Koelnmesse is reorganizing its trade fair portfolio for the global sweets and snacks industry, bringing three events covering ingredients, manufacturing, and finished products under the ISM umbrella brand beginning in 2027.
The new structure will bring ISM Ingredients, ISM Manufacturing and ISM Snacks & Sweets together under a single brand, spanning the industry’s value chain from raw materials and ingredients through production, processing, packaging and technology to finished sweets, snacks and retail concepts.
The move reflects broader changes in the industry, where innovations in ingredients, automation, digitalization and alternative production methods increasingly influence multiple stages of the production process. Koelnmesse said the new structure is intended to encourage closer interaction among companies involved in product development, manufacturing and marketing.
“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,” said Bastian Mingers, Vice President Food & Food Technology at Koelnmesse GmbH.
The repositioning builds on the relationship between ISM and ProSweets Cologne, which was launched in 2006 as a supplier trade fair focused on ingredients, machinery, packaging and process technologies. The two events have been held concurrently since then. Under the new structure, these areas will be represented by dedicated formats within the ISM brand.
ISM Ingredients will focus on raw materials, ingredients and semi-finished products, including functional ingredients, flavors, textures and solutions for product development. ISM Manufacturing will cover production, processing, packaging and technology, with areas including mechanical engineering, automation, AI, quality management and manufacturing processes.
The existing ISM trade fair will be renamed ISM Snacks & Sweets. The event will continue to focus on finished sweets and snacks, bringing together international brands, new products and trading companies. The renaming is intended to clarify the event’s position within the new three-part structure, with ISM Snacks & Sweets representing the market and retail side of the industry while ISM Ingredients and ISM Manufacturing cover earlier stages of the value chain.
The new architecture turns ISM from a single trade fair into an umbrella brand with three specialized events. Koelnmesse said the unified identity will also provide exhibitors, visitors and industry partners with a clearer way to navigate the portfolio while increasing the international visibility of the individual formats.
Shared services will include a central website, a single ticket shop, a unified trade fair app and integrated networking and communications platforms. The company said these changes are intended to simplify planning for attendees while encouraging greater interaction among participants across the industry.
The next ISM will take place in Cologne from 31 January to 3 February 2027 and will feature ISM Ingredients, ISM Manufacturing and ISM Snacks & Sweets under the new umbrella brand.
Find out more at: https://www.ism-cologne.com/fair/industry-trade-fairs/