Towards the end of April, we visited ISM 2023, which is billed as the world’s largest trade fair for sweets and snacks. This year, it took place in Cologne, Germany, between 23rd and 25th April. It featured around 1200 exhibitors and we were among an estimated 25,000 food industry professionals who visited.
We made the decision to attend as part of our ongoing export growth strategy, which has already seen Simply Doughnuts’ products being stocked in stores and hypermarkets across the Gulf States. Here, though, there was a wider international audience and we used the opportunity to start a variety of useful new working relationships.
In particular, we are looking at new opportunities in European countries, so we were pleased to attract very positive feedback from a number of European agents and distributors. We also began discussions with food ingredient suppliers and one or two fellow brand-owners with which we may be able to collaborate in the months and years ahead.
The event was also an opportunity to catch up with some long-standing contacts and to build on ideas that we have been developing collectively for some time. These ideas are still being tested and worked through, but we’re confident that they will ultimately give rise to new products, new deals and new ventures.
Next year’s ISM Expo will be held between the 28th and 31st January 2024.
