The global leader event for the sweets and snacks industry
Want to learn what the newest technological designs in snacks and confectionery are, and stay on top of industry trends? Head to ISM to gain new clients. ISM (sometimes ISM Cologne) is short for Internationale Süßwarenmesse and is the leading trade fair for sweets and snacks in Europe and the rest of the world. ISM first entered the scene in 1971 and has been serving the sweets and snacks industry faithfully as the premier procurement platform for nearly half a century. With a hold over the biggest buyers and manufacturers on the scene, ISM is an essential event that runs the entire value chain. This includes confectionery, candies, ready to eat fruit snacks, ice cream, baked goods, chocolate products, chocolates, cocoa, savoury snacks, snack products and vegetable snacks.
ISM 2025
Accommodation
Amplify your success at ISM with customized hotel reservations in Cologne from Trade Fair Trips Ltd. We present you only the best choices in hotels and do it in a single business day. Book a hotel near Koelnmesse today and save on your travel expenses. Trade Fair Trips ltd is here to make your business trip easier in every way. We have spent years developing our services and offer clients hotel accommodation for trade shows at every price point. You can make an online hotel booking for ISM in an ideal location, with access to public transport and at an exceptional price. Trade Fair Trips ltd is here to assist in any other way possible as you plan your work trip. Need a contractor to install your show booth? Want to book meeting facilities? We do all this and more!
On foot:
Not advisable when travelling from Cologne Bonn Airport
30 mins when travelling from Cologne Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
By car:
20 mins when travelling from Cologne Bonn Airport
10 mins when travelling from Cologne Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
By public transport:
30 mins when travelling from Cologne Bonn Airport
10 mins when travelling from Cologne Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
Hotels near ISM
| Hotel | Stars | Distance to fair | City | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Hotel Viktoria | 2.4 | Köln | from € 456.00 EUR | Book Now | |
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A&O Dusseldorf Hauptbahnhof | 38.1 | Düsseldorf | from € 367.00 EUR | Book Now | |
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Holiday Inn - the niu, Mill Cologne Mülheim, an IHG Hotel | 2.69 | Köln | from € 271.00 EUR | Book Now | |
| Steigenberger Parkhotel Dusseldorf | Düsseldorf | from € 332.00 EUR | Book Now | |||
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Park Villa in Wuppertal | 44 | Wuppertal | from € 264.00 EUR | Book Now | |
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Hotel Burgerhof | 6.1 | Köln | from € 251.00 EUR | Book Now | |
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Ruby Ella Hotel Cologne | 3.5 | Köln | from € 553.00 EUR | Book Now | |
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Leonardo Royal Hotel Dusseldorf Konigsallee | 36.7 | Düsseldorf | from € 466.00 EUR | Book Now | |
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Ibis Hotel Koln Airport | 7.2 | Köln | from € 337.00 EUR | Book Now | |
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Courtyard by Marriott Dusseldorf Seestern | Düsseldorf | from € 294.00 EUR | Book Now |
Organised by Koelnmesse, which also serves as its venue, ISM arrives annually at the start of the calendar year alongside another popular related event - ProSweets Cologne. The international trade show lasts for four days and usually is scheduled during the first half of February so that it allows exhibitors to shape the upcoming fiscal year in terms of sales and publicity. The doors are open only for trade visitors and working hours are from 09:00 am until 18:00 pm. The last day wraps up two hours earlier at 16:00 pm. These are hours for trade visitors. Visitors who don’t have a car or wish to take taxis can rely on abundant, regular connections to Koelnmesse. In between the metro, the tram system and four lines of city rail, you always make it to ISM on time no matter where you’re staying.
You’re going to generate sales leads at an incredible pace at ISM because the last edition saw 1661 international exhibitors showcase their products to over 38,000 trade visitors. Visitors hold managerial positions in their respective companies and when they don’t have purchasing power directly, they have advisory capacity. At the same time, you are more than set in terms of who you are presenting products to. The biggest retail chains come to ISM to make purchases - Kaufland, Kroger, Metro, Coop, Whole Foods, Edeka, Aldi, Carrefour, Amazon, Walgreens and Costco. But that is just the tip as the trade audience is incredibly diverse. Yes, you have the expected - pastry shops, cafés, bakeries, confectioneries and trade chains, but there are also food chemists, nutrition scientists and vending machine operators. The markets you gain the biggest access to include Belgium, Italy, Poland, the UK, the Netherlands, the USA, and France. That’s outside Germany, of course.
ISM 2022
In 2022, ISM and ProSweets took place as hybrid events - live exhibitions complemented by the digital platform ISM & ProSweets@home. The hosting dates for the events were 30.01.2022 to 02.02.2022, with the live aspects occurring in Messe Cologne. The editions featured representatives from 96 countries. Around 15,000 trade visitors attended the editions. Of these participants, 78% were from foreign countries such as France, Belgium, the UK, and the Netherlands. They also represented countries such as Russia, the USA, and Turkey. Because of the ongoing pandemic, attendees had to adhere to a series of strict safety protocols. This included precautions, such as the 3G entry policy and social distancing. Attendees had to maintain a safe distance of 1.5 metres during their visit and show immunisation passports before entry.
ISM 2023
The 2023 Special Editions of ISM and ProSweets took place between 23.04.2023 and 25.04.2023 in Messe Cologne. The venue did not include Covid-19 safety measures during the renditions due to the removal of the country's pandemic-related restrictions. The editions welcomed over 25,000 visitors from 135 nations and 119 exhibitors from 23 countries.
ISM 2024
The 2024 editions of ISM Cologne and ProSweets Cologne took place between 28.01.2024 and 31.01.2024. The events received 1,675 exhibitors from over 100 countries (around 74% of the total exhibiting group was from a foreign country). The trade fairs also feature more than 43,000 visitors from more than 140 nations (over 75% were from a foreign country).
What You Can Expect as an Exhibitor?
- ISM is a meeting point between supply and demand on the highest level as you’re able to present products to buyers of the highest calibre from all over the world–there are 144 countries represented;
- You stay fully in the know regarding the industry and markets since ISM is where most new products are first launched and the most important news shared before anyone else;
- ISM is a trendsetter, and you have a real chance to add your vision to other brands that are actively challenging the status quo and pushing the envelope towards new horizons;
- Because it’s such a well-received and important event, ISM attracts a significant amount of trade press from all over the world, which translates into higher brand awareness and brand recognition;
