From Sweets China to Anuga Select China: Witnessing Every Step of Global Exhibition Giant’s In-depth Development in China
Origins: The First Partnership in Shanghai, 2009
The strategic cooperation between Food Import Network and Koelnmesse officially kicked off in Shanghai in 2009, marking the starting point of their joint development in the Chinese market.
In the same year, Food Import Network established a formal cooperative relationship with Sweets China. As the exclusive China subsidiary exhibition of the world-renowned Anuga International Sweets and Snacks Exhibition (ISM) in Germany, Sweets China has been held in Shanghai since 2004. Leveraging the global industrial resources of its parent exhibition, it focuses exclusively on imported candies, chocolates and leisure food sectors.
At that time, Food Import Network had just been founded for two years, while Koelnmesse was accelerating its strategic layout in China. Koelnmesse GmbH set up its wholly-owned subsidiary in Beijing in 2002, followed by branch offices in Shanghai and Guangzhou in 2004. The partnership between the two parties came precisely at a critical stage of Koelnmesse’s in-depth expansion into the Chinese market.
Starting from Shanghai, Food Import Network provided core services including brand promotion and professional buyer invitation, offering strong and solid support for the steady development of Sweets China in the Chinese market.
Deepened Collaboration: From Media Partner to Strategic Partner in Beijing, 2018
From November 21 to 23, 2018, Food Import Network attended ANUFOOD China Beijing World Food Expo 2018 as a key official partner of the exhibition.
Different from the initial cooperation stage in Shanghai, the bilateral partnership had achieved comprehensive upgrading by 2018. During the exhibition, Food Import Network invited 120 professional buyers from across China to conduct on-site business negotiations with food enterprises from various countries. Meanwhile, our team conducted exclusive on-site interviews with renowned enterprises including Germany’s Goanddo and Brander Urstoff, and Poland’s Manufaktura Czekolady. Serving as a professional industry media platform, Food Import Network introduced these premium international brands to Chinese enterprises and consumers nationwide.
The cooperation scope expanded from single brand promotion in the Shanghai era to a full-chain service system covering professional buyer recruitment, on-site trade matching, exclusive brand interviews and industrial communication dissemination.
Joint Development: From Participant to Co-builder in Shenzhen, 2022
Around 2020, Koelnmesse rolled out strategic adjustments, relocating ANUFOOD China from Beijing to Shenzhen to take root in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The first Shenzhen edition of the exhibition was successfully held at Bao’an New Exhibition Center in 2021.
In 2022, Koelnmesse and Food Import Network joined hands again for ANUFOOD China Shenzhen World Food Expo. For this session, Food Import Network invited senior management representatives and procurement directors from various enterprises to attend exclusive buyer procurement sessions, building an efficient trade bridge between exhibitors and purchasers.
In 2023, Food Import Network was entrusted by Koelnmesse to organize 30 professional food procurement enterprises to attend the FOODCAST Salon – Leisure Food & Beverage Session held in Shenzhen, creating an in-depth exchange platform for food and beverage practitioners in South China and the Greater Bay Area.
In 2024, ANUFOOD China officially adopted the global brand of its parent exhibition Anuga and was renamed Anuga Select China (Shenzhen) World Food Expo. As a core cooperative media partner, Food Import Network continued its in-depth participation in the exhibition. For the EU Food Festival held on-site by the European Commission, we invited senior guests from a host of outstanding food and beverage enterprises, including Junde Commercial Group, Kylin Villa, Yanghang Food and Shenzhen Taifengnian, to participate in tasting and exchange activities.
Empowering Growth: From Co-construction to Industrial Empowerment in Shenzhen, 2026
On April 27, 2026, the 5th Anuga Select China (Shenzhen) World Food Expo grandly opened at Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center (Futian), marking the 18th year of strategic cooperation between Food Import Network and Koelnmesse.
At this exhibition, Food Import Network debuted with a brand-new positioning as a professional trade matching service provider. Drawing on high-quality industrial resources accumulated through 19 years of in-depth industry cultivation, we professionally organized over 60 core industrial institutions, including importers, distributors, chain supermarket operators and e-commerce platforms, to attend the exhibition in groups.
We led the participating representatives to the Boundless Premium Global Lifestyle Sharing Session, facilitating face-to-face business negotiations with manufacturers and suppliers from Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Malaysia, Thailand and other countries to realize targeted supply-demand matching. This initiative not only built a convenient channel for domestic enterprises to connect with high-quality global food and beverage resources and helped international premium brands efficiently penetrate the South China market, but also fully demonstrated Food Import Network’s core value as an industrial resource integrator and trade matching bridge, setting a valuable benchmark for Sino-foreign food and beverage trade cooperation.
Insights: Eighteen Years, Three Cities, A Journey of Mutual Achievement
From 2009 to 2026, the partnership between Food Import Network and Koelnmesse has spanned 18 years.
Shanghai: Cooperation initiated with Sweets China as the starting point
Beijing: Partnership upgraded with ANUFOOD China as the core platform
Shenzhen: Strategic cooperation further deepened based on Anuga Select China
Over the past 18 years, Koelnmesse has completed its transformation from market exploration to in-depth strategic layout in China, while Food Import Network has grown from a basic service provider into an indispensable core partner of Koelnmesse in the Chinese market.
The geographical shift from Shanghai to Beijing and then to Shenzhen represents far more than a change of location – it embodies continuous trust accumulation and long-term value co-creation between the two parties.
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