Cologne, Germany — Koelnmesse is repositioning ISM under a single umbrella brand that will bring together three specialized trade fairs covering the sweets and snacks industry’s value chain beginning in 2027.
The new structure will comprise ISM Ingredients, ISM Manufacturing, and ISM Snacks & Sweets, covering areas ranging from raw materials and ingredients to production, processing, packaging, technology, finished products, and retail concepts.
According to Koelnmesse, the change reflects increasing interconnectedness across the industry as ingredients, automation, digitalization, alternative production methods, manufacturing, and marketing play increasingly connected roles in product innovation.
“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,” says Bastian Mingers, vice-president food & food technology at Koelnmesse GmbH. “This provides improved orientation, strengthens synergies and opens up new, more intensive opportunities for business, exchange, and innovation.”
Under the new structure, ISM Ingredients will focus on raw materials, ingredients, and semi-finished products, including functional ingredients and solutions involving flavor, texture, and product development.
ISM Manufacturing will cover production, processing, packaging, and technology, with areas including mechanical engineering, automation, artificial intelligence, quality management, and manufacturing processes.
The existing ISM trade fair will be renamed ISM Snacks & Sweets and will continue to focus on finished sweets and snacks, international brands, product innovation, and the retail sector.
The restructuring also incorporates areas previously represented by ProSweets Cologne, which was launched in 2006 as a supplier trade fair for ingredients, machinery, packaging, and process technologies and has been held concurrently with ISM.
Koelnmesse says the three shows will share a central website, ticket shop, trade fair app, and integrated networking and communications platforms to make it easier for exhibitors and attendees to move across the different areas of the industry.
The first ISM under the new three-show structure is scheduled for January 31 to February 3, 2027, in Cologne, Germany.
