Conxemar is one of Europe's largest international trade shows focused on the frozen seafood sector.
Photo: Conxemar.
With today's kick-off of Conxemar 2024 - one of the top 8 aquaculture and seafood industry events in October 2024 - the Spanish city of Vigo, Galicia, becomes the global epicenter of the seafood processing industry.
A reference in Europe, the exhibition serves as a meeting point for wholesalers, importers, exporters, processors, manufacturers, distributors, refrigerators, machinery, and auxiliary industry (refrigeration, packaging, plastics, etc.) that, from today and for three days, will gather at the 25th International Frozen Seafood Exhibition.
Around the concept of responsibility, this year's edition will focus on the transition of aquatic food towards responsible food systems. To this end, and also to commemorate the silver anniversary of the event, in addition to the exhibition and conferences, different innovative actions will be developed, as well as parallel events, including face-to-face and digital B2B meetings, and a special area of featured products will be set up.
Among these side events is the 12th edition of the Conxemar FAO International Congress. Under the title 'Responsibility for the future', yesterday in Vigo, this event brought together big names in the sector analyzing the current challenges and opportunities of the seafood processing and marketing industry and its commitment to sustainability.
Co-organized by Conxemar and FAO -Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations-, in this year's edition, the program focused on the SOFIA 2024 Report - Sustainable Development Goals: Responsibility for the Future.
The round tables in which international experts participated dealt with topics such as the global context of fisheries and aquaculture, sustainable management of fishery resources, challenges and opportunities for the sector in terms of regulations, innovation in the value chain, and the responsibility of the media and its social influence on the management of sustainability messages.
In addition to the companies associated with Conxemar - the Spanish Association of Wholesalers, Importers, Exporters, and Processors of Fishery and Aquaculture Products, which includes a total of 260 companies representing 65.6% of the turnover and 57.9% of the direct employment in the industry and marketing of fishery products in Spain -, the exhibition will also have a large international presence both in country pavilions and in foreign and European exhibiting companies..
This strong national and international presence makes the expo grow year after year. The 2023 edition - the largest and most participative so far - had 1,300 square meters more exhibition space in use than the previous year, a space that was occupied by 767 exhibitors, 13.3% more than in 2022, and visited by 26,736 visitors, 3% more than the previous edition.
The importance and potential of this sector are reflected in the socio-economic impact of Conxemar week for the Vigo area, which last year exceeded EUR 750 million (USD 832.9 million). Focused, as mentioned, on the concept of responsibility, and under the slogan 'We are one planet, one commitment, one fair', among the sustainability recommendations for exhibitors and suppliers of this 25th edition, participants are encouraged to prioritize the supply of local products to boost the regional economy while reducing carbon emissions from transport.
However, the economic impact is not the only benefit the city gets from the event's celebration. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the International Frozen Seafood Exhibition have been scheduled various recreational and educational activities involving the whole city. Among them, two - the 'Fish & Kids Conxemar' children's days and the 'ConxeFest, Fish & Hits' music band contest - are particularly appealing.
Aimed at children between 9 and 11 years, the playful and educational workshops of 'Fish & Kids Conxemar' are underway since last September 23 and will last for two weeks. In them, the little ones are discovering marine biodiversity, the entire seafood production chain and, guided by a chef, cooking and tasting different varieties of fish. In addition, the experience also allows them to become aware of the circular economy through the recycling of packaging.
For its part, the music contest 'ConxeFest, Fish & Hits', whose final was held on September 27, was aimed at young audiences. A total of 138 emerging Galician bands applied for the final and it was the popular vote through social networks that decided which five bands would participate in the final. There, the finalist bands had the opportunity to perform live in an event where, of course, there was also room for gastronomy. A food truck was offering snacks based on frozen seafood products at a symbolic price to donate the proceeds to charity.
