If you are looking at expanding your business internationally, then international trade fairs (or international trade shows as they are called in the US) offer excellent opportunities to present your brand overseas and search for new partners. Which are the most important international food trade fairs though?
Attending a trade fair abroad is considerably more complex than attending a fair or exhibition in your domestic market. It requires a longer time frame for the preparation and considerably higher costs. You might want to read my more detailed mini-series on preparing and attending international exhibitions so that you get the most out of them. It’s in 5 parts and you can find the first one here on preparing international trade shows.
Table of Contents
Why should you attend international trade fairs?
There are five main reasons for companies to attend international trade fairs:
- to raise brand awareness amongst consumers and industry experts
- for networking and new business relationships (don’t forget trade fairs often have a large number of social events which you can participate in)
- to obtain highly targeted sales leads
- to learn more about the competition and how they are marketing their products
- to educate yourselves about the newest developments and technology in your industry
Some Useful Resources for Finding Relevant Trade Shows:
There are many other information sources out there, and your local Chamber of Commerce will probably also have relevant lists of suitable trade fairs.
Choosing the right international food trade fairs
This depends a little on what your goal is with participating in the event as you need to select according to your specific goals. If you “just” want to expand into Belgium then it probably is more useful to visit a Belgian event rather than going to one of the huge international shows. However in terms of brand awareness, exhibiting at one of the international shows will probably bring more benefit than a smaller local event.
Today I’m going to do a brief round up of some of the most famous exhibitions in the food and beverage space, which can be useful if you are looking for distribution partners or to grow your networks. Some of them have also regional events. eg SIAL is originally a French trade fair, however there are in total 12 international food trade fairs operating under the umbrella brand.
It’s not enough however to simply offer exhibition space to brands: these days it’s also essential to offer conferences, symposia, networking events etc to participants if you want to encourage them to keep coming back to your event.
SIAL
SIAL is the French acronym for “Salon International de l’Alimentation” (International Food TRade Fair!) & was founded in 1964 in Paris. SIAL describes themselves as “the world’s number one food innovation network” and has a focus not only on networking and business growth, but also on showcasing trends in the food and beverage industry.
Now with events in 8 countries, SIAL has been a standard in the food and Beverage industry for over 50 years, originally with an expo in Paris. That has now expanded to cover Canada, China, India, Malaysia, Algeria and Indonesia in addition to France. Other locations have included the Middle East or US.
SIAL Shenzhen just took place at the end of August with around 1200 exhibitors, more than 30 international pavilions and over 50000 visitors. That’s small though in comparison with the original SIAL PAris, which takes place every 2nd year, the last time in 2022: more than 7000 exhibitors and 265000 visitors.
Gulfood
Gulfood, held in Dubai, describes themselves as “the largest annual F & B sourcing event in the world”.
In 1987, Gulfood debuted with 65 exhibitors from 13 countries and attracted 1600 specialist trade visitors. It was also called Gulf Food at that time. This name only changed to the more familiar brand “Gulfood” in 1995.
In 2023, the biggest edition in Gulfood’s history brought together over 5,000 leading food and beverage companies, showcasing 100,000 new products from more than 125 countries. This year’s show offered a bigger platform than ever to make new partnerships, deals, collaborations, signings and announcements.
For 2024, “all things confectionary” will no longer be included within Gulfood, but within the ISM Middle East (a daughter event from the German ISM that takes place in February each year)
Anuga
In those years where there is no SIAL expo in France, then there is an Anuga in Germany eg. 2023. With the motto “Taste the Future”, Anuga unites 10 trade fairs under one roof with topics such as organic, frozen food or bread and bakery.
By 2019 the event had grown to over 7000 exhibitors and around 170000 visitors. There was an Anuga in 2021 but this was pretty subdued as it was a pandemic year with limited participants.
This is certainly one of the world’s leading (& oldest) international food trade fairs.
FHA
FHA (Food and Hotel Asia) is one of the largest regional food trade fairs in Asia and consists of 2 events (Food & Beverage and HoReCa) held in Singapore each year. I had tickets to visit the FHA in 2020, but with a March date (at least that year) it obviously didn’t happen…
FHA is the largest international food and hospitality trade event in Asia. It brings together a wide range of exhibitors from around the world, including food manufacturers, foodservice equipment suppliers, hospitality technology providers, and more. FHA also features a variety of educational seminars and workshops, as well as networking opportunities for industry professionals.
Foodex
The annual Foodex show in Japan is also a prime location for food and beverage brands to exhibit if they are looking to enter the region. It’s held annually in Tokyo.
What sets Foodex Japan apart is its sheer scale and diversity. You’ll find a vast array of products from all over the world, making it a perfect platform to explore new trends, establish connections, and discover innovative culinary creations. There’s also a focus on new food technologies.
Biofach
The Biofach, held annually in Nuremberg, Germany, is the world’s leading international trade fair for organic products.
However, it’s not restricted to simply Germany these days, but in total has 8 locations around the world including, The USA, China, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Thailand & Japan.
Like most of the others, it’s only open to trade visitors so you need accreditation if you’re not a producer in the food and beverage industry.
PLMA
The PLMA “World of Private Label” trade fair is organised by the Private Label Manufacturers Association.
It brings retailers, wholesalers and other private label professionals together with manufacturers to help them find new products, make new contacts, and discover new ideas that will help their private label programmes succeed and grow.
The expanding popularity of private label in recent years has led to unprecedented market share worldwide, while private label retained its strong position throughout most markets also during the pandemic. Private label now accounts for more than 40% of all products sold in seven European countries and for more than 30% in another nine countries in Europe.
Remember that private label products are not limited to the cheapies that you might first think of, but include also more premium options (think of own brands like Marks & Spencers).
Natural Products Expo West
Natural Products Expo West in California, USA is one of the world’s largest natural, organic, and healthy products event, bringing together industry professionals and consumers to showcase the latest trends and innovations in the natural products industry.
It’s a major event for natural, organic, and healthy products and an excellent platform for networking and showcasing your food and beverage products.
Fancy Food Show
The Fancy Food Show in New York is typically held in summer at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. This event showcases a wide range of specialty foods, beverages, and culinary products from around the world. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the industry and connect with potential partners, distributors, and suppliers.
This event focuses on specialty foods, snacks, and gourmet products. It’s a hub for discovering unique and innovative items that can stand out in the market. It’s also held twice per year, with the winter version taking place in Las Vegas.
International Food Trade Shows come in all Shapes
As you can see there are a great variety of international trade fairs, making it rather overwhelming to pick which one is best for your needs. There are overarching international trade event brands such as SIAL, regional events (such as the FHA in Singapore), national events, industry events for specific product categories eg Bakery, Wine or Hotels and food service or also for organic food, eg with Biofach.
Chances are that your choices will be limited by time and financial resources so you may have to weigh up which is best for you. The food and beverage industry worldwide is huge and humans will always need to eat so the world of innovations certainly seems endless at present. Attending such expos can provide valuable insights into emerging markets and consumer preferences, not only expand your network and set of potential distributors.
With any kind of expo, I’d suggest creating a plan before attending. Identify key areas you want to explore, exhibitors you’d like to connect with, and specific seminars that align with your interests. This way, you can make the most of your time at the event and come away with actionable insights and potential business leads.
I’m certainly not saying that ALL of these shows are essential for everyone, but these are ones which you should KNOW about and make an informed decision about which is most suitable for you.
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Kathryn firmly believes that business is done between people, and therefore places her focus on building strong relationships that form a solid foundation for doing business.
When she's not travelling around the world, Kathryn enjoys playing clarinet in her town's wind orchestra or sharing her love of the outdoors with her Scout group.
This post is incredibly helpful for brand owners looking to expand their reach in international markets! The curated list of trade fairs is a fantastic resource, and I appreciate the insights on how to make the most of attending these events. Can’t wait to mark my calendar for the upcoming fairs!