The world’s largest seafood trade fair will take place in Barcelona again from 25-27 April. It will be the largest edition of the Expo, with 49,299 net square meters of exhibit space, 24 percent more than in 2022
The trade fair will provide a boost of over 150 million Euros to the economy of Barcelona and will once again make the city the most important hub for international business for the seafood industry
The 29th Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global will include a robust conference program where a variety of discussions covering the most pertinent topics for the industry will take place. The Expo will also serve as the platform introducing the latest innovations in the industry
Barcelona, Spain (3 April 2023) – Diversified Communications, organizer of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, this morning announced that the 29th edition of the Expo will be the largest in the history of the most important seafood trade fair in the world. As of today, the event, taking place from 25-27 April in the Gran Via de Fira de Barcelona, will feature over 2,000 exhibiting companies from 87 countries and will have 68 regional and country pavilions.
With less than a month before the 2023 event, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global continues to grow and represents 49,299 net square meters of exhibit space, more than a 21 percent increase over 2019 – the largest edition of the Expo held to date – and 24 percent larger than its first edition in Barcelona in 2022. The Seafood Processing Global hall has seen an impressive growth, with an increase of 21 percent in exhibit space compared to 2022.
The 2023 edition will welcome 776 first-time exhibitors, including Atunes y Lomos, Blumar, Golden Fish Sarl, Grøntvedt Group, Metarex Spa, North Pacific Seafood Pte Ltd, Pereira Productos del Mar and Pickenpack Seafoods GmbH, all exhibiting at Seafood Expo Global. Activa Food Tech SAU, Aquatiq AS, Lineage Logistics and Van de Velde Packaging Group will be participating for the first time in Seafood Processing Global.
For three days, the city will once again be the largest international platform for the industry and will consolidate the strategic global positioning of the event. Countries such as Austria, Barbados, Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Gambia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Moldova, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Suriname and Switzerland, which were not represented at the last event, have confirmed their attendance for 2023.
This year, the event will have a total of 68 regional and country pavilions. Australia, Saudi Arabia, the Seychelles and Solomon Islands will have new country pavilions. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States will be represented with new regional pavilions and the region of Galicia is coming back to the event. The Expo will also see the return of pavilions with larger exhibit space like China, the Spanish regions of Catalan and Galicia, Portugal and the Netherlands for Seafood Expo Global; and Norway for Seafood Processing Global.
High expectations for the largest ever Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global
The expansion of the 29th edition will bring a boost estimated at more than 150 million Euros for Barcelona. “The event presents the industry with a valuable platform to conduct business on a global scale and provide a significant positive impact on the local economy,” said Liz Plizga, Group Vice President for Diversified Communications. “For three days, we will once again bring together industry buyers and suppliers from all corners of the world to build business relationships, find new products, equipment and service solutions, explore current trends, and engage in discussions about the immediate and future challenges for the seafood industry.”
“The expansion of the Expo reaffirms the need for the seafood industry to meet in-person. It also confirms that the move to Barcelona and an innovative, contemporary venue was the right move for the Expo, providing more growth opportunities,” added Plizga.
For his part, Fira de Barcelona General Manager, Constantí Serrallonga, commented that “Seafood is another example of how an event arrives at our venue and in the city to consolidate itself and grow, boost business and be a driving force for its participants and be an engine of its industry and ecosystem. Hosting a world-leading seafood event reinforces the positioning of the fair institution in the field of food, a key sector for the economy.”
The largest seafood event in the world
Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global will occupy Pavilions 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the Galleria between Pavilions 4 and 5 at the Gran Vía venue. The exhibiting companies will highlight their latest innovations in seafood, material and equipment, processing equipment and services. The 2023 event will include key industry leaders such as AquaChile, Balfego & Balfego, S.L, Cermaq Norway AS, CONFREMAR-Congelados y Frescos del Mar S.A., Cooke Seafood, Cornelis Vrolijk BV, Denholm Seafoods Ltd, Fisherman’s Choice, Frime, S.A.U., Grupo Profand, SL, Hofseth International AS, Iberconsa (Grupo Ibérica de Congelados), Iceland Seafood International, J Marr (Seafoods) Ltd, Krustagroup S.A., Leroy Seafood Group ASA, Mowi A.S.A., Nordic Seafood AS, Parlevliet & Van der Plas B.V., Nueva Pescanova, Royal Greenland A/S, Samherji HF, Sea Harvest Corporation (Pty) Ltd, Sjor A.S., Viciunai Group for Seafood Expo Global; and Adriatic Sea International srl, Baader, FoodTech Belgium,Cocci Luciano SRL, Marel, Mecapack, MMC First Process, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, MULTIVAC Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG , Palinox Ingeniería y Proyectos S.L., Saeplast Iceland EHF, and Ulma Packaging, among others for Seafood Processing Global.
Buyers attending the event, which include supermarkets, hypermarkets, restaurants, retailers, importers, distributors, wholesalers and representatives from the hospitality industry 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.
Seafood Expo Global will feature suppliers from across the world who will show their latest innovations in seafood: fresh, frozen, canned, value-added, processed and packaged. Seafood Processing Global will offer every aspect of seafood processing, including packaging material and machinery, equipment and supplies for refrigeration and freezing, primary and secondary processing equipment, hygiene control and sanitation and quality assurance services.
Educational program and industry innovations
The annual global event presents a one-stop opportunity for buyers from around the world to discover new trends in the industry and for global suppliers to present their newest products. The trade fair will also be the stage for the prestigious annual Seafood Excellence Global Awards recognizing the best seafood products represented at the event.
In 2023, the conference program will offer more than 20 educational sessions that will address the principal challenges, opportunities and solutions that are transforming the seafood industry. More than 85 leading international experts from the industry will share practical and theoretical knowledge of the most current issues for the seafood industry. Megan Greene, Global Chief Economist at Kroll, Financial Times columnist and Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University, will deliver a keynote presentation “Navigating the Global Polycrisis” on the second day of the Expo. Later in the day, results of an international benchmarking report will be unveiled during the session “International Retail Trends in Seafood”.
The complete conference program can be found on the event website at https://www.seafoodexpo.com/global/conference-program/. This year, video recordings of the sessions are including in the conference registration.
For further information about Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, and to register, visit: www.seafoodexpo.com/global.
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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