SIAL Shanghai 2023 made a hit at SNIEC from May 18th to 20th. This exhibition was organized by Comexposium Group, which is one of the world's top five exhibition organizers and the No. 1 exhibition organizer in France, China General Chamber of Commerce and Comexposium-SIAL Exhibition Co., Ltd. SIAL Shanghai 2023 aims to build a global food and beverage trade bridge for exhibitors and professional buyers and facilitate efficient networking between brand owners and channel operators.

More than 4,500 exhibitors from over 67 countries and regions around the world, including China, France, Uruguay, Australia, Argentina, the United States, and Canada, brought more than 300,000 food and beverage exhibits with local characteristics from all over the world. This exhibition featured 12 theme pavilions and 14 hotspot zones. A total of over 175,527 professionals were present on-site on the first day of the show.

Joining Hands with Local Governments to Boost Agriculture

Since the 20th CPC National Congress proposed "to advance rural revitalization across the board, put agricultural and rural development first, and move faster to build up China's strength in agriculture," SIAL, as the top food and beverage exhibition in China, has played a significant role.

SIAL has not only been introducing high-quality food and beverage from four corners of the world to China but has also worked with local governments to enable agricultural products with special characteristics to "go abroad" by relying on the SIAL platform.

Through this collaboration, agricultural products with special characteristics have been able to expand their presence in international markets. This partnership has contributed to the realization of the concept of "Doing our part in contributing to rural revitalization." Having received much attention and vigorous support from local governments, this year’s SIAL has welcomed more than 20 provincial and municipal government delegations from Shandong, Jilin, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Changchun, and other provinces.

In addition, SIAL also focuses on showcasing and selling special agricultural and sideline products. This is done through concurrent events, including the Agri-food Technology Forum, supplier-buyer matching sessions, and public welfare streaming. The purpose is to facilitate effective docking between agricultural resource supply and market demand. These efforts help boost rural revitalization in an accurate and in-depth manner.

Strategic Cooperation with Friend Countries

The opening of SIAL has received great support from our friend nations. The event was attended by various notable individuals, including the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Livestock of Uruguay, who was the Guest of Honor at SIAL this year. Also present were the President of the National Meat Association of Uruguay, the Ambassador of Uruguay to China, and Uruguay's Consul-General in Shanghai. Additionally, the gathering included ambassadors from countries such as France, Brazil, Chile, and others. Representatives from different nations were also in attendance, including the Deputy Secretary of the Business Investment Department and Counsellors for Agricultural Affairs from Argentina, France, Sweden, the Philippines, and several other countries. The list extended to the ambassadors and counsellors to China from Argentina, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Fiji, Pakistan, Ecuador, Peru, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Colombia, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Japan, Romania, Denmark, Belgium, New Zealand, Italy, the United States, Türkiye, Thailand, Singapore, Spain, Malaysia, Indonesia, Greece, Mexico, Finland, Slovakia, New Zealand, Sweden, the Philippines, Romania, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Colombia, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates. Furthermore, diplomats, including consul-generals, consuls, and representatives from numerous other countries, were also in attendance. They met at the show to offer advice and have discussions on innovation and development of the world’s food ecology for the future. At the diplomatic level, it has played a vital role in boosting the global economy and trade and has injected sustained momentum for the long-term development of SIAL in the future.

Industry Elites shedding lights on F&B Development

To set a clear direction for the global food and beverage industry, SIAL has hosted nine summits with the theme of "Brace the World, Embrace Changes," bringing together more than 100 experts and scholars in the industry and representatives of leading companies to explore 100+ hot topics relating to new retailing, supply chain, meat, imported food, food technology, Chinese food, food and beverage venture capital, beverage, and food distributors. Three theme forums were held on the first day, including the "Food Technology Innovation Forum," the "International Meat Conference," and the "Import Food Industry Forum."

The three forums were filled with engaging discussions. The interaction between the speakers and the audience created an energetic atmosphere throughout the event. The keynote speakers addressed the questions from professionals in the food and beverage industry, making the forum's content more relevant and practical.

Gathering Global Exhibitors for On-site Business Matching (MATCH ME)

To enhance the exposure of the show and the exhibits, as well as improve the efficiency of networking and trading, the organizer launched nine exciting food and beverage competition events, including SIAL Innovation, the SIAL Snacking Awards, SIAL Airline Catering, the SIAL Chic & Tea Contest, and the SIAL CUP Barista Challenge. The most exciting one was SIAL Innovation, which invites industry experts and media to form an independent jury every year and select the most innovative food and beverage products based on five dimensions, taking into account the consumption habits and market trends of different countries and regions around the world. It provides an authoritative reference for global food and beverage innovation.

In addition, to enable buyers and sellers to have a better understanding of each other's needs, the exhibition set up a dedicated area for the Match Me service on-site. This area included a supplier-buyer matching area, a group-buying leader selection area, a key buyer negotiation room, and a closed-door meeting for business matching. Additionally, there were over 80 buyer groups from associations, organizations, and markets across the country. The aim of this setup was to provide the Match Me service to buyers and sellers in a variety of forms.

This year's Match Me Service by SIAL continues the tradition of enhancing cross-border orders and facilitating international trade. It attracts professional key buyers from various parts of the world, including supermarkets, retailers, traders, wholesalers, distributors, and e-commerce platforms. The event encompasses almost the entire food and beverage distribution chain. Among the professional key buyers, international buyers hold a significant presence. For instance, countries like Brazil and Argentina not only participated as exhibitors at the national level but also organized professional international buyer groups to make on-site purchases. On the first day of the exhibition, approximately 2,000 business matches were made, as per the preliminary estimate.

China and the world are experiencing a fast-paced economic recovery. China, in particular, is now emphasizing enhancing trade, promoting market expansion, stabilizing and expanding the import and export of essential goods, accelerating foreign trade innovation, and optimizing the environment for foreign trade development. As a result, as an international, forward-looking, and professional trade show, SIAL is assuming a progressively crucial role in driving foreighibitors from over 67 countries and regions around the world, including China, France, Uruguay, Australia, Argentina, the United States, and Canada, brought more than 300,000 food and beverage exhibits with local characteristics from all over the world. This exhibition featured 12 theme pavilions and 14 hotspot zones. A total of over 175,527 professionals were present on-site on the first day of the show.