A fantastic final curtain draws down on a successful 2024 ISM Middle East
With just the final few minutes of ISM Middle East remaining, all that is left to do is offer a big congratulations to the organisers and exhibitors at this year’s show, who have collectively raised the bar for this key international event.
The move to nearly double the number of businesses involved in the 2024 event has clearly paid of, with more than 50,000 products being showcased across its three days, which attracted a truly international audience.
From a notable cluster of local producers of chocolate, candy and snacks, through to companies from China, Iran and South America, this felt very much like the most dynamic show yet.
As a number of firms, including those on the UK pavilion noted, the decision to adopt the ISM branding for the event has elevated it to a new level, and it’s had the accompanying investment in its surrounding infrastructure to ensure that results have been delivered across its action-packed three days.
In an exclusive for Confectionery Production, the show’s organisers confirmed that the initial feedback before the event closes has given them enough confidence to confirm that it is set for even further expansion to its biggest size yet – you heard it here first, ISM Middle East is set to be even more expansive next time around.
So for now, a thanks to the Koelnmesse team for its assistance with comments and their time, to those who have given interviews, with the likes of British firms including Fox’s Burtons Companies, Walkers Nonsuch, Diablo, Jakemans, World of Sweets, through to Colombia’s Luker Chocolate, Kenya’s Mr Berry’s and Morocco’s Atteli, Belgium’s Guylian, and Embare from Brazil to name but a few, this has felt like a genuinely remarkable show.
It was also a personal highlight to run into several other key industry names including Markus Rustler of Theegarten-Pactec (see our subsequent video review for more), on its upcoming plans as a business, and to Alex Shandrovsky for the free-flowing discussion on the state of the industry and its own ambitions within the cocoa sector, which you can also see more on shortly. So here’s wishing you all safe travels home from wherever in the world you have come from for what has been an exceptional global show indeed.
Neill Barston editor, Confectionery Production
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