 Thetradefairwas aresounding successforthe 1,412 suppliers who exhibitedat the 42nd International Sweetsand BiscuitsFair(ISM) in Cologne from 29th Januaryto 1st February 2012. Adecisive factor forthe successofthe fairwasonceagainthehighlevelofdecision-making authority of the approximately 35,000 tradevisitors who cameto ISM fromaround 130 countries.“ISM is theworld’s number one business platform for the tradein confectionery and snackitems.
This wasonce again clearly confirmedby this year’s event,” says Katharina C. Hamma, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse.“The continued highprices for energy and rawmaterials are putting them anufacturers under alotof pressure,”states Tobias Bachmüller, Chairmanof the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair Working Group (AISM).“That’s why the extensive discussions and intensified exportactivities at ISM are indispensable for thesector. ”One of the first visitors toarriveat ISM wasIlse Aigner, Germany’s Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, who
opened the tradefairin the presence of Belgian ambassador Renier Willem Joseph Nijskens. Belgium was ISM’s partner country this year. The country’s 135 suppliers and numerous activities at the fairimpressively demonstrated the diver sity and quality of Belgian chocolate, pralines and bakedgoods.
AllofGermany’stradingfirmswererepresentedatISMwiththeir main purchasingdecision-makers.ThetotalnumberofvisitorsfromGermanyeven roseslightly.In addition,keytradingfirmsandleadingimporterssent
representatives to ISM from all over the world. Buyers from the convenience and specialist trade also viewed the extensive range of products at the fair.
This year, 1,412 suppliers from 65 countries displayed their products, which included many new items. “I had some very good discussions,” said one chocolate manufacturer. “We had first-rate visitors at our stand every day,” said the representative of another company. Non-German manufacturers confirmed that exports were also of great importance to them, as new sales markets are also crucial for suppliers from outside of Germany. “Our exhibitors are extremely happy  because they were able to make new and good contacts with companies in sales markets all over the world,” said the person in charge of the USA Pavilion.
At around 64 per cent, the share of trade visitors from abroad was once again very high, with large numbers of foreign visitors being recorded every day. The number of visitors from Asia rose substantially, with particularly large increases being recorded for Japan, Korea and China. Larger numbers of visitors were also registered from North, Central, and South America, as well as from the Middle East. What’s more, the turnout of visitors from Eastern Europe, particularly from Russia, was once again very good.
The buyers were open to new ideas such as sugar confectionery and chocolate items sweetened with stevia. In addition, sustainability and fair trade are becoming more and more important and these aspects are focal points of marketing offensives by multinational corporations as well as by small and medium-sized enterprises.
This year, the popular New Product Showcase on the Boulevard showed 112 new products from 78 companies. Journalists selected the top innovations from among these products, with stevia being a key issue in this area as well. The Belgian company Cavalier won first place with its chocolate products containing stevia. The German company ültje came in second with new nut compositions in curry sausage and hamburger flavours. The third prize was awarded to the Austrian company PEZ for its new fruit gum bonbons in an all-new dispenser. The three top innovations are outstanding examples of the sector’s innovative capabilities.
The 43rd ISM will take place from 27th to 30th January 2013.
In 2013, ProSweets Cologne, the international supplier fair for the confectionery industry, will once again take place in parallel to ISM.
Further information: www.ism-cologne.com; www.prosweets-cologne.com |
