Trade Show Applicant Guide - Canada Pavilion Program

What is the Canada Pavilion Program?

The Canada Pavilion Program is aimed at making trade show participation easier at the world’s premier food and beverage events, “where the world shops”. With trade shows being an integral marketing technique used by industry when entering new regions, the Canada Pavilion Program will allow companies to take advantage of opportunities arising from market access gains.

Who is eligible?

All Canadian companies may apply. Emphasis will be placed on first-time exhibitors, new to market exhibitors, and companies with innovative products. Priority will be given to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs).

SMEs are defined as: Small (1-249 employees) and Medium (250-500 employees) sized companies (incorporated legal entity) that generate annual net revenue of less than CAD$50 million (declared in Canada).

What are the funding levels?

Program funding is used to offset the direct cost of exhibiting (booth prices). Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) will no longer provide separate funding to exhibitors for individual elements around Flagship events (travel, hotel, per diem and booth costs). However, under the program booth prices will be offset at such a level to comfortably allow participants to individualize their travel and accommodation needs. This will maintain support and reduce the administrative burden of participating.

Booth pricing will be set on a show-by-show basis to ensure that funding levels are appropriate.

The following Flagship trade shows are part of the Canada Pavilion Program and are eligible for booth support:

  • GULFOOD (Dubai) – February
  • FoodEx Japan (Tokyo) – March
  • Food & Hotel Asia (Singapore) – April
  • Seoul Food & Hotel (South Korea) – May
  • Salon International de l’Alimentation (Paris) – October
  • ANUGA (Cologne) – October
  • Food & Hospitality China (Shanghai) – November

Note: Flagship fish and seafood trade show events (Seafood Expo Global, China Fisheries and Seafood Expo) are not part of the Canada Pavilion Program, but are eligible for funding support under the CanExport.

How to register for a Canada Pavilion Program Flagship trade show?

Export-ready Canadian companies who feature products from the agriculture and agri-food sectors are eligible for program support. New to exhibit companies will have access to a pre-registration period. Full registration will begin within 6-months of the show date.

Step 1 – Review and Select Preferred Trade show

  • Review Flagship Trade shows on the Agriculture and Food Trade Show Service webpage.
  • Send an email to aafc.mas-sam.aac@agr.gc.ca indicating your shows of interest. Your request will be reviewed and the show lead will contact you with further details on your selected shows and your company will be added to our recruitment list.

Step 2 – Registering for the show

  • Once registration has opened, you will receive an email from the show lead directing you to complete a registration form on our registration portal.
    • All exhibitors will be given the option to select one booth.
    • Requests for corner booths can be made by checking the ‘corner booth box’ in the booth selection page. All corner booth requests will be entered into a lottery and the companies will be drawn at random. A corner booth fee will apply.
    • Requests for double booths can be made by checking the ‘double booth box’ in the booth selection page. Note that double booths will only be given should space still be available once all other recruitment efforts have been exhausted. All additional booths will be charged at a separate rate.
  • Once you have submitted your registration, you will receive an email confirming receipt.
  • The registration will then undergo a review process to ensure that your company falls within the Canada Pavilion exhibitor parameters.
  • Within 48 hours of submitting your registration, you will receive an email confirming if it has been approved or declined.

Step 2.1 – Waitlist

  • Should the show be sold out at the time you try to apply, you will have the option of signing up for the waitlist.
  • Should space become available, the first exhibitor on the waitlist will receive an email advising them of booth availability. The exhibitor will have 48 hours to register for the available booth. Should the exhibitor not register within this time period, the booth will be offered to the next exhibitor on the waitlist.

Step 3 – Invoice/Payment

  • Should your application be approved, an invoice will be email to you from noreply@etouches.com.
  • Payment is due within 15 days of receipt of invoice. Should payment not be made within this time period, you will forfeit your booth and it will be made available again.

Service Standards

AAFC is committed to achieving its Service Standards a minimum of 80% of the time under normal circumstances. AAFC's 23 programs and services have published Service Standards on each program webpage. Performance data is collected on a quarterly basis throughout each fiscal year and reported publicly through our annual Service Standards Report.

There are no delays expected. Online applications will receive an acknowledgement receipt within one business day. If you did not receive this, please contact the program by email at aafc.mas-sam.aac@agr.gc.ca.