From February 2-5, 2025, the world of sweets and snacks will cast its eyes upon Cologne, because the "Sweet Week"—the unique trade fair synergy between ISM and ProSweets Cologne—will bring the industry together, ISM says. The Sweet Week aims to set new benchmarks as an event, innovation platform, and a networking hub. It covers the entire industry's value chain and brings players from the industry, trade, and supplier sector together in one location. 

Hall 10.1, which creates plenty of room for new ideas and cooperations, takes center stage at the Sweet Week: Here. The Lab5 by ISM will unite ISM with ProSweets Cologne and offers a platform for the New Product Showcase—a special exhibition for the most innovative new products, start-ups, scale-ups, trend snacks, and creations. This connection is reinforced by the spatial proximity of Hall 10.1 to the Packaging Materials and Sweet & Snackable Ingredients themes, which act as a central interface between supply and the end product. The Lab5 by ISM is enhanced by interactive formats like the "Live Sweets Creation," where the production of sweets can be experienced up close, as well as the get-together at the GISMO Bar on 4 February, which aims to make innovation tangible and promotes the exchange in an inspiring atmosphere, ISM says.

"The emphasis of ISM and ProSweets Cologne 2025 is on the active dialogue and lending the industry targeted support with today's most urgent challenges. In the scope of the Sweet Week our diversified programme offers valuable impulses. Through the combination between practical best practices, trailblazing innovations and top-class industry experts, we enable the participants to develop concrete solutions that pave the way into a more sustainable and more efficient future," says Sabine Schommer, director, ISM. 

"We would like to particularly accentuate our joint goal of actively pushing the networking between production teams and supplier companies in the scope of the Expert Stage and the Sweet Week – Talks & Tasting Stage, which not only creates a platform for conveying knowledge, but also offers room for a practice-oriented exchange and networking. In this way, we actively contribute towards the sweets and snacks industry remaining fit for the future in a world that is becoming increasingly more digitalized and sustainably-oriented," emphasizes Guido Henschke, director, ProSweets Cologne. 

Sweet Week 2025 highlights

Expert Stage - Knowledge Hub 

On the Central Boulevard, right next to Hall 10.1, the Expert Stage offers first-class input on urgent industry themes such as sustainability, digitalization, and artificial intelligence, ISM says. The program will be enriched by the expertise of the partners (Innova Market Insights and Euromonitor International) and aims to create a well-founded basis for future-looking discussions and practical solutions.  

Participants can look forward to lectures such as:  

• "The Algae Advantage: Revolution of the sweets industry with fresh microalgae" by Dipl. Ing. G. Mühlstädt, CTO ALGENWERK c/o PUEVIT GmbH
• "Sustainable packaging: Packaging for tomorrow" by Manuel Leibrock, CMO of PAPACKS
• "Artificial Intelligence - your new employees" by J. Lauten, founder and CEO of Foodforecast Technologies GmbH
• "2025 Global Consumer Trends: What’s next for Snacks Consumers“ by A. Tique, senior research analyst at Euromonitor International 

Sweet Week Talks & Tasting Stage 

The Sweet Week – Talks & Tasting Stage will take place Hall 10.1. The new format combines knowledge transfer, innovation, and interactive experiences into a diversified program that addresses both industry professionals as well as interested visitors. The latter can taste the latest products on-site.

Further highlights include:  

• Insights into future industry trends, i.e. on themes like AI  
• Live podcasts with industry insiders like Food Insider, T. Gross
• Workshops on sensor technology and trends by food exper, Hanni Rützler 
• Pitches by start-ups, hosted by investor, business angel, and founder, Robert Kronekker 
• Insights into the recycling strategy for the reduction of waste, which opens up sustainable perspectives for the industry and offers a foretaste of the Anuga Horizon, hosted by Theresa Hingsammer, director, Anuga Horizon 

Sweet Week Production Summit 

The Sweet Week Production Summit, a format that specifically connects production teams with the supply industry of ProSweets Cologne, is taking place for the first time on the Sweet Week – Talks & Tasting Stage at 1:30 pm on February 3. The focus lies on practical examples of Best Practice and innovative approaches for a cost-efficient and future-proof production, especially through the use of AI tools.

The three-minute pitch sessions of the suppliers that will be discussed in depth in a subsequent matchmaking forum in the Networking Area to promote concrete solutions and business relations are especially worth highlighting. Lectures like "AI in food production: Intelligent planning for more efficiency and sustainability" by Maximilian Köhler (Optiwiser AI Solution) or the case study "Production planning of the future" by Norbert Weichele (OMMM Operations Management Solutions GmbH) will provide the industry with new impulses.  

The Summit will be rounded off by the ProSweets Cologne Party, which offers the participants an additional opportunity for an exchange and to network in a relaxed atmosphere. The Sweet Week Production Summit thus concentrates on innovation and sharing of knowledge. 

Highlight: ISM distinctions and awards 

The awards at ISM pay tribute to contributions and innovations in the sweets and snacks industry.

One of the highlights is the presentation of the ISM Award on February 2, which honors outstanding services in the sweets and snacks industry. In 2024, the distinction went to Ekachai Savetsomphob, whose commitment has reportedly significantly shaped the Thai sweets market.

On February 2, an expert jury will confer the New Product Showcase Award, whereas on February 4, the Consumer Award will announce the public's favorite. Both prizes honor the industry's innovative power and set new accents in the field of product development. In 2024, Planet A Foods GmbH was crowned the winner of the the New Product Showcase Awardm with its sustainable cocoa alternative, ChoViva. The Consumer Award went to the Neapolitan wafer of Ja!, for which the cocoa alternative ChoViva is also used.  

ISM's entire event program can be found here.

Related: ISM reports growth in 2025 exhibitors, exhibition space