Organizers for ISM Cologne, the world's largest trade fair for sweets and snacks, are launching a new event in Japan next year.

Set for April 13-15, 2022 at the Tokyo Big Sight, ISM Japan will serve as the information, communication and networking hub for the confectionery and snacks industries in the region. 

Koelnmesse has modeled ISM Japan after ISM Cologne. The premiere is expected to host more than 200 brands. 

ISM Japan is a natural enhancement of the existing food and beverage segments of Wine & Gourmet Japan, as well as the established food trade fairs that are organized by the Japan Food Journal - FABEX, Dessert Sweets & Bakery Festival, Food & Drink OEM Matching Expo, Noodle Industry Fair and the Premium Food Show. Staging all shows under the same roof will lead to a more efficient synergy between the events and will offer all trade visitors a wider product palette. 

Together with its six partner trade fairs, ISM Japan is expected to attract more than 1,000 exhibitors and just under 80,000 trade visitors from Asia and East Asia. 

Koelnmesse cites a forecasted 6.2 percent annual growth in the Asian-Pacific sweets market between 2020 and 2025 as a factor in developing the show. Additionally, Japan is the sixth largest sweets market in the world. Furthermore, free trade agreements with the European Union and the U.S. make the market entry more attractive for food products from overseas.  

"With the introduction of ISM Japan, we are expanding our portfolio of the sweets and snacks segment to also include the Asiatic/Pacific region,” said Gerald Böse, president and CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH. “We see here enormous growth potential, particularly through the strategic partnership with the Japan Food Journal, which has been on the market for over 20 years and which has expanded its trade fairs year after year. In this way, we are not only creating additional synergies with the on-site events but are also consistently extending our role as the international leader in organizing food trade fairs and events regarding food and beverage processing. We are confident that we are creating significant added value for the industry with this new kick-off event.”