The 13th edition of SIAL Canada has just wrapped up at Montreal’s Palais des Congrès, having run from 13 to 15 April, and welcomed 928 exhibitors from 50 countries, and 17,300 visitors.
SIAL Canada has once again proven to be a success, says Executive Director Xavier Poncin.
"If we want to look at the highlights for this year, first off, there were a record number of visitors, with 17,300 professionals from every agri-food sector and from all over Canada and the United States," he said.
"This constitutes growth of 17 per cent as compared to 2014. SIAL Canada has confirmed its unique position as a major North American one-stop-shop tradeshow, offering equal parts innovative food products, equipment and services."
This year’s show hosted 25 conferences touching on today's pressing topics, as well as 20 demonstrations and discovery workshops promoting the products and know-how of Canadian artisans.
Some of the event’s highlights included the SIAL Food Hub, which focussed on 'Foodservice Costing and and Increasing Profitability' as a topic, and welcomed over 50 foodservice professionals.
It also played host to the Olive D’Or, North America’s biggest international extra-virgin olive oil contest. More than 100 oils from 15 countries were entered, and the 12 best were selected as the Golden, Silver or Bronze Drops in their respective categories.
Meanwhile, Cheese by SIAL benefitted from a 6,000-square-foot space for its 3rd edition, with dozens of cheeses from Canada and around the world made available for tasting throughout the show.
Finally, the winning product of this year’s SIAL Innovation contest was Essence Desserts’ Assorted Chocolates with Sorbet and Ice Cream Centers, which beat off stiff competition from 80 other entrants to take home the 2016 Grand Prize.
© 2016 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
