Record-breaking year for Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global

Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global celebrated its most successful year yet in 2019, breaking a new record in terms of exhibit space, the expo’s organizer Diversified Communications announced on 4 June.

The annual seafood event saw 29,288 buyers and suppliers from around world flock to Brussels, Belgium from 7 to 9 May. They were met there by a record 2,020 exhibiting companies – an increase of 74 companies compared to 2018 – from 89 countries showcasing the latest seafood products, services, and processing and packaging equipment available on the global market. 

The expo covered 40,625 net square meters of exhibit space, surpassing 2018’s record by 1,303 square meters, Diversified confirmed in a press release. A host of new exhibiting countries attended this year’s event, including Angola, Fiji, Greenland, Guyana, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Uganda. Seventy-four national and regional pavilions were also present, including new regional pavilions from South Korea and Taiwan. 

“The event’s success continues to prove the importance of these three days of business and networking opportunities for the global seafood industry,” said Liz Plizga, group vice president for Diversified Communications. “We thrive on bringing the seafood community together and providing them with a platform that contributes to their business goals.” 

“It’s an excellent fair for people who are connected to the industry to attend,” said an account manager from Seafood Connection. “We had great success this year with more visitors to our stand,” he added.   

Expo attendees from 155 countries walked the show floor in 2019 and included seafood buyers from restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, catering services, importers, distributors, seafood markets, as well as equipment and packaging buyers, and more, Diversified said. The event’s Key Buyer program saw 512 high-volume buyers from retail, foodservices, and distribution arrive in Belgium to take part. 

“My whole team agreed [Seafood Expo Global] is our favorite trade show of the year,” commented a buyer from HelloFresh who visited this year’s expo. 

On 7 May, the expo hosted the Seafood Excellence Global awards reception, which saw a group of companies honored for their outstanding seafood product developments. Viciunai Group of Belgium won the Best Retail Product category with its Surimi Noodles Wok Style, while Kingfish Zeeland BV of the Netherlands won the grand prize for Best HORECA (hotel/restaurant/catering) Product for its Dutch Yellowtail. 

Four special Seafood Excellence Global awards were also presented, including one for Health and Nutrition, which went to GlobeXplore – Algae of France for its Guacamole with Fresh Spirulina; an award for Convenience, which went to Golden Fresh Sdn Bhd of Malaysia for its Prawn in Hor Mok Thai Coconut Sauce; a Retail Packaging award, which was bestowed upon St. James Smokehouse (Scotland) Ltd. of the United Kingdom; and an Innovation award, which was also granted to Viciunai Group for its Surimi Noodles Wok Style.  

A panel of industry experts in seafood products judged 37 finalists representing 12 countries on their taste, originality, practicality, innovation, market potential, and nutritional aspects to arrive at each of the winners. 

This year marked the 27th edition of Seafood Expo Global and 21st edition of Seafood Processing Global. In 2020, the event will take place from 21 to 23 April in Brussels, Belgium at the Brussels Expo, Diversified said. [Editor’s note: Diversified Communications also owns and operates SeafoodSource].