SIAL was held at the Montréal Convention Centre, the capital of the largest and only fully francophone province of Québec, which, as Canada's second most populous province, offers great potential in the food sector. The trade fair for professionals from the food industry returned to Montréal after four years and two cancelled editions due to pandemic restrictions, and despite the still uncertain times and the negative financial impact of the pandemic on many companies, over 700 exhibitors, including six Czech companies, found their way there. Their participation and the opportunity to present at the national stand was successfully implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic as a PROPED economic diplomacy project.

The Czech participation in Canada went hand in hand with a map of global industry opportunities, according to which the agri-food sector in Canada is one of the most promising sectors. The aim of the Czech participation was to take advantage of Canada's growing demand for, among other things, healthy food, organic products including plant-based products and the general effort, resulting from the pandemic and its impact on the supply chain, to diversify suppliers and reorient itself to the European market and its actors.

For most of the Czech companies that were presented at the national stand, the fair offered the first opportunity to get acquainted with the Canadian market, which is quite specific in the field of food and food products. One of the exceptions was Budvar from České Budějovice, represented by a local representative - Czechvar, thanks to which the Czech stand was always busy. And that was exactly the point, to attract as many people as possible to Czech companies. Many of the visitors knew Czech beer and it was great news for them that they could find it in almost every Canadian province, including Québec (each one has different rules for importing alcohol). There was also a great response to the Lindr tapping equipment on display, which was right there on the stand thanks to a keg of Budvar. A few beer lovers even let it be known on the spot that they were going to get one of the company's flagship taps for their home. The idea of not having to secure a full bucket of ice to go with a keg of beer was all too appealing.

Some visitors or buyers were specifically interested in cooperation and import of exhibited products and arranged a meeting with representatives of the companies in the Hosted Buyer Program to discuss details of possible cooperation. A distributor from British Columbia was interested in Czech organic products and is in negotiations with producers of Fit-day vegetable proteins and Fluidum organic tea extracts. A Canadian coffee and tea retailer, which supplies beverages to hotel chains and restaurants, also sounded very interesting. The distributor of the Kampot pepper; .pepper..field, which has also attracted interest from companies in Mexico and India, or the excellent Verjus juice from the Ludwig winery, which is suitable for restaurant kitchens and households. Those who did not feel like beer could taste their sour grape juice.

SIAL Canada is the only national trade show that offers a full range of food products under one roof and is suitable for anyone, whether they work in retail, catering or manufacturing, or are just looking for new and innovative products or regional specialties from around the world. The environment of the food sector has changed significantly due to the pandemic, whether it is market concentration, the arrival of new players or changing consumer habits with an increasing emphasis on digitalisation and personalisation. Participants therefore welcomed the very interesting content, including a buyer's programme, a series of conferences, and a special networking event that offered attendees a space to connect.

Given the complexity of provincial markets, it was also useful to meet, for example, Canadian consultants at the fair who know the specifics of the local market and can advise or help connect companies if needed. The event also served well to promote the Czech Republic itself. In addition to the huge stand of Turkey, the presentation of the American states and a strong Spanish representation, the Czech Republic was one of the few countries to have its own national stand, which allowed for a better presentation of our entire region.

Jan Kubačka, economic diplomat
Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ottawa