Positive result down the line for the ProSweets Cologne 2020 for the 260 exhibitors. Over 18,000 trade visitors from more than 100 countries were registered over the course of the four days of the trade fair. The share of foreign visitors was around 70 percent.

“ProSweets Cologne 2020 was able to fulfil the expectations of the exhibitors to a high degree. The international supplier trade fair for the sweets industry convinced the suppliers this year above all with the quality of its trade visitors and high share of decision-makers. Beyond this the trade fair impressed with future-oriented themes such as sustainable packing, resource-saving production, flexible machines and natural ingredients. Not least the unique combination with ISM in the direct vicinity offers high added value for the industry, because this is the only place where the entire value chain of the sweets and snacks industry is covered completely,” explained Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.

 

From the view of the ProSweets Cologne exhibitors, above all the high quality of the trade visitors was of central importance for the success of the trade fair. According to the trade visitor survey, the share of decision-makers from the management floors and production departments lay at over 80 percent, which means top level discussions could be held. 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. All of the biggest sweets manufacturers were represented at this year's trade fair, even if in some cases in smaller delegations due to the current Corona virus situation. The fact that ISM was held simultaneously meant that the expert dialogues held were particularly intensive and target-oriented.

 

What's more, the trade visitor survey also demonstrated that the trade visitors were highly interested in new products and had a concrete purchase interest. The exhibitors also confirmed this. The satisfaction of the exhibitors is also reflected in the initial number of registrations received for ProSweets Cologne 2021. Beyond this, 92 percent would recommend a good business friend to visit the trade fair and around 80 percent of the trade visitors were satisfied to very satisfied with their visit to ProSweets Cologne.

At around 70 percent, the share of foreign visitors remained at a constantly high level. Once again, the highest numbers of foreign visitors were registered from the neighbouring European countries.

 

Above all, the exhibitors placed their bets on future-oriented themes. In the Ingredients section, natural ingredients and reformulation solutions still play 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 order to increase the effectiveness and capacity utilisation of the machines, the speeds in the production and packaging areas are being further increased. Individualised shapes and packing are of great significance within the sweets and snacks industry. The sustainability aspect is also an important factor. Here new, resource-saving solutions made of paper and recyclable raw materials were presented such as for example the winning product of the ISM Packaging Award powered by ProSweets Cologne - "Labels made of grass paper" - by Froben Druck GmbH & Co. KG from Germany. The trade visitors' interest in this theme section was also high: One manufacturer of packing machines was even able to record the successful sale of a machine on the first day of the trade fair.

 

Furthermore, the future congress #CONNECT2030 – The Future Summit for Sweets and Snacks that was staged for the first time by ProSweets Cologne and ISM were also very well-attended. In a fully-booked hall, renowned experts talked about practical solutions for digital networking, big data, artificial intelligence and smart packaging. The supplier industry particularly plays a major role regarding the future themes of the industry, because it already pursues numerous innovative approaches and offers solutions that provide the manufacturers with a decisive advantage in the international competition. The announcement by ProSweets Cologne that it intends to reinforce the Ingredients section in the coming year, met with great interest among the exhibitors. In this way, the section will in future serve more as a source of inspiration for new concepts and product ideas for the development of alternative products and product variants. This will encompass raw materials, ingredients as well as semi-finished products.

 

Together with ISM, the world's most important trade fair for sweets and snacks, which is held simultaneously, the entire value chain of sweets production and sales is gathered at the same time and place; a worldwide unique constellation with extensive synergies for the entire industry.

By the end of the trade fair, ISM had registered around 37,000 visitors from 148 countries. ISM recorded a 7.5 percent increase in the number of exhibitors: 1,774 exhibitors from 76 countries presented sweets and snacks from all over the world.

ProSweets Cologne is sponsored by the Federal Association of the German Sweets Industry (BDSI), Sweets Global Network e.V. (SG), the German Agricultural Society (DLG e.V.) and the Central College of the German Sweets Industry (ZDS).

 

 

ProSweets Cologne 2020 in numbers

260 suppliers from 32 countries exhibited at ProSweets Cologne 2020, 67 percent of whom came from abroad. These included 86 exhibitors from Germany and 174 exhibitors from abroad. Over 18,000 trade visitors from more than 100 countries attended ProSweets Cologne 2020, the foreign share was around 70 percent.

The next edition of ProSweets Cologne is scheduled to take place from 31 January to 3 February 2021.

 

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