Brussels preview: It’s show time

It’s been a trying week for seafood importers and exporters. But Iceland’s temperamental Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which discharged a plume of ash that grounded flights across northern Europe for several days, has finally cooled off. Air traffic has returned to typical levels, with more than 27,000 flights on Thursday and 29,000 flights expected on Friday, according to Eurocontrol, the European Union’s air traffic agency.

What a relief.

Despite the chaos Eyjafjallajökull caused, the European Seafood Exposition is on target to open on Tuesday. Mary Larkin, VP of seafood expositions for Diversified Business Communications, which organizes the three-day event and publishes SeafoodSource, reported on Friday that exhibitors, freight and seafood are arriving at the Brussels Exhibition Grounds, and buildup of the show is well under way.

The SeafoodSource editorial team will be reporting live from the event, bringing you the news as it happens. And there’s always a lot of news at the show.

The winners of the 10th annual Seafood Prix d’Elite new products competition will be unveiled during a reception and awards ceremony in Auditorium 2000 of the Brussels Exhibition Grounds beginning at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday. In addition to the two grand prizes for the best new retail product and best new foodservice product, five special awards will be presented for seafood product line, convenience, packaging, originality and health and nutrition.

For winners, the award can lead to new customers, new markets, increased sales and even category growth, as they can use the Seafood Prix d’Elite on their packaging. In the weeks leading up to the show, SeafoodSource caught up with three of last year’s winners — Spain’sAlfocan SA, Deutsche See GmbH of Germany and Vietnam’s Vinh Hoan Corp.— to find out what the award has meant for their companies.

SeafoodSource also tracked down six of this year’s 43 finalists, including New Zealand’s Kaipara Oysters and France’s Guyader Gastronomie — to find out what sets their seafood products apart from the competition.

In addition to posting the results of the 2010 Seafood Prix d’Elite as soon as they’re available, the SeafoodSource editorial team will be scouring the show floor for news on everything from the latest retail and foodservice trends to up-and-coming seafood species. Our coverage will also feature on-camera interviews with influential seafood professionals.

So if you’re too busy to leave your stand or you just can’t make it to Brussels this year, make SeafoodSource your source for news on the European Seafood Exposition.

 

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