Press Release

SIAL PARIS 2024: A RECORD EDITION FOR ITS 60TH ANNIVERSARY

SIAL Paris, the International Food Show, closed an exceptional edition on October 23, reinforcing its status as the world’s leading event in the food sector. For five days, more than 285,000 professionals from around the world discussed the latest food trends and innovations. Together, they explored future solutions to the major challenges for food of tomorrow.

A RECORD INTERNATIONAL EDITION THAT REAFFIRMS THE INFLUENCE OF SIAL PARIS
Paris, 30th October 2024 – Organised by Comexposium, SIAL Paris is part of SIAL Network, the world’s largest network of food and beverage fairs. This year, SIAL Paris brought together 7500 exhibitors representing 127 countries, in more than 270,000 square metres of exhibition space, the equivalent of 100 hypermarkets! The show, held at the Parc des Expositions exhibition centre, Paris-Nord Villepinte, saw a record increase in attendance of 8%, returning it to pre-pandemic figures. This enthusiasm proves the imperative need for professionals in the sector to meet up and collaborate. For them, SIAL Paris is a special time for exchange that makes it possible to conclude contracts and strike up new partnerships.
«This 2024 edition of SIAL was marked by exceptional energy. We all felt immense pleasure in meeting up, and it is this unique atmosphere that makes SIAL such an unmissable event! The show consolidated its position as a world leader in all things food, with outstanding growth among both exhibitors and visitors,” says a delighted Audrey Ashworth, Director of SIAL Paris. “In the five days, we realized that, in an increasingly digital world, human contact and collaboration between start-ups and large companies are essential.

SIAL PARIS, A PLATFORM AT THE HEART OF GLOBAL FOOD DIPLOMACY
With more than 200 visitor countries and the participation of 110 official delegations, SIAL Paris, under the patronage of the President of France for this anniversary edition, plays more than ever a key role in discussions on the future of food worldwide. Fifty ambassadors, 16 parliamentarians and 17 French and foreign ministers walked the aisles of the show, highlighting its importance for the development of the agrifood sectors.
Representing the French government, Annie Genevard, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, declared at the opening of the event: “SIAL Paris is an unmissable opportunity for highlighting the major role played by our agrifood industries in the value chain of our food sectors and in the industrial fabric.“ The Minister for the Economy, Antoine Armand, and the Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs, Laurence Garnier, lauded for their part the role of SIAL as a springboard for export for the 600 or so French companies present.
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, welcomed the event’s 20 most influential French exhibitors to the Elysée Palace for an official dinner on Monday, October 21, alongside major international players (corporate CEOs, importers, etc.). This gala get-together made it possible to strengthen the partnerships between France and the main world markets, testifying to the strategic importance of SIAL in food diplomacy.
“SIAL Paris 2024 was a vibrant, optimistic and committed show. SIAL has underpinned its role as a driving force in supporting food transition and encouraging every stakeholder to commit to being an agent of change, so as to respond together to the great challenge of tomorrow: feeding 10 billion consumers in a healthy and sustainable way. This edition, rich in content, conferences and summits, demonstrated how the challenges we face, particularly environmental, are a source of inspiration and a tremendous opportunity for the agrifood industry in the short, medium and long term.” So states Nicolas Trentesaux, Managing Director of SIAL, who goes on to say: “This exceptional edition of SIAL Paris also featured a festive evening, with a spectacular show, which brought together the communities of planet food to celebrate 60 years of food exploration.“

NEW IDEAS, NEW CHALLENGES: THE FUTURE OF FOOD TAKES SHAPE WITH SIAL PARIS A WAVE OF INNOVATIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF FOOD
For five days, the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre was a hub of creative effervescence, with the presentation of more than 400,000 products by SIAL’s exhibitors. Food innovations took centre stage, reflecting the trends of tomorrow and meeting consumers’ growing expectations with regard to health, sustainability and simplicity.
The highly anticipated SIAL Innovation Awards, which highlight the most innovative concepts of the show, rewarded several companies for their inventive products and solutions.

But innovation doesn’t stop there. The Start-up Village, a true incubator of ideas, took on a new dimension this year by doubling its exhibition area compared to the previous edition. With more than 650 start-ups present at SIAL, including a hundred gathered in the Village, this became the beating heart of the show, symbolizing the rise of young companies in the transformation of the food sector. These start-ups embody the future of agrifood, providing concrete and sustainable solutions to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
SIAL Paris, with the help of partners, has also published a study on open innovation in the food industry, revealing the many challenges and benefits associated with this collaborative approach. This study highlights the crucial role that young and agile structures play in accelerating innovation. Open innovation highlights the benefits of increased collaboration between established companies and start-ups in an increasingly competitive environment.

SIAL INSIGHTS AND NEW CONSUMER TRENDS
SIAL Insights, an exclusive study carried out by SIAL in collaboration with its partners, aims to analyse consumer expectations as well as trends in food innovation, out-of-home catering, and retail worldwide. Through this study, SIAL Paris shares with professionals the main trends of 2024 and also intends to raise awareness among consumers around the world to encourage them to become committed protagonists in their turn. The results highlight the central importance of food in our lives and revolve around three main pillars: emotion (pleasure above all, the search for great tastes), connection (the return in force of conviviality after the forced hiatus of the pandemic), and attention (our relationship with food for the good of ourselves, of others, and of the planet).

THE SIAL SUMMITS: A COLLECTIVE REFLECTION ON THE CHALLENGES OF TOMORROW
To celebrate its 60th anniversary, SIAL Paris introduced a new format, the SIAL Summits, where some fifty renowned speakers (entrepreneurs, researchers, anthropologists, etc.) discussed four major themes: CSR, Deepech & AI, Supply Chain, and Africa (the Guest Continent for this edition). These discussions made it possible to address the major transformations in the sector and to highlight promising initiatives.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN 2026
SIAL Paris invites you to its next edition, which will be held from 17-21 October 2026. Until then, innovation and exchanges will continue apace, laying the groundwork for the future of food worldwide.

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