Around 80% of the visitors to ISM Cologne came from outside Germany, attendance figures revealed. Approximately 15,000 trade visitors from 96 countries visited the trade fair. The European countries with the strongest participation this year were the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Turkey. The biggest growth in visitors came from Eastern Europe and Russia. Most non-European visitors came from the Near and Middle East, as well as the USA and Central and South America. The visitors’ profile, according to the exhibitor survey, saw an increase in purchasing decision-makers: around 90% of the respondents said they have a ‘decisive’ or ‘contributory’ influence on procurement decisions.

This year, the exhibiting companies primarily presented healthy, natural and sustainable products, ranging from plant-based, with an additional health-promoting effect to energy-boosting, for example.

“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,” stated Gerald Böse, Koelnmesse GmbH president and CEO.

“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,” also said Dr. Uwe Lebens, Deputy Chairman of the International Sweets & Biscuits Fair Task Force (AISM).

Digital tools were also a part of the hybrid event: the second edition of the future congress “#CONNECT2030 – The Future Summit for Sweets and Snacks – in transition” is available on-demand, for instance. It covers topics including the conservation of resources, CO2 reduction and the effects of climate change on the availability of raw materials.

The next ISM is scheduled to take place from January 29, 2023, to February 1, 2023.