Belgium to be partner country for ISM 2012

Preparations are gearing up for the 42nd International Sweets and Biscuits Fair (ISM). The partner country at next year’s ISM will be Belgium with a full programme of activities involving Belgian companies and producers.

A total of 138 exhibiting companies from Belgium exhibited at ISM in 2011. In addition to many individual exhibitors, including leading Belgian confectionery producers, the joint stand of Belgian companies in Hall 4.2, in particular, will provide an overview of the country’s confectionery, baked goods and snack products. In attendance on the first day of the 42nd ISM will be Ilse Aigner, Germany’s federal minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, who will officially open the trade fair.

More than 80% of the ISM exhibitors are coming from abroad. In 2011 a total of 32,451 specialist buyers from 144 countries visited ISM. The proportion of buyers from abroad was 64 per cent.

Other regular ISM events include the CEO Lunch. Karl-Heinz Johnen, managing director at Zentis, has already confirmed that he will attend this event, which will be hosted once again by trade journalist Werner Prill. The New Product Showcase is a platform for presenting new ideas in an attractive setting in the middle of the Boulevard, a central hub at ISM. Journalists visiting ISM select the best three products from the showcase to be specially presented, which means that they can attract even more attention.

The ISM party on Sunday evening brings together exhibitors and dealers from around the world and will feature the theme “Carnival”. Admission tickets can be purchased from exhibitors or from specialist buyers.
2011, for the first time, there were two masters of the praline art showing their expertise to the visitors at ISM. The master chocolatiers Axel Hanf and Lothar Buss demonstrated their impressive craftsmanship and chocolate design skills live to the audience, who also asked questions and were of course invited to taste the creations. Similar high quality examples of the art of chocolate-making will be on the programme in 2012.