It will take place in less than ten days, and will bring back together, face-to-face under the same roof, the seafood industry. The Seafood Expo North America / Seafood Processing North America 2022 edition will take place March 13-15 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. More than 830 suppliers from 50 countries are ready to present their seafood products, equipment, packaging, and services to industry buyers, in the over 180,000sf of exhibit space.
After two years of cancellations due to the pandemic, and still affected by it, the event is determined to be the place to reconnect and conduct business within the industry. "Representing 70% the size of the event in 2019 and still being by far the largest gathering of seafood professionals in North America is an impressive offering of value to seafood buyers in a year impacted by COVID-19", said Wynter Courmont, Event Director, Diversified Communications.
This is the 40th edition of Seafood Expo North America / Seafood Processing North America and both, exhibitors and buyers, recognize the value in having this annual event as much of the buying decisions are made during and immediately after the event. According to the organizers, in the last edition, 85 percent of surveyed visitors were involved or influenced purchasing decisions, 71 percent planned on making a purchase as a result of attending the event, and 88 percent found new products or companies. The opinions of the attendees support this theory.
"Our industry has changed significantly in the past two years. Consumer preferences are different, suppliers have expanded/narrowed their product offerings, and new associates have joined our teams. More than ever, we need valuable partnerships to plan ahead for what's next", said Josephine Theal, Director Category Management, Food, Delaware North.
"This event is a great opportunity for me to meet with my existing suppliers as well as meet new suppliers and look for new products to carry in our restaurants. After 2 years of not being able to meet in person, it is more important now than ever to be able to attend the expo to do business", explained Brad Clark, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Captain D's.
Throughout the past two years, seafood buyers have had trouble sourcing new products, meanwhile, the need for new products has grown as North American consumers became more comfortable cooking seafood at home. Experts predict this growing retail demand will continue, at the same time as restaurant business continues to rebound and consumers look for new products. Without a doubt, Seafood Expo North America / Seafood Processing North America is a unique one-stop shop for product sourcing ready for those challenges the industry is facing.
However, trading is not the only thing happening during the event. Among the new products submitted as part of the prestigious Seafood Excellence Awards competition, 11 finalists have been already announced and 2 of them will receive the award for Best New Retail Product and Best New Foodservice Product. Both winners will be revealed on Sunday, March 13, 2022, at 3:00 pm in the Demonstration Theater.
Moreover, through the three-day event, there will also be time and agenda for those looking for learning. Seafood Expo North America's conference program will offer more than 28 sessions with informative and practical information. They will be led by top industry experts and will cover the most important issues relevant to today's seafood business environment.