Best Food & Beverage Expos and Trade Shows in Canada 2026–2027

For food and beverage brands, a trade show is often the fastest way to get a product in front of the people who decide what goes on shelves and menus. A single good day at the right expo can put you in conversation with grocery category managers, distributors, chefs and importers who would take months to reach any other way.

The catch is that Canada’s food expos serve very different buyers. This guide lists the confirmed food & beverage expos in Canada from late 2026 through spring 2027, grouped by buyer channel, with dates, venues and what a food booth needs to work on the floor.

Why food and beverage brands exhibit in Canada

Food processing is Canada’s biggest manufacturing industry. According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, food and beverage processing was the largest manufacturing industry in Canada in 2024 by value of production, with sales of $173.4 billion. That was 20.3% of all manufacturing sales, and the industry employed 318,400 Canadians.

The same source notes that Canadian processors supply about 80% of the processed food and beverage products sold in Canada. That is a large, competitive market, and buyers use trade shows to compare suppliers side by side.

Demand for floor space shows it. SIAL Canada reported that its 2026 Montreal edition brought together more than 850 exhibitors and 26,000 professionals, the largest edition ever held in Montreal, according to the organiser’s closing press release. Ahead of that show, its CEO described the mood in the industry:

“The current climate is driving the food sector to reinvent itself.”

— Stéphane Thuillier, CEO, SIAL Canada

Source: SIAL Canada press release, March 2026

Food & beverage expos in Canada at a glance

These are the confirmed food and beverage trade shows from late October 2026 to spring 2027, in date order. Dates are from organiser and venue listings at the time of writing.

Grocery retail expos

SIAL Canada

SIAL Canada is the country’s largest food trade show and alternates between Montreal and Toronto each year. The 2027 edition returns to the Enercare Centre in Toronto. Exhibitors include food and beverage manufacturers, private-label producers, importers and distributors, and national and provincial export pavilions. Buyers come from grocery chains and independent retailers, foodservice and hotel operators, importers, distributors and food manufacturers.

It is a show exhibitors come back to: SIAL reported that 97% of exhibitors surveyed at the 2025 edition were satisfied with their experience, according to the SIAL network newsroom. Many international exhibitors sit inside country pavilions, so if you are in one, confirm the pavilion’s graphic specs early, because the pavilion builder sets your panel sizes.

Grocery Innovations Canada

Grocery Innovations Canada is the annual show of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, held at the Toronto Congress Centre. The floor is organised across about thirty categories, including ethnic and specialty foods, fresh produce, dairy, meat and seafood, private label, store equipment and technology. Visitors are independent grocery owners, chain category managers and buyers, and specialty, club and convenience store operators.

For a brand trying to get listed with independent grocers, it is one of the most direct routes in. Bring sell sheets with pricing, case packs and distributor information, because buyers here make listing decisions.

Foodservice: RC Show

RC Show is Restaurants Canada’s annual foodservice and hospitality event, held at The International Centre in Mississauga, according to Restaurants Canada. The floor carries food and beverage products, commercial kitchen equipment, refrigeration, tableware, uniforms, delivery and point-of-sale technology. Visitors are restaurant owners and operators, chefs, hotel and institutional food managers, distributors, franchisors and foodservice buyers.

Foodservice buyers think in cost per portion, prep time and consistency, so lead with those on your backwall and samples. A chef or culinary lead on the booth is often more persuasive than a sales rep.

Fresh produce: CPMA Convention & Trade Show

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s convention covers the fresh fruit and vegetable chain, and the 2027 edition is in Vancouver. Exhibitors are growers and shippers, importers and repackers, marketing desks, packaging and cold chain suppliers, ripening and processing equipment makers and traceability software firms. Visitors are retail produce buyers and category managers, wholesalers, foodservice distributors and logistics providers.

Produce booths need to look fresh all day. Plan cool storage for samples, lighting that shows colour well, and graphics that tell buyers where and when your product is available.

Natural and health products: CHFA NOW

CHFA NOW is the Canadian Health Food Association’s trade show for natural, organic and wellness products, with a spring edition in Vancouver and an autumn edition in Toronto. Exhibitors include supplement and vitamin makers, natural and organic food brands, plant-based and sports nutrition firms and natural beauty and household lines. Buyers come from health food stores, pharmacies, grocery chains, practitioners, distributors and online retailers.

Sampling is central here, and buyers expect clear claims and certifications. Put your key certifications on the backwall or counter front where buyers can see them at a glance.

How to choose the right food & beverage expo

Start with your route to market

If you want grocery listings, go to Grocery Innovations Canada or SIAL Canada. If you sell to restaurants, hotels or institutions, RC Show is the main event. Produce suppliers belong at CPMA, and natural and health brands at CHFA NOW. Exhibiting where your buyer does not shop is the most expensive mistake a food brand can make.

Match the region to your distribution

If your distribution is regional, choose the edition closest to it. CHFA NOW runs in both Vancouver and Toronto, and SIAL Canada alternates between Toronto and Montreal. In Quebec, plan French or bilingual packaging samples and graphics.

Budget for sampling, not just space

Food booths cost more to run than most: product for sampling, refrigeration and power, cooking equipment approvals, waste removal and sometimes health permits. Price these early. A reusable display keeps the rest predictable, and our guide to trade show displays in Canada, with types, sizes and CAD prices breaks down what each format costs.

Booth planning for food and beverage exhibitors

Build the booth around tasting

Freeman’s research found that attendees need hands-on exposure to what an exhibitor offers. Patrick Loftus, Strategy, Insights and Research Director at Freeman, described it in an interview with IAEE as giving attendees:

“A tangible way to experience what the exhibitor has to offer.”

— Patrick Loftus, Strategy, Insights and Research Director, Freeman

Source: IAEE, Make Your Booth Unforgettable (2026)

For a food brand, that means tasting. Set up a printed display counter at the front for sampling, keep the area behind it clear for prep, and make it easy for buyers to step in, taste and talk.

Show the product on the shelf

Buyers want to see how your product will look in store. Trade show shelving and product displays let you merchandise the full range at eye level, the way a category manager will picture it.

Keep the graphics simple

Your backwall should say what the product is, who it is for and one reason to buy, readable from the aisle. Save ingredients, nutrition and pricing for the sell sheet. Food halls are busy and visually noisy, so a clean design with a strong product photo stands out.

Pick the display for your footprint

For a first food show, a 10 ft trade show display, a fitted table cover and a sampling counter cover most needs. For bigger spaces, booth kits sorted by size keep the pieces matched, and SEG displays make product photography look its best under hall lighting.

Grocery booth versus foodservice booth

Common mistakes food and beverage exhibitors make

• Running out of samples by day two. Plan quantities per hour, not per show.
• Forgetting the paperwork. Sampling permits, food handler requirements and cooking equipment approvals are usually due well before the show.
• Too much text on the backwall. Buyers will not read an ingredient list from the aisle.
• No pricing ready. Grocery buyers expect case packs, price points and distributor details on the spot.
• A counter that blocks the booth. Keep the front open so buyers can step in. Our booth design principles cover layouts that invite people in.

Your next step: a pre-order checklist

1. Confirm dates, hall and booth number in writing with the organiser.
2. Read the exhibitor manual for sampling rules, permits, power, refrigeration and fabric fire-safety requirements.
3. Decide your sampling plan: products, portions, quantities and who serves.
4. Write one headline and one buyer benefit for the backwall, and prepare sell sheets.
5. Choose the display for your footprint, including a sampling counter and shelving.
6. Request a free 2D mockup and get sign-off from everyone who needs to approve it. Production starts within 24 business hours of your written approval.
7. Tell us your show date and delivery address when you order so we can confirm timing.
8. Do a test build before the show, with product on the shelves.

Plan your food & beverage booth with a free mockup

The right food expo puts your product in front of buyers who can list it, menu it or distribute it. Pick your show, lock in your booth number, then request a free 2D mockup to see your artwork on the exact frame size before anything goes to print. Our in-house designers can get your file print-ready at no extra cost.