What You Need to Know about SIAL
SIAL: What You Need to Know
A Brief on SIAL
Imagine 250.000 sq. m. of exhibition space, the equivalent of 35 football fields. Empty. Now let’s jump to 19 October 2024. On that date, same as every two years, all that space is taken up for five days by thousands and thousands of people united by their common passion: food. Aisles of producers, importers, buyers and retailers, media specialists, and independents are all looking for revolutionary ways to innovate and establish their position in the food industry. SIAL was founded in 1964 with the goal in mind to provide food industry experts with a place to inspire each other, find and make new connections, and make a positive impact on our world through food innovation. The first Salon International de l’Alimentation welcomed people from 26 different countries. This year, you’ll be able to find representatives from over 200 countries, a total of 265.000 visitors, 7.000 exhibitors, and more than 400.000 presented food products. Sounds a bit intimidating, right? Have no fear. We have prepared some essential insights and pro tips for both visitors and exhibitors.
This One is for the Visitors
This year, SIAL will take place from 19.10.2024 (Saturday) to 23.10.2024 (Wednesday). From Saturday to Tuesday, the opening hours for visitors are between 10:00-18:30. On Wednesday, the final day of the show, the doors will be opening at 10:00 and closing at 17:00. The final admission on Wednesday will be at 14:00 (2.00 PM). So, make sure you're inside and not heading out by 14:00 if you need those few extra hours! Are you still in need of accommodations? SIAL’s website gives links to their recommended accommodations and directions for transportation here: https://www.sialparis.com/en/pratical-info/plan-your-visit For visitors, there are four registration phases: Early Bird (available until 16 June), Standard (available until 15 September), Late Bird (available until 19 October), and Onsite. There are four ways to pay. These are Solo, Trio, School, and Group. Rates differ between each group size, but the main thing to watch out for is the increasing prices with the subsequent registration phases. The longer you wait to purchase your ticket for SIAL, the more expensive your ticket will be. The ticket pricing goes as follows: Early Bird - 16th Apr-16th June: Solo €90 Trio €80 per person School €50 per person Group €70 per person Standard - 17th June-15th Sept: Solo €120 Trio €105 per person School €50 per person Group €95 per person Late Bird - 16th Sept-19th Oct: Solo €150 Trio €80 per person School €135 per person Group €125 per person Onsite: Solo €190 You can purchase your tickets here: https://www.sialparis.com/en/pratical-info/Fees Pro-Tip for Visitors: Our pro-tip to any visitors of SIAL is: do your homework. The high-profile attendees and exhibitors bring great opportunities, but also the challenge of a large crowd. SIAL website Use the SIAL website to look at exhibition maps to know which areas start with and how to move around. We would recommend reviewing the exhibitors which are most attractive and setting up appointments. This gives you a guaranteed time to meet and talk with the high-priority companies. Use Torg All SIAL suppliers are listed in Europe’s largest F&B database - Torg. You can search, connect and create requests to match with suppliers attending SIAL before the fair. When you meet them during the fair, you will have a solid foundation for a structured, efficient conversation and a perfect opportunity to start building trust between you and your potential business partner. The final tip we have is to set a daily schedule. 5 days is a long time with a lot of opportunities. Don’t waste your time by not knowing what to do next. Doing your research, booking appointments, and setting your daily schedule will ensure you spend your time efficiently and effectively during this year’s SIAL.
This One is for the Exhibitors
Let’s jump right into the key information for the exhibitors. Registration for the exhibitors will be open until the day before SIAL begins (so until18.10.2024). However, this does not mean there will be available spots up to that point. The earlier you register, the less it costs and the better-exhibiting options you will have. Once you are registered as an exhibitor, it’s important to think of how to prepare your booth. SIAL offers different packages for each exhibitor in terms of furniture, electrical, and other amenities you may need for your booth. You can look at the different available options during your booth registration. The most basic package includes: Bare surface area (required minimum of 16 m²): 316.00 € excl. VAT / m² Essential stand (mandatory): 223.00 € excl. VAT / m² Cleaning of stands (mandatory): 5.50 € excl. VAT / m² Of course, any additional service outside of this standard package will add to the costs accordingly. You can run a simulation to estimate your costs or directly book a desired booth via this link: https://event.sialparis.com/2024/ Any service provider or subcontractor will need to pick up their badge at the front desk before beginning to set up. Booths setup days are from 14.10.2024 (Monday) to 16.10.2024 (Wednesday). During that time, the event hall will be also available for setup installation from 7.30 AM to 7.30 PM (19:30). Additionally, the hall will be open for the assembly from 17.10.2024 (Thursday) to 18.10.2024 (Friday), from 7.30 AM to 10 PM (22:00). Disassembly will be on the following dates and times: - Wednesday 23rd October 2024 from 5 PM to midnight - Thursday 24th October 2024 from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM - Friday 25th October 2024 from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM - Saturday 26th 2024 October from 7:30 AM to 2 PM While SIAL is naturally a great opportunity for buyers to approach suppliers, this does not mean that exhibitors can sit back and take it easy at SIAL. Each exhibitor is assigned to one of 8 exhibition halls, according to what type of food they supply, e.g. dairy, meat and poultry, or confectionery. Chances are, there will be another company that provides the same service as you do. Making yourself distinguishable from the others will be crucial. With 265.000 trade professionals attending SIAL, it will be important to grab and hold the attention of visitors quickly. With that being said, here are our pro tips for exhibitors at SIAL: 1. Set a clear goal of how many and what kind of contacts you want to get by the end of the day, and by the end of the entire show. 2. Have something more enticing compared to other booths. This might be a small treat, an inviting smell, or a free beverage. 3. Don’t scare the visitors off by getting right away into your pitch. Ask some soft, yet investigative, questions first. How’s it going? Where have you been so far? Have you found any wins? What is it you are looking for? Don’t take too long, but give them a breather before you start your real pitch. 4. Accept meeting invitations from the buyers! These are a great indication that they have done their research, know you are relevant to their cause and are willing to further explore and build that potential business relationship. 5. Do your research on buyers who you would like to work with and make sure to set up appointments for SIAL before you get there. This shows the buyer you are interested in working with them and it gives them enough time to read about and get to know your company. As an exhibitor, following these steps will give you a headstart at SIAL. With a semi-structured schedule, you will be able to prioritize your actions, prepare for meeting certain companies ahead of time, and achieve your goals. In conclusion, whether you are attending SIAL as a visitor or as an exhibitor, know that what you are doing is no joke! 265.000 visitors, 200 countries, 7.000 exhibitors, and more than 400.000 food products. It’s easy to get lost in the vastness of such an expansive show. However, if prepared well, SIAL can be one of your greatest resources from both the visitor’s and the exhibitor’s perspectives. Our closing thought is: come prepared. In fact, come over-prepared. Have big ideas of who you want to meet, what parts of the exhibition you want to venture to, and what your daily schedule will look like. Reach out to suppliers to see if they will be there. Schedule appointments with certain exhibitors. Do your research. There’s nothing worse than getting to your anticipated destination and having no direction. Set yourself up for SIAL success, not SIAL regrets!
