Trade fair ProSweets Cologne 2020, which recently took place in Cologne, was positive for the 260 exhibitors. More than 18,000 trade visitors from over 100 countries were registered, and the foreign share was 70 %. The focus of the show was on future topics such as natural ingredients, resource-saving production and sustainable packaging.

ProSweets Cologne 2020 was able to fulfil the expectations of the exhibitors to a high degree”, accentuated Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of the organizing Koelnmesse GmbH. “The international supplier trade fair for the confectionery industry convinced the suppliers this year above all with the quality of its trade visitors and high share of decision-makers.”

From the view of the ProSweets Cologne exhibitors, 67 % of whom came from abroad, above all the high quality of the visitors was of central importance for the success of the trade fair. According to the trade visitor survey, the share of decision makers from the management floors and production departments lay at over 80 %.

The trade visitor survey also showed that the visitors were highly interested in new products and had a concrete purchase interest. Around 80 % of the trade visitors were satisfied to very satisfied with their visit to ProSweets Cologne.

Above all, the exhibitors placed their bets on future-oriented topics. In the Ingredients section, natural ingredients and reformulation solutions still play a major role. Beyond this, flexible machines that can be adapted to changed recipes and demands as a result of their fast set-up options were also under focus. In order to increase the efficiency and capacity utilization of the machines, the speeds in the production and packaging areas are being further increased.

Individualized shapes and packing are of great significance within the sweets and snacks industry. The sustainability aspect is also an important factor. Here, new resource-saving solutions made of paper and recyclable raw materials were presented.

Furthermore, the future congress #CONNECT2030 – The Future Summit for Sweets and Snacks that was staged for the first time by ProSweets Cologne and ISM was also very well-attended. In a fully-booked hall, experts talked about practical solutions for digital networking, big data, artificial intelligence and smart packaging. The supplier industry plays a major role regarding the future topics of the industry, since it already pursues numerous innovative approaches.

The announcement by ProSweets Cologne that it intends to reinforce the Ingredients section in the coming year, met with great interest among the exhibitors. In this way, the section will in future serve more as a source of inspiration for new concepts and ideas for the development of alternative products.