Originally from Northern Ireland, Mary Larkin began her professional career in the trade show industry in her home country. In 1995, she was hired by Diversified Communications and began working on its seafood trade shows in 1996, starting as sales manager of Seafood Expo North America (SENA) and Seafood Expo Global (SEG), and eventually becoming show director, vice president and, in 2014, executive vice president for all of Diversified’s Portland division.
SeafoodSource: Why do you think shows like SENA and SEG are important for the seafood industry?
Larkin: Relationships are vital in the seafood industry – after all, we’re dealing with a global, perishable product. There has to be a framework mechanism for building trust and negotiating, and our shows provide that opportunity. Events provide a time and cost-effective way of showcasing your products, meeting existing and new customers, hearing what is going on in the business and providing a forum to facilitate all aspects of the business. They allow you to pick your head up and see where business opportunities are, what could be a good strategic fit for your company. That’s even more true with how interconnected the industry has become. Any given issue in any part of the world can affect your business now, and I think you need to have that larger perspective if you’re going to thrive.
SeafoodSource: What is special about SENA?
Larkin: It’s the premier show for seafood companies with an interest in doing business in the North American market, which, despite gains from other countries around the world, is still one of the globe’s premier markets for seafood. It’s a really attractive market and the show’s growth reflects that.
SeafoodSource: With so much action taking place on the show floor, how do you explain why the expo’s educational component is valuable and worth attending?
Larkin: Seafood companies face more business issues, more regulatory issues, more sustainability issues, than ever before, and those issues are seemingly cropping up faster than ever. The goal of the educational program is to get people together so they can share information, share their experiences, and have a better idea about what’s coming down the tracks at them and how to handle it. These days, there is more sophistication in the industry… We try to bring other perspectives to the industry so we can all learn new information to help drive business forward. People outside the seafood industry just do not understand how interesting and challenging it is, and really, how vast and important it really is.
I think the issue of sustainability deserves its own mention here. Besides Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Expo Global, Diversified also runs the SeaWeb Seafood Summit, which is singularly focused on the issue of sustainability. A major reason we decided to operate the Summit was because we heard more and more that sustainability isn’t just a side issue for the industry any more – it’s the main issue. Personally, I think that’s a good thing. But there’s so much knowledge that needs to be uploaded by seafood companies, and the educational components of our shows are a great place to do that.
SeafoodSource: How else are you involved in the seafood and exhibition world, especially at a leadership level?
Larkin: I’m on the board of directors of the Seafood Industry Research Fund and on the executive committee of UFI, the global association for exhibitions. In addition, I sit on the board of directors for the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO). With SIRF, I’m part of a group of very passionate people who are interested in looking at how they can solve problems unique to the industry. Research can cover any topic from labor issues to food safety issues and technology. That group is a very dynamic group of people and dedicated and busy. It’s also a mission of SIRF to bring new people into the industry, so we’re talking about seafood to students, academics and others on a frequent basis.
SeafoodSource: Why did you start the SENA Women in Industry Roundtable?
Larkin: Working to increase the number of women and the voices of women – both in the trade show industry and in the seafood industry – is something that I’m passionate about and have dedicated a lot of my time to. In 2015, I started the SENA Women in Industry Roundtable, which is specifically dedicated to empowering women to take leadership roles in seafood. In the trade show industry, 75 percent of the people who work in the industry are female but women make up only 9 percent of its leaders. And there’s a similar imbalance in the seafood industry. There are many reasons it’s dificult for women to move into leadership roles, from traditional traps where women tend to not apply for positions they don’t feel they have all the required skills for, to situations where they’re assigned administrative tasks in a board setting. And there are a thousand other obstacles women face as they move up through an organization. There is a risk in speaking up but I decided to be part of solution, and if I didn’t take that risk, I would have felt like I was contributing to the problem.
So every year, we bring in speakers, panelists, and anyone we think will be more supportive of other women. Also important, is the realization that men are learning that they have to mentor women to encourage change. It may be uncomfortable for some at first, but if we don’t lean into discomfort a little bit, things won’t change. At the end of the day, we all have to push ourselves out of our comfort zones.
SeafoodSource: What would you like to see change in the seafood industry?
Larkin: In general, I feel like the industry now has more of a drive to solve problems. There’s more pre-competitive collaboration, and more of an effort to work with other organizations such as NGOs. The industry is definitely adopting a larger vision of its place in society and the world. In terms of its attitude towards women, the seafood industry is so family-oriented, so that makes it a bit different, but I do think it needs to look at itself and work harder to put more women in leadership roles.
Statistics show having more women in leadership positions improves the company’s overall performance and results in a higher level of employee satisfaction. And on the flip side – and I know there are already some amazing female leaders in the industry – but more women need to be empowered and seek out leadership positions. And I’m optimistic change is happening now.
