ISM Japan – scheduled for 13-15 April 2022 in Tokyo – will serve as the information, communication and networking hub for the snacks and confectionery industries in the region.
The Asia-Pacific region is an attractive option for snack producers. According to Koelnmesse, the sector is forecast to grow at a 6.2% CAGR between 2020 and 2025.
The premier show will be modelled on ISM Cologne and is expected to host more than 200 exhibitors. It joins the family of trade fairs that make up FABEX, including Dessert Sweets & Bakery Festival, the Premium Food Show, Food & Drink OEM Matching Expo and Noodle Industry Fair. According to the organisers, staging all shows under the same roof lead to a more efficient synergy between the events and offers the more than 80,000 expected visitors a wider product palette from the 1,000+ exhibitors.
Creating significant value
“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 … not only creating additional synergies with the onsite events but are also consistently extending our role as the international leader in organising 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.”
ISM Japan will encompass a broad segment of the sector, including manufacturers, producers, wholesalers, distributors, importers, exporters and brokers of snacks – sweet, salty, speciality, baked and frozen – confectionery and raw materials. It will feature the Specialty Market Zone, where free-from, organic, halal and functional products will be exhibited; and the Technology Zone, where the latest processing and packaging technologies for sweets and snacks will be presented.
Bastian Fassin, chairman of the AISM working group and member of the executive committee of the German Confectionery Industry Association (BDSI), added, “The Japanese confectionery market represents a great but rewarding challenge for every manufacturer due to the very high quality demands on product and packaging. For example, Japan is already the most important export market in East Asia for the European confectionery industry, which also radiates into the entire Pacific region via its regional trade agreements.”
Japan signed one of the world’s biggest free trade deals with the EU that came into force on 1 February 2019, followed by a similar agreement with the US in October 2019 and the UK a year later.
