The International Logistics Fair (SIL) celebrates a special edition between June 7 and 9. The event organized by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) is reaching its 25th anniversary. A quarter of a century in which the sector and the fair itself have evolved. From a first symposium organized at the Llotja de Mar, passing through a few editions at the Gran Via de l'Hospitalet site until returning to the fairgrounds of Montjuïc, its natural place in Barcelona. As the organization explained yesterday in the presentation, there are already 14,000 registered professionals, more than a year ago when there was a week left for the meeting. They hope that the figure will eventually reach 20,000 from around 90 different countries. This would surpass last year's visitors.
"The SIL is like the America's Cup of logistics, but it takes place every year in Barcelona", said the special delegate of the State to the CZFB, Pere Navarro. This time 650 companies will participate, 40% of which are international. A total of 150 novelties from the sector will be presented. In addition, five international conferences will be held at the same time as the salon. 400 speakers will meet in the Catalan capital to address the different areas of the supply chain.
20 of these companies will come from the Logistics 4.0 Incubator, the incubator of the CZFB. "The SIL is consolidated as the place where the main companies in the sector show the most leading innovations in an international event", described Blanca Sorigué, general director of the CZFB.
The organization expects this year's SIL to have an economic impact of 40 million euros in the city of Barcelona. A figure that, adding up the 25 years of the fair, amounts to 500 million, defended Navarro. "The SIL has overcome different complicated situations", recalled Blanca Sorigué, who has been involved since its inception. "Not all fairs can say they have 25 years of history", he added.
Presided over by King Felipe VI, the Night of Logistics will be on June 6. People with an important role in the sector during the last quarter of a century will be recognized there.
