SIAL Shenzhen: global food trade extravaganza

Video by Liu Xudong

The Salon International De L’Alimentation (SIAL) Shenzhen, the Shenzhen edition of the world’s leading food exhibition, officially opened at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District on Monday.

An exhibitor talks to a potential buyer at SIAL Shenzhen 2024 on Monday. The Shenzhen edition of the world’s leading food exhibition opened Monday at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District and runs through today. Photos by Liu Xudong except otherwise stated

Continuing the exceptional standards of the Shanghai SIAL, the event serves as a global platform that builds links between different regions of the world.

With a focus on China’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Southeast Asia, and global food and beverage markets, the Shenzhen event is a valuable trade show for industry professionals.

International event

Internationalization remains a prominent goal of SIAL. This year’s Shenzhen exhibition has not only attracted high-profile international exhibitors, but also a wide range of global buyers.

Notable participants on the opening day included Lotte Mart, Samsung’s food service and ingredient distribution division, the SPC Group from South Korea, 7-Eleven from Thailand, wholesalers Go Superfoods and Stonehouse from the U.K., food importer Shiny Star from Canada, 24xpress from Malaysia, beverage and snack distributors from Vietnam, and KAIFA Food from Indonesia.

Exhibitors and buyers from home and abroad find their cup of tea at SIAL Shenzhen. Li Hongjun

The exhibition has attracted a record number of international exhibitors, with representatives from 32 countries and regions, including the United States, Türkiye, Italy, Germany, Thailand, Vietnam, Georgia, Spain, Ukraine, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Romania, Malaysia, Uruguay, Australia, Hungary, Belgium, Austria, the U.K., Greece, Poland, Peru, and Switzerland.

Exhibitors and buyers from home and abroad find their cup of tea at SIAL Shenzhen. Li Hongjun

“We are delighted to be here and hope it will be a successful event for everyone involved, including other companies and representatives at the exhibition,” said Tako Begiashvili, a representative of a Georgian winery.

“Georgia is renowned for its rich winemaking culture, which dates back more than 8,000 years. We’re showcasing products made with traditional Georgian techniques here.”

For Krzysztof Ragan, sales director of Polish health food producer SONKO, his first visit to China and SIAL is a great opportunity.

“We’re looking for distributors. This is our first time in China and at SIAL, and it’s a great opportunity to find partners. Our products are healthier than traditional crisps, with much more fiber and 76% less fat. The people here are open-minded and supportive, which is important to me. I’m looking forward to meeting people who are interested in improving their offering,” Ragan said.

Exhibitors and buyers from home and abroad find their cup of tea at SIAL Shenzhen. 

Steven Brown, managing director of New Zealand-based organic honey producer Springbank, said, “Our honey

is certified organic and comes from our farm. Unlike most honey companies in New Zealand, we are family owned, not foreign owned. We handle the whole production process ourselves. We’re hoping for strong sales at this exhibition. We have been exporting bulk honey to China, but this is the first time we are offering it as packaged honey. I’ve always wanted to visit China, and we’re excited to see our high-quality honey on the Chinese market.”

Exhibitors and buyers from home and abroad find their cup of tea at SIAL Shenzhen. Li Hongjun

Jakob d’Aubert, head of global sales at Germany-based Fambora, highlighted the variety of products his company has on display at the exhibition. “We’ve brought sweets, candies, snacks, beers, wines, and liquors to the exhibition. We’re looking forward to meeting both existing and potential new customers. It’s exciting to connect with so many people from China and neighboring countries,” he said.

Georgios Apidianakis (R) and Spyridon Syntychakis, representatives from A Drop of Gold, a three-year campaign funded by the EU that aims to promote European olive oil to the markets of Japan and China, pose for a photo with their products at SIAL Shenzhen 2024. 

Regional specialty brands going global

Founded in Paris in 1964 by the Comexposium Group, SIAL is one of the world’s three major food exhibitions. SIAL events are hosted in major cities around the world, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Paris, Montreal, Toronto, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta.

The SIAL series serves as a key platform for food enterprises to exhibit their goods and expand their international reach. Since first appearing in China in 2000, SIAL has steadfastly supported the growth of the Chinese food industry by integrating international standards with local market dynamics.

Products show on SIAL Shenzhen 2024.

SIAL Shenzhen remains committed to propelling the global expansion of China’s regional specialty food and beverage brands while bolstering rural revitalization efforts. This year’s event includes a distinct “Regional Specialty Food” section, which features contributions from organizations such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the China Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Foodstuffs, the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Association, and various provincial, municipal governments, and trade associations from across China.

Exhibitors and buyers from home and abroad find their cup of tea at SIAL Shenzhen. Li Hongjun

Moreover, the exhibition’s unique “Match Me” service — a powerful tool for facilitating trade deals — has attracted a diverse group of top-quality global buyers. Among domestic buyers are major supermarket chains, restaurant conglomerates, convenience stores, e-commerce platforms, import-export channels, and over 80 purchasing groups from regional associations and markets.

An aerial view of SIAL Shenzhen 2024.

The event is also capitalizing on emerging retail trends, including group buying, community e-commerce, livestreaming sales, bulk purchasing, discount stores, new e-commerce models, self-media e-commerce, and private domain sales.

SIAL is also facilitating precise supply-demand matching and providing a specialized platform for productive trade connections that will result in more than a thousand targeted business meetings being held during the event.

Exhibitors and buyers from home and abroad find their cup of tea at SIAL Shenzhen.