ProSweets reports encouraging response to 2021 event
The team behind ProSweets confectionery equipment event in Cologne, Germany, has noted an encouraging response to next year’s show, with more than 100 exhibitors confirmed with its early booking campaign. Neill Barston reports.
Organisers acknowledged that the unprecedented disruption caused by coronavirus has placed challenges on the market, which impacted on last year’s attendance, with previously high numbers of Chinese visitors unable to attend the show due to the outbreak of the pandemic. It is due to be staged between 31 January-2 February, just several weeks before the rescheduled Interpack event being held in Dusseldorf, from February 25-3 March.
Meanwhile, the finished confectionery product ISM event, which last year celebrated its 50th year and runs parallel to ProSweets, has also attracted strong initial interest for next year’s show. To date, 76% of its exhibition space is confirmed as having been filled with seven months before the show.
As Confectionery Production has previously reported, former editions of ProSweets have typically attracted more than 300 exhibitors in total, with the organising team expressing the view that the show has an important role to play in showcasing how the sector is rising to meet some of the altered trading landscape which the industry is presently facing.
In a statement on ProSweets, organisers said: “The Corona pandemic is holding the entire world in suspense and also poses new challenges for the confectionery and snacks supply industry. At the same time, unimagined forces are released to drive global processes of change, such as in digitalisation or product development, and thus also influence people’s behavioural patterns.
“ProSweets Cologne can make an important contribution in these times above all as a catalyst. As a central supplier fair for confectionery and snacks in parallel with ISM, it not only enables the last missed personal encounter among business partners. In addition, ProSweets Cologne, as a globally proven trading venue and unique platform specifically for sweets and snacks, also offers the opportunity to present innovative products in one place in a concentrated manner in order to promote economic growth again. The industry’s desire for a piecemeal normality in everyday business is great. This is also reflected in the registration figures for the early booking phase of the fair, which expired at the end of May.”
For example, the team around ProSweets director Julia Kölsch is already registering significant demand and numerous bookings seven months before the start of the trade fair. More than 100 exhibitors from all regularly represented countries, such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy or Hungary, have registered despite the difficult times surrounding the Corona pandemic – sometimes even with stand enlargements. Outside Of European europe, the fair registered companies from the USA, Hong Kong and Ghana. New exhibitors from Germany, France and Turkey have also already registered. The first registered group holdings come from Italy, the Czech Republic, Taiwan and China.
Organisers confirmed early businesses to announce their presence at ProSweets include: Albert Handtmann Maschinenfabrik, Baker Perkins, Belgian Sweets design SA, Chocal Aluminiumverpackungen, Ecomec, Döhler, GNT Group, Hacos NV, Hamburg Dresdner Maschinenfabriken, INDAG Maschinenbau, Knobel Maschinenbau, Kremers Packaging Machines, Krüger & Salecker Maschinenbau, Lareka Confectionery Equipment, Mantrose UK, and TOMRA Sorting and Vemag Maschinenbau.
This means that the entire product range of processing and packaging machines, robotics, packaging and ingredients will be represented at ProSweets Cologne 2021. The topic of ingredients will be brought into focus even more at the upcoming event and will be given a dedicated section exclusively for this topic in hall 5.2 under the title “ProSweets Ingredients – inspiring products” in Hall 5.2.
“Our exhibitor clientele is looking forward to the industry event in the circle of their ‘confectionery family’ ProSweets Cologne and ISM. People want to get back into conversation with each other, but above all want to present their products to a wide audience. In an uncertain competitive environment following the Corona pandemic, ProSweets Cologne will help our exhibitors to relaunch their business and present even more solutions that will offer added value beyond the crisis. Many of our exhibitors value ProSweets Cologne as an important industry platform. We hope that the macroeconomic situation will continue to stabilise and expect to see additional notifications in the coming months. The signals are positive, as other companies have announced their decision to participate in the trade fair for the summer of 2020,” explains Julia Kölsch, Director of ProSweets Cologne.
Digital concepts
For the trade fairs starting in Cologne from autumn, concepts for digital offerings are already being planned. In addition to the physical participation of the trade fair, these enable, among other things, the digital initiation of contacts and networks as well as the exchange of information online and create additional added value for both exhibitors and trade visitors. Similar digital services will also be made available for the ProSweets Cologne 2021.
Positives can also be reported from the parallel ISM, the world’s leading trade fair for confectionery and snacks. In the anniversary year, the trade fair set a new record with a total of 1,774 exhibitors (up 7.5 percent) from 76 countries. Even in these difficult times, the ISM registers a very good registration status with more than 500 exhibitors and a booked area of 76 percent (previous year 86 percent) after the early booking campaign. In particular, the interest of new exhibitors is very satisfied with the trade fair organisers, as registrations from Australia and Iran have already been registered. This positive course also sends an important signal for ProSweets Cologne, as the participants of the ISM represent the most important group of visitors to the confectionery and snacks trade fair.
