As of 2027, Koelnmesse will bundle ISM Ingredients, ISM Manufacturing and ISM Snacks & Sweets under the ISM umbrella brand. The new brand encompasses the industry’s entire value chain – from raw materials and ingredients, production, processing, packaging and technology, through to finished sweets and snacks as well as retail concepts. The repositioning comes in response to industry demand.

ISM has been organizing exhibitions in the sweets and snacks sector for over 50 years. The trade fair portfolio was expanded in 2006 with the launch of ProSweets Cologne. Since then, the two events have taken place concurrently. These areas of expertise will be consolidated under the ISM umbrella brand in the future.

The background lies in the profound transformation of the industry, the organizer says: “Today, new ingredients, automation, digitalisation and alternative production methods impact every stage of the value chain. Innovation no longer occurs in isolation, but arises from the interaction between all stakeholders. With this new trade fair concept, Koelnmesse is creating a platform that actively fosters this exchange.”

Bastian Mingers, Vice President Food & Food Technology at Koelnmesse GmbH, emphasizes: “The sweets and snacks industry is increasingly taking a holistic approach to innovation. That is why, with ISM and its three trade fair formats, we are creating a brand architecture that unites all relevant areas of the value chain under a strong umbrella brand. This provides improved orientation, strengthens synergies and opens up new, more intensive opportunities for business, exchange, and innovation.”

Three trade fairs, one strong umbrella brand
Within ISM, each trade fair format plays a clearly defined role along the industrial value chain: 

• ISM Ingredients is the international platform for raw materials, ingredients and semi-finished products. Here, everything revolves around the ingredients of tomorrow – from functional ingredients, flavour and texture, through to solutions for product development.
• ISM Manufacturing is the international platform for production, processing, packaging and technology. Its focus lies on mechanical engineering, automation, AI, quality management and efficient, future-proof manufacturing processes.
• ISM Snacks & Sweets is the leading global trade fair for snacks and sweets. International brands, innovative products and leading trading companies come together here, laying the foundation for global business relations.

The former ISM is being renamed ISM Snacks & Sweets. This makes its role within the umbrella brand immediately apparent: As the world’s leading trade fair for finished sweets and snacks, it represents the market and retail sector, while ISM Ingredients and ISM Manufacturing represent the upstream stages of the value chain. ISM is thus evolving from a single trade fair into an umbrella brand comprising three specialised trade fair formats.

The next ISM, comprising the three trade fair formats ISM Ingredients, ISM Manufacturing and ISM Snacks & Sweets, will be held in Cologne from January 31 to February 3, 2027.

Photos: Koelnmesse