SIAL Paris - The full experience

Finally, this month SIAL returned to Paris. The pandemic crisis did not allow the fair to take place in 2020! But after 4 years, we had the chance to meet again from 15th to 19th October 2022 at the Parc des Expositions de Paris-Nord Villepinte.

For us, export Managers it’s the Food & Drink exhibition that can never be missed! For me personally it’s an opportunity to be with all our partners and friends to discuss the business! And it’s the place that can help us foresee what is going to happen in the future in our industry! Every year in October the international trade practitioners of the Food & Drink Industry gather either in Paris (SIAL) or Cologne (ANUGA) for a couple of days to meet, eat and drink!

When someone new joins my international team, I want them to attend one of this two Trade Shows. Why is that you may ask? There is no better introduction for the international trade practice than to visit a food trade show and see that there is a world out there much bigger than your home market. You can have a great story to tell about your brand and presence in your home market, but you will feel humbled when you see that there are others like you! A great story is just the beginning!

Let’s look at the key figures from the last edition at SIAL:

Should you Exhibit or just Visit?

This year at SIAL there were 7.000 Exhibitors from more than 130 countries almost as many as 2018 edition. In the Non-Alcoholic Beverage Category, there were 552 exhibitors, including myself, from 72 different countries! Some were startups trying to enter the game others were big National Heroes (Local Brands) which have the same credentials as the brands I represent.

The decision to exhibit our brands or just visiting will depend on your goals and the stage of internationalization your company is in!

Starters – Little to no International Sales

If you have just begun this venture, you should go! Just by being there, you will be face to face with retailers and distributors showcasing your brand. I promise you that you will understand if you have a Unique Value Proposition, or you are just another brand in the category. If your country as a National Pavilion you should go with them! You will find companies like yours and others that are ahead of you, and you can learn from them and start to build your network. ?

If you are not prepared just visit. You will see how others showcase their brands and you will learn the “do’s and don’ts” for next the trade show.

Ethnic and Regional Players – All the Natural Markets are Covered

Depending on your goals you can decide what to do. If your goal is to meet with your Current and Potential Partners, you must have a place to meet and showcase your innovation for next year. ?But you should know that you will have people looking for your Brand even if you are not looking for new distributors. In my experience you will get 3 different prospects:

1. ?Natural Markets – You will get many prospects from countries with which you already have steady business – Your brand is attractive for them! You should talk with them! You are going to learn more about the market, and you can connect them with our current clients or enter in channels that are not covered. ?
2. New Markets – You will get other prospects that want to open a new market for your brands. Maybe you have a Unique Selling Proposition, a success track record in other countries or a great story that is attractive to them. In my opinion, when you open a new market, you should choose a partner that fits your project, not the opposite. But you can and should be open to get to know them a little better. Remember, Trade Fairs don’t replace visiting the target markets.
3. “Paratroopers” – When someone asks for your prices on a “first date”, they are not looking for a long and steady relationship. They just want to trade, and they will buy from the one in the category with the lowest price. If they want to buy for the neighbouring country of your Natural Markets, be suspicious! You don’t build a brand trading!

If you’re just visiting, you can take a good look at the current state of the industry and specially in your category.

Global Brands – They are everywhere…

The Global Brands don’t often show up as Exhibitors! Usually, they are present directly in most of the markets. But It’s in their own interest to visit the Trade Show and see what the Local Brands and the New Commers are doing!

Reasons why I loved SIAL 2022!

1. Networking – It’s the perfect place to meet with our partners and friends in the industry. This year, because of the pandemic crisis I met with some partners for the first time in person after having the first meetings by Teams.?And, as always you meet new people in your category that can change your way of seeing the business. Always speak with the companies that are exhibiting in your category and companies that are from your home market. You can learn from each other. ?
2. Food & Beverage Trends – This year I had the opportunity to watch some SIAL Talks and to visit The SIAL Innovation Selection which were thought-provoking. But the most attractive was the trip into the future of the Food sector to 2030. As described by SIAL Future Lab: “This immersive, impactful and forward-looking experience will deal with the major trends – from pitchfork to table fork – for the coming decades”. We were invited to enter 3 different rooms: The first about Agriculture – The global food challenge to feed in quantity and quality the entire world population. ?The Second, introducing the Store of Tomorrow - A new integrated vision for the near future of retailing by ACCENTURE. Based on their study “Retailers have long known that the future of their industry lies in a very different kind of retail experience: more ecommerce-focused, more digitally enabled, more personalized, more sustainable, more integrated between offline and online shopping”. And finally, we were invited to take a seat at the table of the restaurant of the future. If you like technology, you would have been amazed! ???

1. Food & Free Samples – People who work in this industry are usually fond of food and drink. This year, our group totalled seven. We had, a wide of different tastes, from vegetarians to meat lovers, from fans of sweets to snacks. For professional reasons, we all tasted Juices and Soft Drinks from other companies. In my case, it was in Hall 7 that I found my favourites – dairy products, namely cheese. Among the various types I tried, I wanted to highlight: a Sheep's Milk Cheese with truffle, a Mozzarella di Bufala DOP, a creamy Gorgonzola and a Gouda Extra Aged that won the 2022 World Championship Cheese Contest!

?This year, at SIAL Paris I had a wonderful experience! I’m really looking forward to the next edition!

#SIALParis #Export #Markets #FoodandDrink