” in Dubai.
The Boulevard
– “New Snacks” special event with products from the “New Snacks Area”
– “Coffee Street” with coffee products from green coffee through to the roasted product
– “Halal Infopoint” with information on the classification and certification of Halal products
– “Expert Stage” with lectures on various industry-relevant themes, Partner: Innova Market Insights. On Sunday there is additionally a lecture on the theme of the customer experience: How can store design influence the sweet categories? The speaker here is Martin Gaber, Senior Consultant and Partner of JosDeVries The Retail Company.
– “Sweet Trends” – special event on the top trends in sweets and snacks by Innova Market Insights.
Hall 5.2
– Cologne Coffee Forum with sampling, workshops and lectures
– New Snacks Area
– Start-up Area
Hall 11.1
Newcomer Area
Passage 4/5
Sweet Future – special packing event by students of the Cologne International School of Design (KISD)
Last day of the fair, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 with the “Trend and Theme Day” especially for exhibitors and trade visitors of ISM and ProSweets Cologne. Lectures on the “Expert Stage” as well as guided tours of ProSweets Cologne.
Awards:
On Sunday, 28.01.2018, the “ISM Award” will be conferred during a festive dinner. It acknowledges and rewards outstanding service in the sweets and snacks industry.
On Tuesday, 30.01.2018 the top innovations will be elected in the “New Product Showcase”.
Parallel to ISM: ProSweets Cologne – the international supplier fair for the sweets and snacks industry. Over 300 companies from the sections manufacturing, packing and ingredients are once again expected in Cologne from 28 to 31 January 2018.
