SIAL Show, Shanghai

My last full day in China was spent at the SIAL trade show in Shanghai.  This industry only show is billed as “The Asian Food Marketplace” and is the leading meeting place for the Asia food and beverage industry.  

-2 400+ exhibitors

-45 000 visitors

-100 000 square meters of exhibit space over 8 halls

-covers retail, catering, hotel/restaurant/catering, food services, the import/export trade and manufacturing

-snacks & sweets, frozen foods, fruit & vegetables, beverages, seafood, beer and meat

Here I had the opportunity to see how food purchasing decisions are made and how products are marketed to the food industry in Asia.  It was a spectacle for sure.  Women in fancy dresses handing out samples, a replica of the Great Wall being constructed from chocolate and national pride oozing from around the world as every food exporting country tries for a piece of the China pie.  As with everywhere else in China it was crowded and noisy and big but absolutely wonderful.  

I will give credit to Canada Beef and Canada Pork International who had great displays and seemed to being doing a lot of business while I was there.  Our international meat exports should continue to be strong thanks in part to the efforts at this show.

Note August 14, 2014 - As I went back and was looking at past posts I have created I realized that I forgot to post this one.  I will keep the blog better updated from now on.