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By 2030, the agri-food industry will need to feed nearly nine billion people while protecting the planet’s resources. As our production and consumption methods are put to the test, manufacturers and professionals must now innovate to produce differently, offering more sustainable agri-food alternatives, all of this in the context of a significant labour shortage. This is the main theme that will be addressed during the 17th edition of SIAL Canada, which will be held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal from April 15 to 17.

With more than 1,200 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors from more than 50 countries and all Canadian provinces, North America’s largest food innovation trade show continues its mission to be the engine of change and evolution for the entire agri-food industry, from retail and foodservice to processing and import/export. Constantly growing, SIAL Canada has now expanded to two stories, adding a new floor with an extra 40,000 square feet to better serve the various stakeholders and innovators in the industry.

“For three days, the city of Montréal will turn into a veritable hub for the Canadian and international food industry,” says Xavier Poncin, director-general of SIAL Canada. “An essential gathering for all food professionals, SIAL is a crossroads that connects a world on the cutting edge of food-related trends and innovation in order to exchange, challenge and find solutions that will allow us to face the challenges of tomorrow.”

SIAL: Focused on Innovation

Thanks to its exhibitors, its 80 conferences and activities, and its three competitions, SIAL Canada 2020 offers themes that will inspire the food industry such as:

  • Food innovation: The ingredients of tomorrow, food alternatives, cannabis, organic certification;  
  • New modes of consumption: Zero waste, generational differences in consumption, purchasing behaviour, and social innovation;
  • Green packaging: At the dawn of the ban on plastic packaging, SIAL offers discussions on unique, more responsible packaging and the return of bulk;
  • New technologies: Foodtech, robotization, artificial intelligence;
  • Grocerant & the SIAL kitchen: A veritable laboratory of ideas, these exclusive chefs’ workshops will focus on sous-vide cooking, virtual reality, and on solutions to the labour shortage, among other topics.

Italy At Our Table with Stefano Faita

This year, SIAL Canada has designated Italy as the country of honour. Famous for both its world-renowned culinary flavours and the excellence of its agricultural model, Italy continues to garner accolades in the fields of quality, safety, technological innovation, sustainability, and biodiversity. Italian chef Stefano Faita, spokesman for SIAL Canada 2020, invites you to discover the culinary flavours, traditions, and more than 225 products that were given protected designations of origin status by the European Union.

Exchanging Ideas to Tackle Tomorrow’s Challenges

Each year at SIAL, nearly a hundred activities, conferences, and events related to market trends and the latest innovations are held during the three-day trade show.

  • Conferences and discussion panels will be held by experts on topics of great importance, some of which pose major challenges for the industry. Yet it is undoubtedly the SIAL Innovation competition that generates the most interest from fans of agri-food trends. Once again, thanks to A.C. Nielsen, the SIAL Innovation competition will reward the best new concepts in food and non-food related products, such as packaging and containers, by crowning 10 finalists and three winners who will receive prizes ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
  • New this year, the Scale-Up Competition will afford startup entrepreneurs the opportunity to seduce the jury with their pitches in just one minute.
  • Cheese by SIAL, a flagship event hosted by master cheesemaker Gurth Petty, will allow participants to discover hundreds of cheeses from all over the world through tastings, workshops, and wine pairings.
  • Echoing trends such as alcohol-free drinks, infused beverages and innovative cocktails, Inspire Drink is an event dedicated to all types of drinks and to mixology. Experts Jean-Sébastien Michel (alcoholic products ambassador) and Gail Gastelu (tea and infused beverages expert) will guide participants through the latest finds in libations.

About SIAL Canada

Organized by Comexposium Group, SIAL Canada is a member of SIAL Network, the world’s largest network of food and beverage trade shows. These eight regular meetings (SIAL Paris, SIAL Canada in Montréal and Toronto, SIAL China, SIAL Middle East, SIAL Interfood in Jakarta, and FOOD India Inspired by SIAL, in New Delhi) bring together 14,535 exhibitors and 359,800 visitors from 194 countries.