SIAL Paris 2022, which takes place from 15 to 19 October at Paris Nord Villepinte, is set to be worth the wait.
This year’s event, which comes four years on from the last hosting of SIAL Paris, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, boasts the theme #ownthechange, which will shine the spotlight on how the food industry continues to evolve despite the challenges in the marketplace.
Changing consumer habits, the drive to more sustainable ways of working, inflation, healthier lives, geopolitical challenges, transformative agriculture, food security and disruptive start-ups are all factors that are influencing the global food industry at present. SIAL Paris 2022 will seek to cut through the noise and empower the sector to innovate, explore new ways of doing business, and future-proof their operations.
Since the last hosting of SIAL Paris, organisers Comexposium Group have been actively growing the SIAL network overseas. This year saw the first hosting of SIAL America, in Las Vegas, which took place in March; the development of a new B2B event for the fine-food industry, Gourmet Discovery, which was held in Hamburg; and the introduction of new trade fairs in India (SIAL Mumbai) and China (SIAL Shenzhen).
About SIAL Paris 2022
Since its foundation close to 60 years ago, SIAL Paris has been long established as the meeting point for the international food industry.
Some 7,000 exhibitors are expected at this year’s event (of which close to 90% will be from outside France), covering 250,000 square metres of exhibition space, across these core sectors: Fruit & Vegetables, Seafood, Dairy, Frozen, Prepared Dishes & Snacks, Meats, Organic & Wellbeing, Drinks and Grocery & Breadmaking. Around 200 countries will be represented at SIAL 2022, underpinning its importance to the global food stage.
In addition, around 300,000 industry professionals are expected over the five days, approximately 75% of whom are foreign participants, who, between them, are expected to generate close to €2.5 billion in business transactions.
While on site at SIAL Paris 2022, visitors will be able to avail of a number of themed circuits at the exhibition, which will showcase innovative companies. These will include the following themes: Taste France; Sustainable Development; Halal; Kosher; Organic & Wellness/Alternative Food; Ready-to-Eat/Food-to-Go; Intermediary Food Products; Private Label/Distributor Brands.
Elsewhere, the SIAL Future Lab promises a futuristic, immersive experience, exploring the food trends that are on the horizon for 2030, while attendees should also keep an eye out for the new SIAL Start-Up area, located within Hall 6. This will feature a range of up-and-coming businesses from both France and abroad that are less than five years old. Expect plenty of disruptive innovation!
This year’s edition of SIAL Paris will be supported by a new digital application, CXMP, which incorporates an optimised version of the show’s digital catalogues, as well as additional services, such as a B2B marketplace, a direct-networking feature, and the opportunity for exhibitors to support their in-event presence with additional photos, videos or reference points.
A digital exhibitor space also offers the opportunity create a virtual ‘showcase’ of products and services, which is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and also includes workshop and webinar functions.
SIAL Innovation
Now established as a central part of SIAL Paris, SIAL Innovation is an international observatory for food innovation presented alongside strategy consultancy ProtéinesXTC. It will showcase around 800 innovative products from a selection of more than 2,800 submissions and feature eye-opening flavour combinations, new twists on familiar favourites, and a variety of regional specialties.
The centrepiece of SIAL Innovation will be the SIAL Innovation Grand Prix awards ceremony, which will announce 15 category award winners, including the ‘Own the Change’ award, a start-up prize, and – new for this year – a public choice award. The winners of the SIAL Innovation Grand Prix will take place on Saturday 15 October at 4.30pm, on Stage 1 of the SIAL Talks area.
SIAL Talks
The SIAL Talks area will feature a variety of interviews, debates, roundtables, lectures and more, analysing both current and future food challenges in keeping with the #ownthechange theme.
Some of the on-trend topics set to be discussed include how well food manufacturers and brands are adapting to climate issues; the challenges associated with traceability; new distribution formats and food-processing techniques; and the consequences of the current inflationary environment on the raw-material market.
Delegates at this year’s event will also be able to sit through close to 70 hours of keynote speeches and roundtable discussions during the duration of the show.
As part of the SIAL Talks series, SIAL Invest, which takes place on Monday 17 October, will bring a selection of start-ups into contact with investors and venture capitalists. Some 20 start-ups will have the opportunity to pitch to investors at this special networking event, which will seek to uncover the game-changers of the future.
SIAL Insights
The 2022 edition of SIAL Paris will also see the return of the SIAL Insights programme, which will offer visitors direct access to in-depth analysis of major consumption trends around the globe. The analysis draws on a number of sources: the Food 360 study, which is conducted every two years by Kantar, the worldwide innovation panorama presented by ProtéinesXTC, and a series of restaurant consumption studies undertaken by the NPD Group.
In keeping with the #ownthechange theme, this analysis will enable visitors to investigate the food challenges faced by 11 countries and regions, including France, China, Germany, the Middle East, the United States, Russia, South-East Asia, Spain, the UK, India and Italy.
#ownthechange
At the heart of the #ownthechange message at SIAL Paris is a call for businesses to take on the challenge of changing today in order to develop a better world for tomorrow.
The food industry has a key role to play in this, and SIAL Paris will seek to bring the community together to explore ways to develop the foods of the future. Every industry player, through his/her actions and innovations, holds the future of the agri-food industry in his/her hands.
In addition, #ownthechange calls for a reassessment of existing production and supply chain models, which may not be compatible with changing market conditions (around areas such as digitalisation, consumer expectations, and ecological and environmental transition).
This call aims to guide food industry professionals towards a positive collective movement, providing the tools necessary to create tomorrow’s food while meeting expectations around the world.
For more information, visit sialparis.com
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest A-Brands news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
