Seafood Expo Asia will feature special events for seafood professionals planning to attend this year’s trade show taking place from 2 to 4 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Visitors can capitalize on an increased opportunity to expand their seafood knowledge, gastronomic skills and business networks through an ambitious schedule of events that includes a Master Class Series, culinary demonstrations, presentations and a competition for chefs, seminars on timely topics affecting the seafood industry, as well as a New Product Showcase.
“With over 14,000 food establishment and restaurants, Hong Kong is a dynamic culinary capital known for its diverse, high quality dining options and where people are passionate about their food,” said Terri Tsang, show director at Diversified Communications, the producers of Seafood Expo Asia.
Tsang added that the increasing popularity of seafood on hotel and restaurant menus driven by rising middle-class incomes and an increasing desire for premium products, has prompted the exhibition to introduce for the first time a series of programs exclusively designed for chefs.
On Day 1 of the event, the exposition’s producers in partnership with the Hong Kong Chefs Association will host Culinary Congress: Seafood of the World, whereby visiting chefs can network with peers while watching six culinary talents prepare a wide selection of the finest products from around the world. The audience will be asked to sample the dishes and vote for their favorite seafood preparation.
“We wish to enhance the experience for chefs by providing them with more opportunities to better understand the taste and quality of various species, seafood preparation techniques and new products from around the world,” said Tsang, noting that a key benefit of attending the Expo is the opportunity it provides for sourcing new products which both chefs and others in the food service industry can introduce to their respective establishments.
With the event serving to highlight the important role fish and seafood plays in world cuisine, a top attraction not only for chefs but all visitors to the show is Seafood Expo Asia’s Master Class Series. These educational classes are presented by industry experts to help attendees gain an appreciation of how to source, select, handle, prepare and plate different seafood varieties.
As an effective platform for promoting quality seafood from all over the world, this year’s Master Class Series will include a special focus on Mediterranean Sea Bass and Sea Bream where esteemed experts from Greece will take to the stage to share best practices in the sourcing, selection and preparation of these popular species. Presenters from Australia will give attendees a deep dive into wild abalone, alpine trout, and king fish. Organizers of the Canadian pavilion will also showcase an assortment of products native to Canada, including sea urchin, organic mussels, and oysters.
Another show feature already generating a wealth of visitor interest is the exposition’s upcoming session on sustainability. With the ocean’s health and future of the industry dependent on responsibly caught and farmed seafood, specialists from across the region will partake in a Sustainability Panel to discuss the latest updates and trends in sustainable fishing.
The Sustainability Panel will be immediately followed by an announcement on the finalists of the 2014 Seafood Champion Awards for those in the industry who are being recognized for their exceptional efforts and outstanding leadership in promoting environmentally responsible seafood.
In addition, a further important theme being explored as part of Seafood Asia Expo’s knowledge-sharing series is a topic entitled ‘Entry to Asia.’ This particular seminar will address questions around the Asian seafood market with a view to providing delegates with a better understanding of how to enter, launch and market their products in the region, including valuable insight on transporting goods from point of source to their final regional destinations.
Visitors to Seafood Expo Asia are additionally invited to visit the trade show’s New Product Showcase which will display the latest packaged seafood products, culinary dishes and condiments recently launched in the Asian seafood marketplace. For 2014, over 70 new products will be launched during the three-day event.
“Seafood Expo Asia offers a unique experience for professional buyers and chefs to touch, taste and handle new products and to meet new and existing suppliers,” said Tsang. “Visitors will be treated to the newest, finest fish and seafood from different regions of the world.”
Co-located with Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong, Asia-Pacific’s leading fine dining and bar exhibition, Seafood Expo Asia is free to attend for qualified trade visitors in the seafood industry. To register, please visit http://www.seafoodexpo.com/asia/reg.
