Among the premium producers being showcased is Scottish Sea Farms, which is taking an eight-strong team, led by Managing Director Jim Gallagher.
The 29th show of its kind, this year’s event is already shaping up to be a record-breaker, with 49,299 square metres of exhibition space, 24% more than last year and 21% more than the 2019 edition, which was the largest in the event’s history and the last held at its former venue in Brussels, Belgium.
More than 2,000 exhibiting companies from 87 countries have signed up for the 2023 expo, spanning 68 regional and national pavilions. This includes the return of countries that have re-opened post-Covid, including China, which is bringing a big contingent, according to the show organisers, Diversified Communications.
Scottish Sea Farms Head of Markets Celine Kimpflin, who has been attending the expo for over 20 years, said the event was an invaluable opportunity for people from near and far to meet in one place in an informal setting.
‘The big draw this year is reconnecting with customers and suppliers alike that we haven’t seen for longer than usual due to Covid,’ she said.
‘We achieved this to an extent at last year’s expo – the first event post-pandemic – but with different countries coming out of lockdown at different times, not all customers felt comfortable travelling.
‘This year, it’s all systems go. The expo promises to be bigger than ever, speaking volumes about markets getting back to ‘business as usual’, customers have been busy booking appointments to see the team, and we are ready and raring to go.’
The Scottish pavilion, organised by Scottish Development International, Salmon Scotland and Seafood Scotland, will host 19 companies, with Scottish Sea Farms having its usual presence.
‘As one of the biggest producers of premium Scottish farmed salmon, it’s only natural that we have a large presence at the show to meet our existing customers, speak to prospective customers and catch up with suppliers too,’ said Kimpflin.
A further 25 Scottish companies will have their own stands elsewhere in venue or will be attending the show as visitors, many of them representing the country’s supply chain.
Scottish Sea Farms Head of Operations Ewan Mackintosh said: ‘With the expo representing both seafood producers and processing, it’s a great opportunity to find out about the latest innovations coming onto the market: from alternative packaging types and processing equipment through to new information systems and logistics.
‘It’s also a really useful way of keeping in touch with people that you perhaps don’t work with on a regular basis but whose products and services you are still interested in keeping up to date with.’
Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Expo Processing take place from April 25-27 at the Gran Via venue at the Fira de Barcelona.