2017 Seafood Expo Asia to feature young chef competition, expanded educational program

Seafood industry leaders from around the world will soon head to Hong Kong for the eighth edition of Seafood Expo Asia. Once there, they will be greeted with a comprehensive, expanded conference program, announced event organizer Diversified Communications. [Editor’s note: SeafoodSource.com is owned by Diversified Communications.]

Attendees of the premier event, which takes place from 5 to 7 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, will be able to emerge from conference sessions and activities equipped with “the knowledge that they need to keep abreast of market conditions and continually evolving consumer demands,” Iris Kwan, the event director, said in a press release.

The event will feature plenary sessions, interactive master classes, culinary demonstrations, networking events, panel discussions and a workshop, as well as the first-ever Young Chef Challenge, which is aimed at highlighting the next generation of culinary talent in Hong Kong.

Alongside the trade event itself, Seafood Expo Asia boasts a conference program that will bring together industry players and seafood specialists from around the world to discuss the latest topics and trends affecting the Asia’s fish and aquaculture market, Diversified said in its release.

With the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations predicting that Asia’s seafood market and consumption will lead the world by 2025, this year’s conference program has homed in on regional insights, strategies and innovations setting the tone for 2017 and beyond, Diversified said. 

The highlighted topics and speakers making up the conference program in 2017 include:

• The Origins of Fresh – Gerd Uitdewilligen, Director, International Sales, Emerson Cargo Solutions
• Solution to Cold Chain Disruption – Dr. Matthew Man, President and CEO of Megasoft Ltd.
• DNA Barcoding Authentication – Professor Hoi Shan Kwan,  Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Seafood from Aquaculture: Past, Present and Future – Professor K H Chu, Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Sponsored Session: Maldivian Fisheries - Sustainably Different – Ali Ahmed, Production Manager/EHSA Manager, Ensis Fisheries Pvt Ltd, Maldives; Adley Ismail, CEO, Maldives Industrial Fisheries Co. Ltd
• Sea to Table: Trends from a Hong Kong Consumer’s Perspective – Michael Lee, FMCG and Retailer Verticals, Nielsen Hong Kong
• What’s the Catch - Knowing Your Fish: Three Case Studies by Aquaculture Fisheries – Mr. Alexey Dorin, CEO, Fishance (Grouper) Zoneco (Scallop); Dr. Desiree Allen, Managing Director, Marine Produce Australia (Barramundi)
• Workshop - Sustaining Sustainability: Presentations; Understanding Certification; Panel Discussion; Q&A, Interactive Team Discussion – Chris Hanselman, Managing Director, Pacific Rich Resources Group; Ka Shing Leung, Marketing & Sales Director, KLG Fine Food; Miss Janice Lao, Director, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability,  The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, Ltd.

As a means to help visitors keep pace with the hottest products, Seafood Expo Asia’s live demonstration theater “will host a series of master classes, culinary demonstrations and product innovations presented by the industry’s leading players,” according to Diversified.

Onsite culinary demonstrations will appeal to buyers, senior executives, procurement managers and chefs from the foodservice, retail and seafood related industries, and include the following highlighted products and species:

• Master Class: Ocean Grown Barramundi – Marine Produce Australia, Cone Bay Ocean Barramundi. Speakers: Dr. Desiree Allen and Chef Umar K. Nguyen.
• Culinary Demonstration: Alaskan Seafood – Wild Caught, Sustainable Seafood – American Indian Foods. Speakers: Executive Chef Jason Loyd of Hong Kong with commentary by Chris Li from the U.S. Agricultural Trade Office in Hong Kong.
• Master Class: Sea Urchin and Tuna (Maguro) – HK Sun Shun Co. Ltd.
• Master Class: Yellow Tail – Mark Glory Industrial Ltd. Speakers:  Yick Siu Cheung, Director, Mark Glory Industrial Ltd and Hisashi linuma, Executive Managing Director, Owasebussan Co., Ltd.

A new addition to this year’s event, the Young Chef Challenge will see talented chefs prepare and create unique dishes using mystery sustainable seafood ingredients in three rounds of cook-offs. A panel of judges will preside over the event: Gerhard Passrugger, Executive Chef for the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong; Adam Mathis, Executive Chef for Island Shangri La; and Florian Muller, Chef de Cuisine for Harbour Grand Hong Kong. The winner of the contest will be announced at 12:30 p.m. local time on 7 September at the Seafood Expo Asia demonstration theater. 

An exclusive Seafood Party is also scheduled to take place on the first afternoon of the exposition, and the event’s business matchmaking program is slated to run during each day of the show for key and hosted buyers, high-volume importers and qualified suppliers, event organizers confirmed.