Insights into future trends and innovations in the production of sweets and snacks were the focus of the supplier fair ProSweets Cologne 2022, which recently took place in Cologne/Germany. New ingredients, health-promoting recipes and exotic flavours were presented as well as intelligent production, automation and packaging solutions.

For the around 200 exhibitors from 21 countries, ProSweets Cologne, which was held under special circumstances from 30 January to 2 February 2022, proved to be a reliable industry get-together for the suppliers of the sweets and snacks industries. Together with ISM, the world’s most important trade fair for sweets and snacks, which is held simultaneously, ProSweets Cologne provides a holistic overview of the entire value chain of sweets production and sales at the same time and place. Over the four days of the trade show, around 6,000 trade visitors from about 60 countries came to Cologne.

Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of organizing Koelnmesse GmbH, said: “ProSweets Cologne proved itself to be an important business event in spite of the difficult framework conditions. In conjunction with ISM, the international supplier fair provides a holistic overview of the sweets and snacks industry and sets important impulses in terms of raw materials and ingredients, packaging, packaging machines as well as machines and systems. We were aware that we wouldn’t match the number of visitors at the previous event, but the fact that ProSweets Cologne took place was of great significance for the industry and furthermore also
underlines that trade fairs with a clear business focus can be conducted safely in pandemic times.” As was already the case at the autumn events, Koelnmesse´s safety and hygiene concept proved itself and ensured the smooth running of the trade fair.

For most of the exhibiting companies, the participation was an important step in the direction of normality. After the break due to the pandemic, the focus lay above all on meeting up personally with the international trade audience. The high quality of the trade visitors as well as the long periods of time set aside for discussions, which cannot be replaced by digital alternatives, went down very well with the exhibitors. The overall impression comprising of the exhibits of packaging, machines and systems also met with a positive response.

Over 60 % of the trade visitors came from abroad, in particular from Europe (primarily also Eastern Europe), the Near East, Africa, the EFTA states and Asia as well as from Central and South America. Furthermore, a few visitors from North America and Oceania were represented at the trade fair. The countries with the strongest participations included the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and France. Alongside production managers from leading companies, numerous medium-sized and smaller companies also came to gather information, since they themselves make the decisions regarding further investments in their companies.

Above all, the exhibiting companies concentrated on future-oriented topics. In the Ingredients section and in the new Event Zone “Ingredients”, natural ingredients and solutions for reformulated products played a major role. Beyond this, flexible machines that can be adapted to changed recipes and demands as a result of their fast set-up options were also under focus. In the packaging section, the significance of individualized forms and sustainable packaging is growing. The trade visitors showed great interest in this subject, too. The trend towards individualized products was also reflected in the survey “My Food – Personalized Diets” of the German Agricultural Society (DLG), which was presented at the trade fair.

With its hybrid concept and the new digital platform, ISM & ProSweets @home, from the third day onwards ProSweets Cologne offered the exhibitors, visitors and media representatives numerous new possibilities of coming into contact with partners, potential customers and interesting companies. Every on-site exhibitor was simultaneously represented on the platform with a digital showroom.

Moreover, in addition to the personal discussions and the extensive on-site event and congress programme, beyond the physical trade fair ProSweets Cologne also offers new digital networking options and digitally streamed contents such as expert lectures and presentations.

The second edition of the future congress “#CONNECT2030 - The Future Summit for Sweets and Snacks - in transition” is also available on-demand and provides interesting insights into the themes resource conservation, CO2 reduction and the effects of the climate change on the availability of raw materials. The digital ISM & ProSweets Cologne thus not only ensures an extended reach, but also gives all trade fair participants the opportunity to network, establish new contacts and call up contents they missed in person up until 30 April 2022. The ProSweets app, which was implemented parallel to the trade fair, also integrates new networking functions for the digital exchange, on during and after the trade fair.

The next ProSweets Cologne is scheduled to take place from Sunday, 29 January 2023, to Wednesday, 1 February 2023.