3 questions for Nicolas TRENTESAUX, Comexposium Food Business Unit

A 30-year passion for the food industry

You have led SIAL Network for a decade. What is your relationship to this brand?

I am deeply attached to the agrifood sector because I’ve been working in this industry for 30 years. It’s an exciting and stimulating area to work in for so many reasons! It is driven by innovation and growth and affects everyone – that’s a universal theme. It’s also an area where France, whose identity is so closely tied to gastronomy and food culture, has a real role to play.

Yet France still does not put itself forward as much as it could internationally and that’s a huge challenge! Through SIAL Network, we have an amazing opportunity to build exchanges between team members as far afield as China, Canada and the United States, which is very culturally enriching!

How do you work together on the global organization of these different events?

Our network is powered by regular discussions via our steering committees. But we also carry out more formal exercises, such as drawing up a business plan to fix a budget and decide on the broad outline of the upcoming session. We organize an international seminar each year that brings together representatives from each of the network’s events: this is a wonderful opportunity to convey a vision, share best practices and nurture the sense of belonging to our brand.

What are you most proud of? fier ?

From a business perspective, I am extremely gratified that we have managed to continue growing SIAL Paris, which was already a major event ten years ago. SIAL China in Shanghai has seen the most spectacular expansion, tripling in size in the last decade.

I am also very proud of how we have created new shows, including in India, where we are starting to build our reputation. Every launch is emotional. These shows are a little bit like our children.

SIAL Network:

• 12 exhibitions worldwide
• 17,000 exhibitors from 127 countries
• 700,000 professionals from 200 countries