Don’t Miss SIAL Canada! – Western Grocer

It’s a date for agri-food industry professionals, as the Salon International de l’Alimentation au Canada (SIAL Canada) unveils its programming and announces its return to Palais des congrès de Montréal from May 15 to 17. This year’s edition features 10 thematic forums, presented by Farm Credit Canada (FCC), the SIAL To Go immersive experience, interactive workshops and prestigious competitions such as SIAL Innovation, the Pitch Competition and the all-new Best Canadian Cheesemonger Competition. This 21st edition, which also marks the SIAL network’s 60th anniversary, will look back at over six decades of food innovation, and will present the new trends shaping the future of the food industry. Christine Plante, founder of the Lauriers de la Gastronomie Québécoise gala, will open the event as Master of Ceremonies.

As a tribute to its culinary diversity and cultural traditions, this year’s featured country at SIAL Canada is Morocco (booths no. 915 and 1015).

“We are delighted to announce that the Kingdom of Morocco has been selected as SIAL Canada 2024’s featured country. As we showcase Morocco, we pay tribute to its diverse flavours and cultural traditions while also fostering valuable links and partnerships within the international food community. We look forward to welcoming Moroccan exhibitors and delegates to SIAL Canada 2024 to discover their unique cuisine, sustainable products and food innovations,” says the SIAL team.

Day 1 – Wednesday, May 15

10:00 – Competition at SIAL Dairy area- booth no. 2647

For the first time, the SIAL Dairy area will host the biennial Best Canadian Cheesemonger Competition, presided by renowned cheese expert Yannick Hachim and hosted by journalist and ExtraBrut magazine editor Karyne Duplessis Piché. Six talented candidates will compete in a series of events, starting with an artistic creation of cheese platters on the theme of Cities of the World, followed by an oral presentation to a jury, a blind taste test and a knowledge test.

10:00 – The world of beverages at SIAL’s Inspire Drink zone – booth no. 5111

Gail Gastelu and Jean-Sébastien Michel, SIAL Experts in tea, coffee and mixology, will join forces with experienced professionals to offer interactive workshops, combining expertise and original tastings.

The morning will be dedicated to the rich world of coffee, with President of the Coffee Association of Canada Robert Carter explaining the essentials of coffee, including its many varieties and production processes, while guiding participants with sound professional advice. The session will conclude with an immersion in the terroir of coffee, a unique opportunity to taste coffee from various regions.

In the afternoon, visitors can discover innovations in maple spirits (CART Acerum), explore international market strategies for Québec vodka (Dirty Devil Vodka) and discuss ways of adapting restaurant offerings as alcohol consumption trends downwards (Éduc’Alcool).

12:30 – SIAL Innovation 2024 awards ceremony in Viger Hall

SIAL Innovation will unveil the winners of the Innovation 2024 awards during a ceremony held in Viger Hall, where gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded. You can also visit the SIAL Innovation area at booth no. 815 to discover other selected products.

SIAL To Go – booth no. 2529

In line with the “to go” foodservice, grocery and retail trend, the new SIAL To Go activation presents an immersive journey revealing technologies, trends, concepts and innovations for ready-to-eat, takeaway and delivery. This activation will last throughout the entire duration of the Show at booth no. 2529.

Conferences – 5th floor of the Palais des congrès de Montréal, rooms 518 AB and 519 AB

Presented by FCC, the conference program will feature four forums: Creating Lasting Brand Value (Pigeon Brands, Still Good, Éco Entreprise Québec, Restaurant St-Hubert, Aliments Krispy Kernels Inc.), FOOD TO GO (NielsenIQ, McGill, HRImag, Leav, Mamie Clafoutis), TRENDS AND INNOVATION (Nourish Food Marketing, Isa M., Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN)), and Logistics and Procurement (Retail Council of Canada (RCC), Scale AI, IVADO Labs).

Visitors will be able to meet Carl Boutet, Robert Dion, Jonathan Rodrigues, Geneviève Dionne, Elyse Boulet, Annik Labrosse, Renée-Maude Jalbert, Isabelle Marquis, Dana McCauley, Jo-Ann McArthur and many other influential industry figures.

Day 2 – Thursday, May 16

10:00 – A competition for entrepreneurs at the SIAL Expert Hub – booth no. 5617

The second day of the show kicks off at 10:00 with the Start-up Pitch Competition, chaired by Dr. Jordan LeBel. To win over the jury, ambitious entrepreneurs will have to compete against each other by presenting a three-minute pitch, under the themes of “food and beverage” or “technology and services”. An awards ceremony will follow, from 12:15 to 12:45.

10:00 – Inspire Drink, day two – booth no. 5111

At Inspire Drink, Gail Gastelu will be back in the morning to talk about the rich and varied world of tea. Her guest, Shabnam Weber, President of the Tea and Herbal Tea Association of Canada, will present a number of beverages. Local teas from different regions will be on display to discover and taste.

Beginning at 1:00, Jean Sébastien Michel will host a mixology workshop alongside several Québec personalities. Maxime Coubès, winner of the Mixologist or Bartender of the Year category at the Lauriers de la Gastronomie Québécoise gala, will explore the theme of communication through cocktails, while Pier-Alexis Soulière, recognized as best sommelier on several occasions, will reveal the nuances of his artisanal maple syrup. Finally, entrepreneur Edouard Verhaeghe will conclude with his innovative vision of rum arrangements, highlighting local talent and the richness of international spirits.

Conferences – 5th floor of Palais des Congrès, rooms 518 AB and 519 AB

Presented by FCC, the conference program will feature four forums. First, Market Opportunities, through Export (EDC), Ethnic Products (BK. Sethi Marketing) and Organic food (Canada Organic Trade Association, COTA). Second, Technology, where an immersion in artificial intelligence (AI) will allow visitors to navigate through the landscapes of the agri-food industry (Dalhousie University), witness the digital transformation (Fidélio, La Petite Bretonne), and discover the vertical farm (GoodLeaf Farms). Third, Retail (RCC-Retail Council of Canada, ADA-Association des Détaillants en Alimentation du Québec, IGD, Dollarama, Metro). Finally, Health and Regulation (FHCP-Food Health and Consumer Products of Canada, Pattison Food Group, AAQ-Amélioration Alimentaire Québec).

Visitors will be able to meet Jamie Nelson, Marie-Noëlle Cano, Stewart Samuel, Barry Murchie, Audrey Laurin and Sylvain Charlebois, among others.

Day 3 – May 17

10:00 – Inspire Drink, day three – booth no. 5111

The show closes on a high note with a number of activities in the Inspire Drink area (booth no. 5111). Gail Gastelu will be presenting wellness drinks, and Kate Kendall, winner of the 2019 Tea Master Cup competition in the Preparation category, will host a workshop on the art of Koridashi, in addition to revealing several cold-brewing techniques. Starting at noon, the finalists in the Mixologist or Bartender of the Year category at the Lauriers de la Gastronomie Gala will compete to create exceptional cocktails.

10:30 – Conferences – 5th floor of Palais des congrès, rooms 518 AB and 519 AB

Two thematic forums will be held starting at 10:30 a.m. on the 5th floor of the Palais des congrès de Montréal. The first will focus on Packaging, with Louis Papineau of Papineau & Co. and Cher Mereweather of the Canadian Plastics Pact (CPP) talking about eco-design and the plastics industry. TikTok, Braque and Léger Marketing will discuss influencer marketing in a second Marketing & Consumption forum.