SIAL Paris facts for kids
The Global Food Marketplace (also known as SIAL, which stands for Salon International de l’alimentation in French) is a huge trade fair that happens every two years. It focuses on the food processing industry, which means everything about making and selling food. This big event first started in 1964 in Paris, France.
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A Look Back: SIAL's History
SIAL was created in 1964 by several groups, including the General Confederation of the Retail Food Trade. The French government also helped start it. The very first fair had 26 countries taking part. It was held at the Center of New Industries and Technologies (CNIT) in La Défense, Paris.
The second SIAL fair also took place at the CNIT in 1966. Later, the fair moved to the Versailles Gate Exhibition Centre from 1968 to 1984. Since 1986, it has been held at the North Paris-Villepinte Exposition Park. In 2014, SIAL Paris added a new section for food processing equipment and technology, making the fair even bigger.
What Makes SIAL Special?
SIAL Paris has inspired six other food fairs around the world. These fairs are all part of the SIAL Group network. You can find SIAL events in places like China, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and Brazil. In 2014, a new SIAL fair called SIAL ASEAN started in the Philippines.
At SIAL, there's a special part called SIAL Innovation. Here, experts look at new food trends and ideas. They study what people like to eat and what new food products are coming out. They also look at what consumers in different countries, like France, Germany, and the United States, think about these new trends.
Who Visits SIAL?
Many different people from the food world visit SIAL. These visitors work in areas like food distribution (supermarkets), restaurants, and wine making. About 70% of the visitors come to the fair to find new food products and new companies to work with.
In 2010, over 150,000 people visited SIAL. About 63% of these visitors came from outside France, representing 200 different countries!
Here are the top 15 countries that send visitors to SIAL:
- France
- Italy
- Belgium
- Netherlands
- United Kingdom
- Spain
- Germany
- United States
- Canada
- Russia
- Brazil
- China
- Turkey
- Poland
- Greece
Most visitors work in food distribution (like supermarkets). Others work in food service (restaurants) or the food industry (making food products).
Who Exhibits at SIAL?
Many companies come to SIAL to show off their food products. Most of them are suppliers of finished food products, ready for people to buy. Companies can exhibit on their own or as part of a group, like a country's special section. These group sections make up a big part of the fair's space.
The number of companies exhibiting at SIAL has grown over the years:
| Year | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of exhibitors | 5,472 | 5,838 | 5,890 |
Most of the companies exhibiting are small and medium-sized businesses. About 79% of them have fewer than 250 employees. The rest are larger companies. The number of international companies showing their products has also increased a lot, from 2,260 in 1992 to 4,746 in 2010.
Companies at SIAL show products in many different areas. In 2010, the most common areas were dry products (like pasta or snacks) and fresh products (like fruits and vegetables).
Here are some of the many types of products and services you can find at SIAL:
- Beverages (drinks)
- Cured meats
- Tinned and preserved foods
- Grocery products
- Fruit and vegetables
- Organic products
- Seafood
- Health products and food supplements
- Gourmet foods
- Frozen foods
- Bakery, pastry, and sweets
- Delicatessen products
- Dairy products
- Poultry and game (like chicken or deer meat)
- Meat
- Wine
- Special sections for different countries and regions
- Food ingredients and solutions for food makers
- Equipment and technologies for the food industry
Helping the Planet and Others
SIAL cares about the environment and helping people. After each fair, almost 50 tons of food products are collected. These products are then given to French Red Cross centers to help those in need. The fair also makes sure to properly handle organic waste, like food scraps. In 2012, SIAL started working with a group called Utopies to focus even more on sustainable development and being eco-friendly.
SIAL Fairs Around the World
SIAL is not just in Paris! There are several other SIAL fairs held in different countries:
- The first SIAL Brazil fair happened from June 25 to 28, 2012, in São Paulo.
- SIAL Middle East is a fair that takes place every year in Abu Dhabi. It started in 2010.
- SIAL Canada started in 2001. It happens every year, switching between Montreal (in even-numbered years) and Toronto (in odd-numbered years).
- The annual SIAL China fair began in 1999 in Singapore and has been held in Shanghai since 2000.
- The first SIAL ASEAN fair took place from June 11 to 13, 2014, in the Philippines.
