Review: ISM Closes Successful Edition in Cologne
The 44th edition of the world’s largest trade fair for sweets and snacks, ISM (the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair), took place inCologne from January 26 – 29, 2014. Over 1,450 exhibitors from over 70 countries attended this year.
Among the exhibitors were companies returning to the ISM after several years’ absence. The broad range of products – from chocolate and confectionery of all kinds to pastries and baked goods to hearty, savoury snacks – were presented once again by market leaders as well as small to medium sized companies.
The top three innovations present at ISM this year are Likies, produced by Verdener Keks; Belfine BVBA’s Finger Pup’pets, and – the product ranked first – Chio PopCorners, made by Intersnack Knabber-Gebäck.
The “ISM Lifetime Achievement Award” was introduced this year; the first winner of this category is Herman Goelitz Rowland Sr., Chairman of the Board, Jelly Belly Candy Company.
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“The ISM has once again sustainably underlined its central role for the international confectionery and snack item industry. The ISM format is unique in this dimension,” is how Katharina C. Hamma, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH, summed up the results: “It is not possible to find more contacts and more business in one location anywhere else in the world within the entire industry.”
Additional information about ISM 2014 is included in the upcoming edition of World Bakers Digital, Q1.