The 30th edition will take place in Barcelona from 23-25 April, making the city an international business hub for the seafood industry with an estimated economic impact of over 156 million euros.
The Expo will serve as the platform for global seafood suppliers to showcase their latest innovations to buyers from around the world. A comprehensive conference program will include a range of discussions from top experts covering the most pertinent topics impacting the seafood industry.
Portland, Maine (4 April 2024) – Diversified Communications, organizer of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, the largest and most diverse seafood trade event in the world, announced that its 30th edition will be the largest in its history. As of today, the Expo, taking place from 23-25 April at Fira de Barcelona, Gran Via, will occupy 51,277 net square meters of exhibit space – a 4 percent increase over its previous edition.
The event will once again provide an international platform for global industry suppliers and buyers to meet in-person and conduct business. The 2024 edition will welcome more than 2,050 exhibiting companies from 84 countries and will have 66 country and regional pavilions. New countries such as Azerbaijan, Brazil and Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and new regional pavilions from Brazil, France, Republic of Korea, Japan and Oman have confirmed their attendance for the event.
Among the current 2,050 exhibiting companies, 584 companies will be exhibiting for the first time in at least two editions, many for the first time ever. New companies exhibiting in Seafood Expo Global include CPF Culinar, Frinsa Del Noroeste, S.A., Giraldo Asistencia, S.L., Hijos de Albaladejo Garcia, Regal Springs AG, Australian Trade and Investment Commission, Pacifico Aquaculture, Phillips Foods Inc, Reynaud, Lequertier Maree (SAS EDB Maree), Merpacifico. For Seafood Processing Global, new exhibiting companies includeAshworth Belts BV, COLIGROUP SPA, GEA Food Solutions Germany GmbH, Maschinenfabrik Seydelmann KG, Heinen Freezing GmbH & Co. KG, HAROPA PORT, Mosca GmbH, TECMAQ, Vaessen Schoemaker, Velec Systems.
“With the expansion into Hall 1, the event reinforces its position as the largest in-person global seafood trade event and enables us to reach a broader range of international seafood professionals from across the supply chain who are eager to showcase and discuss their latest advancements.” said Wynter Courmont, Vice President of Seafood at Diversified Communications. “For the 30th edition of the event, we’ve strategically created new spaces to enhance attendees’ experience onsite, facilitate meaningful conversations and provide a unique platform for the industry to forge new business partnerships and relationships.”
Fira de Barcelona General Manager, Constantí Serrallonga, commented that “Seafood Expo Global and Barcelona have formed a successful partnership with a great future. The event came here three years ago to grow, and it is already breaking records as the global hub for the seafood industry. Fira’s leadership as a benchmark institution for international events along with its innovative and premium venue and a welcoming city such as Barcelona provides the ideal environment bursting with opportunities for an event such as this.”
The most diverse seafood trade event in the world
Seafood Expo Global features suppliers from around the world who will showcase their latest innovations in seafood: fresh, frozen, canned, value-added, processed and packaged. Highlighted in Halls 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the Galleria between Halls 4 and 5 at the Gran Vía venue, a range of key industry leaders will include AquaChile, Balfego & Balfego, Blumar, Cermaq Norway AS, Clearwater, Cooke Seafood Inc, Cornelis Vrolijk BV, Denholm Seafoods Ltd, Direct Ocean, Frime, S.A.U., Frinsa Del Noroeste, S.A., Gelazur, Godaco Seafood JCS, Greenland Sofina, Groupe Barba, Iceland Seafood International, Japofish, Lerøy Seafood Group ASA, Maresmar SL, Metarex, Mowi ASA, Parlevliet & van der Plas Bv, Pescanova España, S.L.U., Phillips Foods Inc, Regal Springs AG, Salmar AS, Sea Harvest Corporation (Pty) Ltd, Seafood Connection Bv, Vinh Hoan Corporation, Worldwide Fishing Company SL, Talleys and Unima among many others.
In Seafood Processing Global, every aspect of seafood processing and services for the seafood industry, including packaging material and machinery, equipment and supplies for refrigeration and freezing, primary and secondary processing equipment, hygiene control and sanitation, quality assurance services, aquaculture equipment, transportation, cold storage, traceability solutions and more will be represented in Halls 1 and 3. Key industry leaders will include Adriatic Sea International srl, Ashworth Belts BV, Aquatiq AS, Baader, CMA CGM, Cocci Luciano SRL, COLIGROUP SPA, Defitrans SA, FoodTech Belgium vzw, GEA Food Solutions Germany GmbH, Lineage Logistics, Maersk AS, Marel, Maschinenfabrik Seydelmann KG, Mediterranean Shipping Company, MMC First Process, MULTIVAC Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG, Palinox Ingenieria y Proyectos Sl, STEF, ULMA Packaging and more.
Buyers attending the event, which include supermarkets, restaurants, importers, distributors, wholesalers, representatives from the hospitality industry and other retail and foodservice companies; as well as purchasers of seafood processing equipment, machinery, packaging, logistics, services and more, will have three productive days of business and will be able to establish new relationships, find new products and learn about the latest market trends.
Connecting and educating seafood professionals on the latest industry trends, products and opportunities
The latest seafood products and trends will be on display during the prestigious annual Seafood Excellence Global Awards, which recognizes the best seafood products at the event. Winners will be chosen out of the recently announced 40 finalists representing 15 countries and two grand prizes will be awarded for the Best Retail Product and the Best Hotel/Restaurant/Catering (HORECA) Product. Four special awards will be presented for innovation, convenience, retail packaging and seafood product line.
Networking opportunities and special onsite experiences will consist of an International Beer Bar in Hall 3, a Wine Bar featuring chilled seafood tastings and a lounge with a free professional headshot station, both in Hall 1. A new networking event and reception, Connecting Women in Seafood, taking place on Wednesday 24 April from 17:00-18:00 at the Wine Bar in Hall 1 will provide attendees a space to connect, share experiences and expand their professional network as Seafood Expo Global works to create a more inclusive and thriving seafood industry.
An educational conference program will include a keynote address from Mark Blyth, The William R. Rhodes ’57 Professor of International Economics, The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. In his keynote presentation, Blyth will address short-, medium-, and long-term topics of relevance to the global seafood community – from the November 2024 U.S. election to inflation to decarbonization of the economy in different regions of the world.
More than 20 informative conference sessions will be led by 90 world experts in the industry. Conference presentations and panels will cover a range of topics including aquaculture, sustainability, food safety and compliance policy, traceability and transparency, climate change, labor issues and governance, the impacts and implications of IUU fishing and more.
The complete conference program can be found on the event website at https://www.seafoodexpo.com/global/conference-program/.
The event will continue its collaboration with Barcelona Food Bank, Banc dels Aliments, to collect seafood donated by exhibitors at the end of the three days. In 2023, more than 50 volunteers walked around the exhibit halls to collect permission for product donations that had been properly stored during the entirety of the event. The entity estimated recovering around 14,000 kg of product.
For further information about Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, and to register, visit: www.seafoodexpo.com/global.
Here you can download the press materials in Spanish and English.
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About Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global
Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global form the world’s largest seafood trade event. Thousands of buyers and suppliers from around the world attend the annual, three-day exposition to meet, network and conduct business. Attending buyers represent importers, exporters, wholesalers, restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and other retail and foodservice companies. Exhibiting suppliers offer the newest seafood products, processing and packaging equipment, and services available in the seafood market. SeafoodSource.com is the exposition’s official media. The exposition is produced by Diversified Communications, the international leader in seafood-industry expositions and media. www.seafoodexpo.com/global
About Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications is a leading international media company with a portfolio of face-to-face exhibitions and conferences, online communities and digital and print publications. As producers of these market-leading products Diversified Communications connects, educates and strengthens business communities in over 15 industries including: food and beverage, healthcare, natural and organic, business management and technology. The company’s global seafood portfolio of expositions and media includes Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, Seafood Expo Asia and SeafoodSource.com. Established in 1949 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, USA with divisions and offices around the world, Diversified Communications remains a privately held, third generation, family-owned business. For more information, visit: www.divcom.com
Fira de Barcelona is the leading Spanish tradeshow organizer and one of the most important trade fair institutions in Europe, especially in professional and industrial shows. The institution has three venues: Montjuïc, Gran Via and the CCIB totaling over 500,000 m² of exhibition floor space, with over 250 events scheduled for this year. Among these features some as internationally relevant as MWC Barcelona, Alimentaria&Hostelco, ISE, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, Hispack and Smart City Expo World Congress. Its annual economic contribution to the city of Barcelona and its surroundings is estimated at over 4,700 million Euros and its activity also brings added social and public value.
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