Paris, the ‘City of Light’, is home to some of the largest and most important trade shows and exhibitions in the world. Every year, these events attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the globe and generate billions in revenue for the local economy. Over the next two years, from 2024 to 2025, here are the top 5 can’t-miss B2B trade shows and consumer exhibitions taking place in Paris:
1. SIAL Paris 2024
Date: 19 – 23 October 2024
Location: Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre
SIAL Paris is the world’s largest food and drink trade show. It is held biennially in even-numbered years. The SIAL Paris 2024 is expected to occupy over 160,000 square meters of exhibition space at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition center. The event brings together over 7,000 exhibitors and more than 200,000 visitors from 130+ countries. Here they come to showcase new food industry products, innovations, trends, and technologies.
At SIAL Paris 2024, attendees can explore the latest in food processing, ingredients, equipment, logistics, retail, and packaging. The show covers all sectors of the food industry including fresh produce, seafood, meat, dairy, drinks, organic and healthy foods. Special features include national and regional pavilions, conference programs, culinary demonstrations, and award ceremonies. It’s a must-attend event for food producers, buyers, distributors, importers, retailers, and suppliers seeking new clients, partners, and market opportunities around the world.
2. BATIMAT Paris Expo 2024
Date: 30 September – 3 October 2024
Location: Paris Expo Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre
BATIMAT is the construction industry’s biggest trade show in Europe. Held every two years in Paris, BATIMAT Paris Expo 2024 will occupy the entire Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition grounds. More than 90,000 trade visitors from France and abroad are expected to visit the show. Also, it is expected that more than 2,500 exhibitors across construction materials, methods, tools, and machinery come to show their latest innovations.
The four-day event is a one-stop shop to discover the latest products, techniques, and services transforming the built environment. Attendees can source construction equipment, tools, joinery, facades, floors, and coatings. They can also learn about smart building technologies, sustainable construction practices, VR/AR applications, and more. Alongside the exhibition, BATIMAT hosts conferences, workshops, and live demonstrations to address key industry challenges and enable knowledge sharing. It’s an unmissable platform for professionals to explore solutions, network, and do business across the construction value chain.
3. Salon Du Chocolat Paris Expo 2024
Date: 30 October – 03 November 2024
Location: Paris Expo Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre
As the world’s largest international chocolate trade show, Salon Du Chocolat Paris attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Held annually since 1994, the 2024 edition will be hosted at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from 30 October – 03 November 2024. Showcasing chocolate creations from around the globe, the event provides a rich experience for both trade professionals and consumers alike.
Hundreds of chocolate makers, pastry chefs, restaurants, and artisanal brands come together under one roof at this exclusive show. Here they showcase their latest premium chocolate products, cacao varieties, pralines, truffles, chocolates, baked goods, and confectionery delights. Complementing the main exhibition are live demonstrations by world-class chocolatiers, industry seminars, and the ‘Chocolate Academy’ teaching visitors chocolate-making techniques. It’s a sweet playground for discovery, and inspiration as well as an opportunity for chocolatiers, retailers, and importers/exporters. Salon Du Chocolat Paris Expo is the best place to meet and establish strategic partnerships across the cocoa value chain.
4. Vape Expo Paris 2025
Date: 23 – 24 March 2025
Location: Paris Expo Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre
Vape Expo Paris is considered the largest vaping and e-liquid trade show in continental Europe. In 2025, it will return to Paris Expo Porte de Versailles on March 23rd and 24th. As the global vaping industry continues to innovate and expand, the Vape Expo attracts over 10,000 industry professionals annually. People come to seek the latest products and business opportunities at the show.
Vape Expo Paris 2025 will host around 200 exhibitors displaying e-cigarettes, e-liquids, components, refills, batteries, mods, and related technologies. Attendees can source new vaping hardware, meet leading manufacturers, and researchers, and stay updated on industry regulations. Alongside business networking, the event agenda includes educational seminars, live product demonstrations, and opportunities to sample the highest quality e-liquids from around the world. It serves as an important meeting ground for both B2B and B2C players in the European and global vaping markets.
5. Paris Air Show 2025
Date: 16 – 22 June 2025
Location: Le Bourget Airport, Paris
The Paris Air Show is arguably the most prestigious aerospace trade exhibition in the world. Held once every two years at Le Bourget Airport on the outskirts of Paris, the 2025 edition will run from June 16th to 22nd. As the global aerospace industry’s biggest business and contracting platform, it gathers over 300,000 trade visitors and 2,500 exhibitors. Representatives from all over the world come to showcase all things related to commercial and defense aviation.
At the Paris Air Show 2024, attendees can explore the latest aircraft, helicopters, engines, avionics, components, and services. World’s leading manufacturers come here like Airbus, Boeing, Dassault, Lockheed Martin, and more. They also get to learn about opportunities in space travel, unmanned aircraft, sustainable aviation fuels, and new mobility solutions shaping the future of air transport. Along with static aircraft displays, demonstrations, and order announcements worth billions. The week-long show enables strategic deals, partnerships, and learning across both military and civilian aviation domains worldwide.
In Conclusion-
These top 5 trade shows in Paris will once again put the spotlight on the city as a global hub for industry exchange and commerce across strategic sectors. By hosting thousands of exhibiting companies and hundreds of thousands of visiting professionals each time, they will generate billions of euros in economic value. These shows will enable several deal-makings, and knowledge dissemination at an unparalleled scale.
Industry leaders look to these mega exhibitions as important platforms that will drive innovation as well as tremendous business opportunities. If you are planning to exhibit at these trade shows you must hire an exhibition stand builder in Europe that have expertise and experience in making stands for these or similar shows.
FAQs
Q1. What sectors are covered in these exhibitions?
These top 5 Paris trade shows cover a diverse range of industries including food, construction, manufacturing, aerospace, vaping, and more. SIAL Paris and Salon Du Chocolat focus on food production and confectionery. BATIMAT is dedicated to the construction materials and tools sector. Vape Expo and Paris Air Show bring together players in the vaping/e-cigarette and aerospace/aviation industries respectively. So they provide platforms for professionals across multiple verticals to explore innovative solutions, forge partnerships, and drive business growth.
Q2. Who are the key attendees at these events?
The target audiences for these prominent B2B exhibitions in Paris include industry professionals, suppliers, manufacturers, importers/exporters, retailers, developers, service providers, researchers, government officials, and media. Specifically, SIAL and Salon Du Chocolat cater to food producers, buyers, and distributors. BATIMAT appeals to architects, contractors, engineers, and construction firms. Vape Expo attracts vape shop owners, e-liquid brands, and component suppliers. And Paris Air Show is frequented by airlines, aircraft OEMs, MRO companies, and defense contractors. Overall, they connect both upstream and downstream players across global value chains.
Q3. What business and networking opportunities are available?
These leading trade shows in Paris create immense opportunities for business growth through partnerships, deals, and knowledge sharing. Attendees can source innovative products, explore collaborations, find reliable suppliers/distributors, and meet potential clients/buyers all under one roof. The exhibitions also offer conference programs, workshops, and dedicated matchmaking services to facilitate high-level networking among stakeholders. Brands and startups get visibility while established players can scout for strategic alliances. Events like the Paris Air Show have even witnessed mega contracts and aircraft orders worth billions of dollars in the past. Overall, they generate new prospects for trade, investments, R&D projects, and more across industries.
Q4. What value do these exhibitions add to the local economy?
Hosting mega events like the top 5 Paris shows discussed delivers significant economic benefits to the city and country. They attract visitors who spend on travel, accommodation, and leisure activities thereby boosting tourism revenue. The shows themselves generate employment for organizers, staff, contractors, and service providers during set-up and execution. They also put the spotlight on French innovation, strengthening the nation’s brand visibility and soft power. From infrastructure upgrades at venues to investments attracted post-event, the long-term impact is felt across business, employment, trade, and urban development. Studies show exhibitions of this scale in Paris contribute billions of euros annually to the national GDP as well as create thousands of temporary and permanent jobs locally.
