What to Do After SIAL Paris So You Don't Lose Contacts

SIAL Paris 2026 ends on October 21. How to organize your trade show contacts and open a conversation with each distributor or importer.

Published by

David Argüello

CEO of Hurus AI · LinkedIn

Key points

Sort the show contacts that same week, by buying moment and not by business card.
Start every message with what you talked about.
End with a next step and a date.
You can also write to buyers who didn't stop by your booth if they fit and show recent signals.

After SIAL Paris (October 17-21, 2026), sort your contacts that same week by buying moment, write to each one recalling something specific from your conversation, and propose a meeting with a date. A generic message to the whole list loses the context of the show. What matters is that every contact has a next step.

The Monday after the show

You come back from Paris with aching feet, a bag of business cards and the feeling that it went well. On Monday you open your email and have to decide what to do with all of it.

Most people do the same thing: one email to everyone, catalog attached, "it was a pleasure meeting you." It is what the buyer receives from twenty other suppliers that same week. And they don't remember you.

SIAL Paris 2026 in numbers

SIAL Paris takes place October 17-21, 2026 at Paris Nord Villepinte. Spain takes part with an official pavilion organized by ICEX (Foods & Wines from Spain), with more than 160 Spanish companies according to the pavilion's official page.

Exhibitor and visitor figures for the whole show change depending on the source. If you are going to cite them, use the organizer's.

Step 1. Sort by buying moment, not by business card

Sit down with the cards and your notes and make three piles:

Those who told you they have a gap in their range or are looking for a supplier. Write to them first.
Those who are comparing, but with no date. Propose a short call or a sample.
Those who came by out of courtesy. Keep the contact warm with something useful, without pushing.

Job title and company size count for less than what they told you at the booth.

Step 2. Start with what you talked about

Two sentences are enough. The product they tried, the question they raised, the market they mentioned. Something only they and you know.

Practical tip: jot down one line about each conversation as soon as it ends. If you leave it until Monday, you will no longer remember who was who.

Step 3. End with a next step and a date

"I remain at your disposal" moves nothing. Propose twenty minutes on Tuesday or Thursday, or a sample that ships on Friday. If they don't reply, change the angle instead of repeating the same message.

And the ones who didn't stop by your booth

The show also helps you decide who to write to. Some buyers didn't come by but fit your ideal customer and show recent signals: they are expanding their range, opening points of sale, looking for suppliers. Prioritize by buying moment, not by size.

When it makes sense to have someone lend a hand

If you come back with more contacts than hours, the problem is not the show, it is the follow-up. Hurus is an external sales team. We choose who to write to with ultratargeting, we open the conversation in the buyer's language and with judgment, and every meeting reaches your sales leadership with the context of the account.

Frequently asked questions

When is SIAL Paris 2026 and how many Spanish companies are going? October 17-21 at Paris Nord Villepinte. Spain's official pavilion, organized by ICEX, brings together more than 160 companies according to its official page.

How long do I have to follow up after a trade show? There is no official deadline. The reasonable approach is to start in the first week, while the buyer still remembers the conversation, and keep going for several weeks.

Is it worth writing to people who didn't stop by my booth? Yes, if they fit your ideal customer and show recent signals. Prioritize by buying moment.