Trade show - Paris, France

SIAL Paris - International Food Exhibition

Anugas biennial sibling - the alternate-year EU food trade show. Next edition: October 17-21, 2026 at Paris Nord Villepinte.

Next edition

October 17-21, 2026

Paris Nord Villepinte, Paris, France

Official site
Planning to attend

On our travel plan. If you would like to meet, get in touch and we will lock the time.

About the show

What it is, who attends

SIAL Paris is the worlds second-largest food and beverage trade fair, held in years when Anuga is not running. The "Tea, Coffee, Chocolate" segment houses tea-side buyers and exhibitors. Strong French + Southern European retail and HORECA attendance.

Why it matters

In the years between Anuga editions, SIAL is the EU-wide trade-show stage. Heavy French + Italian + Spanish retail-chain presence makes it the right show for Tier 2 country buyer outreach. Co-located private-label and ingredients halls mean a single trip covers three buyer personas.

285,000+

Visitors

7,500+

Exhibitors

127

Countries

Calendar

Upcoming editions

Since 1964

How it grew

62 years of editions, reshaped by changing buyer behaviour and category growth.

  1. 1964

    First edition at the CNIT convention centre in La Defense, Paris. 602 exhibitors (340 from outside France) across 13,000 sqm and 27 pavilions. Founded by the Confederation Generale de l'Alimentation en detail, the French Ministry of Agriculture, and the Paris Chamber of Commerce.

  2. 1970

    Rapid growth forces a move from La Defense to the Porte de Versailles exhibition grounds; biennial cadence already established.

  3. 1986

    Relocates again to Paris Nord Villepinte, its permanent home. 4,000+ exhibitors across 80,000 sqm; 88,000 professional visitors.

  4. 2004

    Crosses 135,000 visitors for the first time, with 52% from outside France and 5,259 exhibiting companies from 99 countries.

  5. 2014

    50th anniversary edition. Show by then occupies 230,000+ sqm and draws visitors from nearly 200 countries.

  6. 2024

    60th anniversary edition: 7,400+ exhibitors from 127 countries, approximately 300,000 professionals from 205 nations. The show introduced a fully sector-based hall layout, replacing the previous national-pavilion model.

Floor plan

Halls and zones to know

Where tea, private label, and beverage buyers concentrate on the show floor.

Halls 5A and 6A - Hot Beverages (Tea, Coffee, Herbal Infusions)

Coffee and coffee substitutes, tea and herbs for infusion. All pack formats including tea bags, loose-leaf, capsules, RTD concentrates, and co-packing services.

Why it mattersThe primary target for a tea co-packer. Retail buyers sourcing private-label tea, European importers, and HORECA procurement teams concentrate here. The beverage innovation tour in 2024 used Hall 5A as its meeting point, confirming this as the buyer-dense zone for hot drinks.

Halls 5B and 6A - Confectionery, Biscuits, Pastry (incl. Chocolate)

Chocolate products, biscuits, pastry, confectionery. Adjacent to the hot beverages halls, creating a natural crossover zone for buyers who source both categories.

Why it mattersBuyers for chocolate-infused tea blends and sweet-beverage gift sets move between this section and the hot beverages halls. Useful for monitoring private-label confectionery pairings with tea.

Grocery, Savoury and World Foods Halls

Canned goods, condiments, sauces, world foods, deli, ambient grocery. 3,068 exhibitors in this category at the 2024 edition.

Why it mattersContains private-label grocery buyers from European retail chains who also hold tea sourcing mandates. Walking this section during day one can surface sourcing contacts who do not appear in the hot beverages hall.

SIAL Innovation Area (dedicated zone)

Up to 650 curated product innovations across all food and beverage categories, judged by an independent jury. Includes the SIAL Taste sampling area from 2026.

Why it mattersCompeting in SIAL Innovation or simply visiting the area puts a supplier in front of the trade press, innovation-focused buyers, and trend-scouting teams from every major retail group attending the show.

SIAL Start-Up Area and Pitch Stage

Dedicated zone for start-up food and beverage companies, with a live pitch stage connecting entrepreneurs to investors and buyers.

Why it mattersUseful for identifying emerging tea brands that may need a co-packing partner and do not yet know they are looking for one.

This edition

What to look out for

60th anniversary in 2026 - most ambitious edition yet

SIAL Paris 2026 marks 62 years of the show (the 60th anniversary was celebrated in 2024). With 260,000 sqm of space already sold nine months before opening - a 16% increase on the equivalent point before the 2024 edition - up to 8,000 exhibitors and 295,000 professionals are expected across five days.

5,000 top buyers, over EUR 60 billion in purchasing power

SIAL Paris 2026 will draw 100% of French retailers and leading international buying groups including Carrefour, Walmart, Lidl, Mercadona, Sodexo, Accor, and Marriott. The 5,000 senior buyers declared to attend represent in excess of EUR 60 billion in combined annual purchasing power.

Sector-based hall layout introduced from 2024

From 2024, SIAL moved from a national-pavilion model to a product-sector layout, placing all tea and hot beverage exhibitors together in Halls 5A and 6A. Eighty percent of visitors in a pre-change survey said sector-based navigation improved their meeting efficiency.

SIAL Innovation celebrates its 30th year in 2026

The flagship product competition has been redesigned for 2026 with a new immersive layout, a SIAL Taste sampling area, a live pitch stage, and expanded award categories including a 60th Anniversary Award and Africa Award. Over 2,100 entries were submitted for the 2024 edition, with 560 selected for display.

Private label thematic tour runs during the show

SIAL Paris 2024 ran a dedicated Private Label Parcours Thematique - a guided buyer route through exhibitors offering own-brand manufacturing and co-packing services. The tour format is expected to continue in 2026, routing private-label buyers directly to co-packing suppliers across all food and beverage categories.

Who you will see

Exhibitors and buyers at recent editions

Notable exhibitors

Brands typically exhibiting in the tea, private-label, or adjacent halls.

  • Ahmad Tea (UK) - confirmed exhibitor at SIAL Paris 2024
  • Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company (Sri Lanka)
  • Teekanne GmbH and Co. KG (Germany)
  • Twinings (UK)
  • Tetley / Tata Consumer Products (UK / India)
  • Le Food Company - specialty and bubble tea formats (France)
  • National pavilions from Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, and China covering hundreds of food and beverage brands
  • Private-label ingredient and contract-manufacturing companies across the hot beverages category

Notable buyers

Retail chains, hospitality groups, and importers known to send delegations.

  • Carrefour (France) - confirmed attendee at SIAL Paris 2024
  • Walmart (USA / international)
  • Lidl (Schwarz Group, Germany / international)
  • Mercadona (Spain)
  • Metro Food Sourcing (Germany / international)
  • Accor Hotels (France) - HORECA procurement
  • Sodexo (France) - foodservice and HORECA
  • Marriott International (USA) - HORECA procurement
  • Esselunga (Italy)
  • Coop Trading (Scandinavia)
Plan your visit

Tickets, travel, accommodation, exhibiting

Ticket access

Trade professionals only. No entry for consumers or children under 16. Online advance registration required; on-site badge purchase possible but significantly more expensive and slower. The 2026 fee schedule is published at sialparis.com/en/pratical-info/Fees. School-group rate confirmed at EUR 50 per person (online only). Professional visitor badge pricing for 2026 was not publicly confirmed at time of writing - check the official fees page before travel.

Opening hours

Saturday to Tuesday: 10:00 to 18:30. Wednesday (final day): 10:00 to 17:00. Based on the 2024 schedule; confirm on sialparis.com closer to October 2026. Arriving by 09:30 on day one avoids the badge-collection queue.

Getting there

  • Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) - approximately 15 minutes by shuttle or taxi to Villepinte; RER B from CDG also reaches Parc des Expositions station
  • RER B line - Parc des Expositions station is the direct stop for Paris Nord Villepinte; journey time from Paris Gare du Nord approximately 20 minutes
  • Air France shuttle bus - departs Porte Maillot and connects to the exhibition centre during the show
  • Paris Orly Airport (ORY) - approximately 60-75 minutes by Orlyval + RER B; CDG is the more practical arrival hub for this venue
  • Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord - then direct RER B to the venue; total journey approximately 3 hours 30 minutes

Accommodation

Bnetwork is the official accommodation partner; rates through their portal are negotiated for show week. Closest hotels are clustered around Villepinte and the CDG airport corridor (Golden Tulip Paris CDG, Novotel Suites CDG Villepinte, ibis Paris CDG, B&B Hotel Paris Nord 2). Book at least four to six months in advance; availability drops sharply after the first round of exhibitor bookings. Paris city-centre hotels are an option but add 45-60 minutes of commute each day.

Exhibitor cost

Stand space for SIAL Paris 2024 was structured as raw-space rental; exact per-sqm rates are issued directly to registered exhibitors and were not published openly. Third-party stand builders quote custom booth packages for SIAL Paris 2026 from EUR 15,000 for medium configurations. Contact the SIAL exhibitor sales team at sialparis.exhibitors@sial-network.com for official 2026 pricing.

Programme

Awards and co-located events

Awards + competitions

  • SIAL Innovation Awards - flagship competition celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026. Over 2,100 entries at the 2024 edition; 560 selected; 21 awards across category-specific and special prizes. Categories include Gold, Silver, Bronze awards plus special prizes: 60th Anniversary Award, Top 3 Countries Award, Africa Award, Concept Award, Own the Change (CSR) Award, Start-up Award, and Public's Choice Award. Application deadline for 2026: 28 August 2026. Eligible for SIAL Paris exhibitors only; free to enter.
  • SIAL For Change - CSR and sustainability award programme in its second edition in 2026. Open to both SIAL Paris exhibitors and non-exhibiting European SMEs and start-ups (a new expansion for 2026 via The Foodies initiative). Application deadline: 1 July 2026. Awards ceremony: 18 October 2026 (day two of the show).

Co-located events

  • SIAL Innovation - product innovation competition and showcase, running throughout the fair within a dedicated immersive zone (celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026)
  • SIAL For Change - second edition in 2026, CSR and sustainability award programme open to both exhibitors and non-exhibiting European SMEs, in partnership with FoodDrinkEurope and the European Commission
  • SIAL Summits - new in 2026, four half-day summit conferences covering AI and deep tech in food, supply chain, CSR, and the Africa food opportunity; running on-site with internationally recognised speakers
  • SIAL Start-Up - dedicated zone and live pitch stage connecting food and beverage start-ups with investors and buyers; approximately 150 start-ups in the dedicated area out of 650+ total
  • SIAL Taste - sampling area integrated into the Innovation zone from 2026, allowing buyers to try selected and award-winning innovations on the show floor
  • Private Label Parcours Thematique - guided buyer tour routing retail sourcing teams through co-packing and own-brand manufacturing exhibitors across all food and beverage categories
Our take

Why we think buyers should weigh this show this way

SIAL Paris is the second anchor on any European food-trade calendar after Anuga, and for buyers with strong French, Southern European, or HORECA connections it sometimes outranks it. The biennial schedule places it in the alternating years between Anuga editions, meaning a manufacturer who attends both covers the European buyer cycle with no two-year gaps.

For Balkan Tea specifically, the hot beverages zone in Halls 5A and 6A is the operational target. The show's private-label thematic tour routes retail sourcing managers directly to co-packing suppliers - a format that puts small and mid-size manufacturers in front of buyers who would otherwise not stop at an unfamiliar stand.

The buyer concentration is exceptional: EUR 60 billion in declared purchasing power from 5,000 top buyers across five days. French, Spanish, Italian, and Balkan retail chains are all well represented, making SIAL Paris the most efficient single event for reaching Southern and Central European retail procurement. The 2026 edition - with 85% of space booked well in advance and a 16% growth in sold area vs. 2024 - is shaping up as the largest in the show's history.

FAQ

Common questions

Quick answers buyers ask before committing the travel budget.

  • No. SIAL Paris is strictly reserved for trade professionals. Visitors must prove industry affiliation at registration. Children under 16 are not admitted even if accompanied by a professional. Tickets are personal and non-transferable.

Meet us

Going to SIAL Paris? Lock a meeting before you fly.

Send a brief by phone, WhatsApp, or form and we will set time aside on the floor or in a private meeting space. Co-packing, full production, sample-pack handover - whatever scope fits.

Adjacent shows

Related trade shows

Talk to us

Talk to us about your tea project

Phone, WhatsApp, or send a message. We answer Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00 CET in English, Albanian, Macedonian, and German.

Orbook a free 30-min consultation· Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00 CET

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