SIAL to feature flavours from around the world

TORONTO — When SIAL Canada lands in Toronto, the food show will feature imports from 50 countries. 

The Canadian arm of the show, which rotates annually between Toronto and Montreal, will take place at the Enercare Centre from May 2 to 4. 

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The original allotment of 240,000 square feet of floor space for 930 exhibitors sold out in March. In response, show organizers added 6,000 square feet and room for about 70 more booths. 

According to SIAL CEO Xavier Poncin, this means the show has seen continued growth since it changed from SIAL Montreal to SIAL Canada in 2010.

Poncin expects 15,000 visitors to attend the three-day event, about 2,000 more than the last Toronto show in 2015. 

“As we are developing different things for this year, we hope that we’re going to bring more buyers from all the sectors,” he said. 

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SIAL’s focus is on retail, foodservice and food processing industries.

While the food fair has always had a strong representation of international vendors and products, emphasis will be put on ethnic food with the SIAL Food Hub focusing on authenticity in multiculturalism. 

The keynote speaker will be Vancouver restaurateur Vikram Vij, who will speak about his journey from new Canadian to successful restaurateur and food personality. A panel of grocers, suppliers and industry experts will discuss key trends in the multicultural space. Gary Berman, managing director of C-Suite Consulting, will close the session with an overview of the multicultural consumer. 

“The SIAL Food Hub last year was more dedicated to the foodservice industry. This year, we adapted the offer according to the strength of the city and one of the strengths obviously is the ethnicities,” said Poncin.

For foodservice professionals, SIAL’s La Cuisine program will feature presentations on food to go, buying local and food waste. 

In light of the CETA agreement signed late last year, the European Union is this year’s region of honour. 

“We have the chance to have many pavilions from Europe to the show,” said Poncin. 

About half of the 1,000 vendors are from around the world, while the other half are Canadian companies. Quebec and Ontario make up the majority of domestic exhibitors, although there will also be pavilions for Western and Atlantic Canada. 

Poncin thinks the show will be particularly appealing to ethnic restaurants and operators with an interest in the growing home meal replacement market. 

“We expect to grow, because we have a strategy around the fact that we are a one-stop-shop concept,” he said. “The DNA of SIAL is innovation, the international and the local.”