More than 30,000 members of the global confectionery industry are expected to convene in Cologne, Germany for the 37th annual International Sweets and Biscuits Fair (ISM), scheduled for Jan. 28 – 31, 2007.  

About 1,600 exhibitors from some 70 countries are slated to show off their products at ISM 2007. The exhibition will sprawl throughout Halls 2, 3, 4, 10 and 11 at the state-of-the-art Koelnmesse exhibition facility.

Following its successful debut in 2006, ProSweets, the international supplier fair for the confectionery industry, will again be held in conjunction with ISM. It is slated for Jan. 29 – Feb. 1, and thus will overlap with ISM on three days.

Buyers may purchase admission tickets in advance and thus avoid the queues at the trade fair ticket counters by accessing the ISM website at www.ism-cologne.com. Proof of trade visitor status must be submitted when ISM tickets are ordered. An ISM admission ticket entitles the holder to free travel on the buses, trams and trains of the Cologne Municipal Transport Authority and the Rhine-Sieg Transport Authority.

This year ISM organizers are introducing a new advertising concept. The new design features a mouth with a lollipop in the form of a globe and is designed to represent the international scope of the confectionery sector and of ISM. Its primary color scheme is pink to complement the pink color of the traditional ISM logo.

Fun, food and networking are also on the agenda during ISM.

The ISM U.S. Pavilion Exhibitors, together with the National Confectioners Association, Confectioner and Candy Industry magazines, are hosting a reception the evening of Sunday, January 28, at Holtmann’s Café, Museum Ludwig, located in the shadow of the famous Cologne Cathedral from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

It will be a truly international affair with retailers and wholesalers from around the world invited to be part of the celebrations. Many of our readers will have already received an invitation to this event, and we look forward to visiting with you there.

At Confectioner's press time, the following companies had confirmed participation in the USA Confectionery Pavilion located on the ISM show floor.