Organisers of ProSweets hail 2024 show a successful return to Cologne
Hallendurchblick, Halle 10.1. Pic: koelnmesse
The organisers of this year’s ProSweets event in Cologne have confirmed that over 13,000 trade visitors took in the broad spectrum of equipment, systems and ingredients on offer during the show, as it returned to its four-day format at the end of last month, writes Neill Barston.
Confectionery Production was on hand to cover the event (see our exclusive video review here) for the event that concluded last week, with a total of just under 250 exhibitors from 30 countries seeking to engage with the sector, as it returned fro a shortened special edition last year, which had been delay owing to the ongoing global energy crisis and supply chain challenges linked to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
We will be presenting extended review coverage of the event in our March edition of the upcoming magazine, with companies demonstrating a clear desire to demonstrate a continued focus on their respective sustainability credentials, as well as ease-of-use for operators, given an acknowledged significant challenge of recruitment shortages within the industry.
This year’s exhibitor tally far exceeded what was attained last year (130 businesses), with firms once again returning to the traditional all 10.1, with visitors attending the event from a total of 90 countries over the four days of the key trade fair. The share of foreign visitors was around 60 percent, with the highest number of visitors from Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey. Outside of Europe, growth was recorded by Egypt, Algeria, India, Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China.
As the organisers noted, there was a close collaboration with the event’s sister show, ISM, which attracted a total of 1,4000 exhibitors from around the world, ensuring that the complete value chain of the industry is represented at the event. Industry innovations, new products, and sustainability were among the core areas of its agenda, with standout features including the Expert Stage, Special Shows, Guided Tours and the ProSweets Cologne Party further promoted the networking.
“The Sweet Week together with ISM particularly had a positive effect on the economic activities and also helped strengthen the industry. The presence of renowned, international packaging and production machine manufacturers at ProSweets Cologne underlines the importance they play for the sweets and snacks industry. Moreover, the close interlinking of the two trade fairs led to a higher number of machine sales this year,” explained Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.
The trade visitors were offered a manifold spectrum of exhibitors at ProSweets Cologne 2024, which among others was represented by companies from the Machines and Plants or Ingredients and Semi-finished Products sections.
“We were particularly pleased about the high participation in the “Raw Materials & Ingredients” and “Packaging” segments. This year the centre of attention above all focused on the exchange between the two fairs, ISM and ProSweets Cologne, and the resulting unique added value for the industry. However, ProSweets Cologne doesn’t exclusively address the sweets and snacks industry, but also cross-industry manufacturers,” stated Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.
Once more, ProSweets Cologne presented the latest developments of the industry, trends and innovations. The 2024 programme proved to be more practice-oriented than ever before. The visitors highly appraised the trend lectures on the Expert Stage and the interactive programme in the “Packaging & Packaging Materials” and “Raw Materials & Ingredients” exhibition sections. The integration of the senses touch, smell and taste created a novel event experience. The event placed an even stronger focus on the environmentally-friendly procurement and manufacture of products and packaging this year.
In the “InGREENients” special section of the Ingredients Special Show, the trade audience was able to sample innovative snack innovations from around the world that placed a particular emphasis on the sustainability aspect through the use of unusual ingredients. The theme upcycling of ingredients was also presented as a forward-looking manufacturing method for sweets and snacks. Visitors additionally had the opportunity to engage in an exchange with the exhibiting start-ups.
The Sustainable Packaging Special Show “Science, Realisation, Inspiration” presented renowned partners like the German Agricultural Society (DLG), the Sustainable Packaging Institute (SPI) pacoon Sustainability Concepts and the future agency Haute Innovation. The central theme was how packaging can be made more sustainable. The theme was underpinned by the current survey DLG-Insights Sustainable Packaging 2024: Consumers, labelling, strategies for food & beverages.
