It is no surprise that one of the world’s biggest food exhibitions is held bi annually in Paris.
French gastronomy is listed by Unesco as “intangible cultural heritage” and French cooking techniques such as sautéing, braising and baking are fundamental in many cuisines, plus taught in culinary schools globally.
Food presentation is an art developed and refined in France with an emphasis on garnishes and visual appeal.
SIAL is a key event to engage with existing connections, meet new business partners and observe and learn from leading industry players.
This year Paul Fray from Webenpartners spent two days at SIAL moving and shaking with heavy hitters and ambitious upstarts.
The show is open for 5 days and for anyone who has yet to attend such a goliath event, it’s impossible to get round everyone, at least in a meaningful way.
Paul had a list of 40 companies we wanted to meet, greet and shake hands
I was impressed by the scale of innovation in the food industry
There was increased competition by both MNCs and local businesses; think global not local was evident from most exhibitors
Asia was a key focus for many. One reason is simply population, Asia is home to the largest and fastest growing populations in the world. Food culture is another, can you think of an Asian country which doesn’t have a strong and distinctive food culture?
For Directors and C-Suite leaders, Asia remains high on their growth agenda. Historically it was mainly European and North American businesses who targeted Asia. This year at SIAL, Paul met many businesses from the Middle East who were looking further East instead of West. Do you associate Saudi Arabia with Dairy produce? It is not a natural link, but there are several large dairy businesses in that part of the world who believe they can compete viably on a global stage.
China was another topic. It was not discussed so openly, SIAL side steps geo politics, yet for many the future growth of China is uncertain. If you are looking to make up for China volumes, where else in the Asia region do you play?
I left SIAL with the realisation that to remain successful, participation is essential for any food related company wishing to remain competitive and ahead of the curve
Paul Fray, Weben Partners
Paul’s final task at SIAL was to record some footage for this blog. Want to see what SIAL was like on the day? Take a look!