德国科隆国际糖果及休闲食品展览会（ISM COLOGNE）是全球最大、最重要的甜食和休闲食品的展览会，该展从1971年开始举办，一年一届，在科隆国际展览中心举行。每年来自全球贸易界的专业人士汇聚在这里，相互介绍、发掘和探讨国际最新流行趋势、最新的产品，寻找最近最好的商机。ISM的展品系列是其他任何展览会都无法匹敌的，其范围之广完全折射出了整个全球市场。ISM只限专业客户参观—尤其是大规模买家。展会只对来自如下类型批发商和零售商的买家开放：甜食、杂货店和合作批发渠道、零售连锁店及其地区分支、C+C公司、自助百货店和消费者市场、健康食品分销商、连锁药店、专业甜食零售商、咖啡店、烘焙店、加油站连锁网点等。
全球糖果业及糖果加工业所有相关的目标群体都将被带到这里，小型、中型还有具有市场领导作用的供应商们在这里进行直接交流用最革新的思想、创意和理念满足未来消费者的需求。这些都为供应商和客户之间的双赢制造了无限良机。这是与参展商和其他厂家直接交流，学习国际先进经验，改进自己的产品，扩展德国及世界市场的最好机会。
该展的两大基本理念是：严格限制展品内容；观众范围限定为产品分销商和重要买家。贸易无国界，商务正日趋全球化。了解市场概况和筛选产品的时间和经济成本正在不断提高，制造商和客户之间的直接交流也是如此。因此，科隆国际糖果及休闲食品展览会毫无疑问成为了甜品零食行业内供应商和大买家理想的国际平台。
ISM展的参展企业来自糖果和零食的制造商、分销商及其包装商、零售与销售商，包括：巧克力和巧克力制品，糖果，饼干，小吃食品，美味小吃，即食食品，水果小吃和蔬菜小吃，早餐、咖啡和茶，冰淇淋、深冻冷冻糖果等。该展只对以下零售和批发的买家将被允许进入：糖果、食品和饮料批发，进口和采购协会，贸易链及其区域分支机构，加油站-连锁站，包括中央/地方行政管理，大卖场，食品服务供应商，零售糖果贸易，糕点店、咖啡馆、面包店、糖果店，糖果和零食行业的现金和运费操作，面包店需求批发，保健食品批发商，药店链，百货商店，在线食品零售商，自动售货机操作人员，营养科学家，食品化学家，糖果和休闲食品的生产者。
展品范围(Show Products):
糖果及休闲类：可可、巧克力和巧克力制品；饼干、小点心；糖制品；休闲食品；焙烤制品；冰淇淋和生浆制品；面包类食品；胶质糖等。
展会报告(Show Reports):
International trade fair impresses with its high international reach and strong focus on the future +++ Compact trade fair format meets content-related depth and an intensive exchange +++ Highly topical themes like AI, digitalisation and sustainable packaging solutions shape the offerings and the programme +++ Successful interlinking with the new ISM Ingredients
Before sweets and snacks are ready for the market, key decisions are taken – regarding recipes, production processes, packaging solutions and efficiency. This was precisely what ProSweets Cologne from 1 to 4 February 2026 in Cologne concentrated on. As the only trade fair worldwide with a clear focus on the supply industry for sweets and snacks, together with ISM and the newly-established ISM Ingredients, it gathered together around 1,800 exhibitors and 32,500 trade visitors. Together the three events covered the entire value chain of the sweets and snacks industry – from raw materials and ingredients, to packaging and production through to the marketable product. At the same time, the foundation for the further development of the trade fair portfolio was laid: As of 2027, ProSweets Cologne will become part of the joint umbrella brand ISM, under the new name ISM Manufacturing.
"The strength of this year's ProSweets Cologne lay primarily in its clear focus and the excellent quality of the visitors. The compact structure, high level of internationality and the immediate proximity to ISM and ISM Ingredients enabled efficient discussions, short routes and concrete business deals along the entire value chain. At the same time, diverse networking and event formats created a tangible experience and turned the trade fair into a vibrant meeting point for the industry," emphasised Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.
"ProSweets Cologne demonstrated impressively what innovation potential arises when trade fairs are intelligently interlinked. The close collaboration with ISM and ISM Ingredients creates a unique platform that promotes the professional exchange and provides the industry with a further innovation boost," stated Carola K. Herbst, Deputy Managing Director, DLG Competence Centre for Agriculture & Food.
Complete spectrum of offers of the supplier industry
In its regular cycle, ProSweets Cologne 2026 presented itself as a compact and focused trade fair format. The entire spectrum of offers of the international supplier industry was showcased in four clearly defined theme worlds – World of Packaging Materials, World of Packaging Technology, World of Production Technology as well as World of Operating Equipment & Auxiliary Devices. The clear structure ensured an efficient visitor guidance, facilitated the orientation and supported targeted business development along the entire value chain.
ProSweets Cologne 2026 made a bold statement with the strong presence of leading machinery and plant manufacturers, who were represented with large stand areas. Companies like VEMAG Maschinenbau GmbH, Maschinenfabrik Seydelmann KG, LIVE-TECH s.r.l., Wolf Spezialmaschinen GmbH, SELMI Chocolate Machinery Srl, Rovema GmbH, Kremers Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG and ULMA Packaging presented innovative solutions for the high-performance, efficient and future-oriented production and packaging of sweets and snacks.
International orientation and global supply chains under focus
With a 69 percent share of foreign exhibitors, ProSweets Cologne 2026 underlined its international focus. The countries with the highest participations included Germany, Turkey, Italy and the Netherlands. Beyond this, group stands from China and Italy were represented. The high level of internationality reflected both the global orientation of the sweets and snacks industry as well as the growing significance of international supply chains and technological partnerships.
Future themes characterised the offerings and content
In terms of contents, ProSweets Cologne 2026 clearly placed the focus on the key challenges facing the industry. Artificial intelligence, digitalisation, sustainable packaging solutions, increasing production efficiency as well as regulatory requirements – including the EU Packaging Regulation PPWR – were the centre of attention of the offerings and the accompanying events.
With a clearly focused event programme, ProSweets Cologne, ISM Ingredients and ISM set content-related highlights. The Expert Stage once again served as the central knowledge hub for examples of best practice in everyday industrial life. The programme was enhanced by the Talks & Tasting Stage. This interactive stage combined lectures with product tastings, live podcasts and creator formats, fostering a lively exchange between the industry, start-ups and industry experts.
Promoting young talent, knowledge transfer and networking
A further programme highlight was the DLG Careers Day on 1 February 2026, which specifically addressed students and young professionals. Young professionals took advantage of this opportunity to engage in a direct exchange with leading companies of the supplier industry and learn about career paths, qualifications and entry opportunities.
Practical packaging workshops in cooperation with pacoon on themes like packaging, AI and PPWR, as well as thematic guided tours and interactive formats rounded off the specialised programme. The ProSweets Cologne Party in Hall 10.1 on 2 February 2026 once again offered the opportunity for an intensive, personal exchange and brought the second day of the trade fair to a pleasant close in a relaxed atmosphere.
Strong support from the industry
ProSweets Cologne 2026 was accompanied and supported by key industry associations, including the Federal Association of the German Sweets Industry (BDSI), Sweets Global Network e.V., the German Agricultural Society (DLG e.V.) and the Central College of the German Sweets Industry e.V. (ZDS). Together they underscored the significance of the trade fair as an international platform for innovation, knowledge transfer and networking.
The trade fair trio in figures
1,790 exhibiting companies from 75 countries participated in ISM, ISM Ingredients and ProSweets Cologne 2026. Foreign exhibitors accounted for 85 percent of the total. In total, around 32,500 trade visitors from 140 countries attended the trade fairs, the foreign share was 71 percent.
As of 2027: ProSweets Cologne will be renamed ISM Manufacturing
From 2027 onwards, ISM will, for the first time, unite all sections of the international sweets and snacks industry under a joint umbrella brand. With ISM, ISM Ingredients and ISM Manufacturing, a seamless, clearly structured and inspiring trade fair experience will be created - from the ingredients and the production through to the finished product. In this way, the industry's entire value chain will be united under one strong brand, which will significantly enhance the experience for the exhibitors and visitors.
The first edition of ISM Manufacturing is scheduled to take place from 31 January to 3 February 2027.
