From January 28 to 31, Koelnmesse will showcase consumer and product trends, innovations, an expert stage, halal market highlights and comprehensive offers for the sweets and snacks industry. More than 1,400 exhibitors from more than 70 countries are expected to participate in the ISM 2024, which is staged with the theme “Encourage. Enable. Excite!” this year, to reflect the focus on challenges coming from climate, raw materials, energy, supply chains, logistics, health and digitalization.
The Expert Stage of ISM and ProSweets will host lectures and panel discussions at regular intervals throughout the fair. Visitors can also learn about innovative product ideas from international start-ups. Daily trend presentations by ISM knowledge partners Innova Market Insights and Euromonitor will be held on the Expert Stage. Innova Market Insights will present the F&B Top Ten Trends of the year. Euromonitor will explain how current social changes are influencing consumers’ snacking behavior and what this means for snack manufacturers and brands. The presentation is titled ‘Anytime, anywhere? The evolution of snacking’.
ProSweets Cologne will focus its event agenda on the origin and sustainable procurement of products and their raw materials. The two special shows on the respective segments, Packaging and Ingredients, will show innovative solutions for the challenges of the industry. In addition to this, the DLG’s Guided Tours entitled ‘Tackling and wrapping up sustainability’ are being held daily as well as the Sweets Global Network Guided Tours focusing on ‘Innovations & Sustainability’. Industry experts will open up new perspectives, give insights into current research results and highlight best practices on the ISM/ProSweets Cologne Expert Stage on the Central Boulevard.
Sweet Trends, organized together with Innova Market Insights, is taking place next to the Expert Stage. The market research institute will highlight new product trends and provide insights into the most recent developments for sweets and snacks.
“After a very successful ISM Middle East, we are all looking forward to ISM 2024 in Cologne. It is going to be particularly exciting on the Expert Stage this time: Here we are offering the exhibitors and the visitors a colourful and creative array of events – panel discussions, best practices and presentations. In this way, we will present efficient and sustainable solutions from the industry and will be able to discuss new opportunities and future challenges. Beyond this, on the Expert Stage, together with ProSweets Cologne, we are placing the emphasis on aspects from the supplier industry,” stressed Sabine Schommer, Director of ISM.
ISM Award
The ISM Award is held for the tenth time this year. The award for outstanding services to the sweets and snacks industry will be presented during the festive ISM Dinner on January 28, 2024. Majlen Fazer, Senior Specialist in Product Quality, Cocoa and Chocolate at the largest Finnish food group, Fazer, received the ISM Award 2023.
Halal Market
Halal products continue to gain significance in the sweets and snacks industry, not only among the Muslim target group but also beyond. The ISM Halal Market in Halls 10 and 11 will offer a unique overview of a purely halal line-up of products for meals and snacks.
Photo: Koelnmesse, Thomas Klerx
