"The market's overwhelming response to the ProSweets Cologne 2023 - Special Edition is demonstrating to us that we have placed our bets on the right horse with this concept," explained Guido Hentschke, director of ProSweets Cologne. 

To date, exhibitors from over ten countries have registered from all product sections. The following, among others, have already confirmed their participation: Capol GmbH, Coppenrath Feingebäck GmbH, Baker Perkins, Prefamac Chocolate Machines, Live-Tech s.r.l., Fuji Packaging, GNT Group B.V., Hacos NV, Handtmann, Maschinenfabrik Seydelmann KG, Stearinerie Dubois Fils, and Dolciaria Gadeschi SpA.

"The strategy of offering low-effort complete standard packages for the one-off April edition as well as a comprehensive matchmaking with producers from the sweets and snacks industry, who are on-site anyway due to the co-staged ISM, is paying off," stated Hentschke. "I am particularly pleased about the participation of machine and plant manufacturers, who are bringing their machines with them to the Special Edition."

Early bird offer 

For the Special Edition, the supplier fair is exclusively offering exhibiting companies complete stand packages in three different executions. For last-minute exhibitors, these packages can be booked up until December 15 via the website at the early bird discount. As usual, the focus lies on the four product segments: "packaging and packaging materials," "production and packaging technology," "operating equipment and auxiliary devices," as well as "raw materials and ingredients." In addition to these main themes, ProSweets Cologne will also focus on the section "sweet & snackable ingredients."

Event and congress program

In addition to the current and future-oriented specialized topics, supply chain-related themes of the new era, changes to the export-oriented geostrategy as well as energy and resource shortages will also be integrated into the programme. The initial highlights of the event and congress programme have already been set. Thus, for example, Euromonitor, the partner of both trade fairs for many years, will discuss the effects of inflation on the sweets and snacks market in Europe under the title "Inflation Surge and its Impact on Snacks." The industry sponsor of ProSweets Cologne, DLG, will also discuss solutions for the global procurement of raw materials and energy efficiency in the production of sweets together with the ISM on the joint Expert Stage.

A special focus of the PSC Special Edition will be the energy crisis theme—and here the emphasis will particularly lie on its impact on the global goods supply chain and the prices of the end products. The industry is busy and is already developing approaches for solutions of how to react to the challenges. In addition to savings in energy and production materials for the production of sweets and snacks, these also include developments for the sustainable and thus energy-saving design of the packaging of the goods.