The 42nd edition of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, which took place 10 to 12 March 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. joined more than 19,780 seafood professionals and covered 249,665 net square feet of exhibit space, which was 5 percent larger than 2023, producer Diversified Communications said. [Editor’s note: Diversified Communications also owns and operates SeafoodSource.]
Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America showcased companies and products ranging from fresh, frozen, canned, value-added, and seafood packaging and processing technology, logistics services, among other service providers across the industry.
“Year after year, the expo brings together key stakeholders in the industry to meet face to face and achieve their business goals,” Diversified Communications Seafood Vice President Wynter Courmont said in a release. “From large companies to small-scale startups and everything in between, the range of seafood professionals who attend the event provides a unique value for the industry to learn from one another and take their businesses to the next level.”
Seafood buyers across the North American market were also present to discover new products, equipment, and services, as well as to build relationships. High-volume seafood buyers in attendance included Aldi, Amazon Fresh, Carnival Corporation, Costco, Disney, Publix, Red Lobster, Sysco, Target, US Foods, Walmart, Whole Foods Market, and others.
Two products were honored at this year’s event as winners of the annual Seafood Excellence Awards, which recognizes and celebrates seafood innovation in the North American market. The two winners were Highland Farms, whose Salmon Salami won in the Best New Retail Product category; and Social Kitchens Professional/SK Foods Brands, which took home the top prize in the Best New Foodservice Product category for its Premium Sliders.
“We've been coming to the show since 1986,” Grant’s Smoked Foods and Highland Farms CEO Jonathan Brown said. “It's a great opportunity to show all the new products we’ve developed and to meet our customers from all over the world; from the Caribbean islands, to South America, to all the states in America, it's fantastic to meet people we only get to see once a year and to celebrate with them.”
The Seafood Excellence Awards, along with the Connecting Women in Seafood reception, Oyster Shucking Competition, and live recordings of the SeafoodSource Presents podcast, took place in the Wave Makers’ Zone, a new presentation space unveiled for the first time at this year’s expo.
The event also hosted its annual conference program, featuring a keynote presentation titled “Populist Politics, Inflation’s Return, and Why Trade is Back on the Menu: The Outlook for 2025 and Beyond” given by Professor of International Economics at Brown University Mark Blyth. The conference program included over 30 sessions on a variety of topics such as consumer trends and insights, aquaculture and aquatech, artificial intelligence (AI), social media and marketing, labor issues and governance, sustainability, and ESG, traceability, and transparency.
The 2025 edition of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America will take place 16 to 18 March at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
