AQUA NOR
Trondheim hosts world’s biggest aquaculture show
Since 1979, Norway has hosted the greatest aquaculture show in the world: Aqua Nor. The exhibition is held every other year, alternating with the fisheries exhibition Nor-Fishing.
Aqua Nor is organised by the Nor-Fishing Foundation, and has always been held in Trondheim in mid-Norway. This places it close to numerous salmon farms in the Trondheim fjord, and many major fisheries and aquaculture organisations based in the city.
This year’s Aqua Nor will be held from August 18-21, and it looks to be the biggest show ever. Almost 500 exhibitors have signed up already, and the organisers expect 18,000-20,000 visitors from up to 70 countries.
Aqua Nor project manager Kari Steinsbø said many exhibitors registered early this year to make sure they get the space and location they want.
‘In addition to the many Norwegians, exhibitors from a number of foreign countries like the UK, Chile, China, the USA and Dubai have also registered,’ she said.
The exhibition area presently covers 18,000 m2, but will be expanded to about 23,000 m2 when a new hall is added a few years from now.
‘But because of the great interest this year, we have added one extra hall,’ said Steinsbø. ‘All the exhibition halls were fully booked six months ahead of the show, so we decided to erect a new hall, Hall A2, which is now filling up.’
Displays Aqua Nor is the only aquaculture technolo- gy exhibition where you can actually see the equipment in its right element: on the water. At the Skansen area in the Trondheim harbour, a 10-minute walk from the main exhibition halls, exhibitors display floating cages, workboats, underwater equipment and other installations.
Mini-seminars
Norwegian fish farming has experienced tremendous success over the past 40 years, and the technology that has made this success possible has been on display at Aqua Nor for 36 years. In order to give foreign visitors a better understanding of modern, Norwegian aquacul-
ture technology and practices, the Nor-Fishing Foundation has joined forces with the Marine Research Institute in Bergen and many of the technology providers to organise a mini-seminar on the latest aquaculture technology.
When a similar mini-seminar was held at Aqua Nor 2013, the interest was overwhelming. This year’s theme – ‘Is Norwegian aquaculture technology relevant in other parts of the world?’ – is expected to draw the crowds, too. The seminar will be held in the afternoon of the opening day, August 18.
There will be numerous other seminars, mini-conferences and presentations held on a number of different subjects, ranging from markets for farmed fish to detailed aspects of fish farming. In 2013, more than 30 different seminars and presentations were held.
For those who would like to see fish farms in operation, Innovation Norway is organising a
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It is the only aquaculture exhibition where you can see the equipment in its right water” element: on the
boat trip around the Trondheim fjord on the day before the opening, Monday, August 17. This trip is reserved for foreign visitors, and was very successful when it was operated in 2013.
Networking
Many visitors claim that the most important aspect of Aqua Nor is the networking– meeting old friends and making new contacts. Consequently, there is a lot of chatting going on in the exhibition halls and in the several restaurants on the premises. One of the most popular meeting places is the outdoor restaurant, where people can also listen to heated debates during the lunch hour.
Foreign delegations
Over the years, many foreign delegations have visited Aqua Nor, often headed by ministers and top officials from the visiting countries. There have been large delegations from Indonesia, China, Vietnam, South Korea, and other Asian countries, as well as from Latin America and Africa. Many of these delegations have used the occasion to highlight investment opportunities in their own countries during brief presentations at the exhibition. Innovation Award
The Nor-Fishing Foundation will present the Innovation Award 2015 for the 13th time at Aqua Nor on August 18. Since 2003, the Board of Directors of the Foundation has contributed NOK 1.3 million to research and development of equipment and services for the aquaculture and fisheries industry, nationally and internationally. In the past, there has been broad international participation in the contest. Previous winners have reported that the award has created great interest in their products and services.
Best Stand Award
Since Nor-Fishing 2012, the organisers have given out the Best Stand Award. The idea is to stimulate innovation, and reward those exhibitors who put an extra effort into their stand design.
The criteria for selecting the best stand were established in 2012, and they are relatively simple, but relevant:
• Is the stand an attention getter? It should catch the attention of visitors, reflect a thematic idea, and be aesthetically pleasing. • Does the stand attract visitors? Do visitors stop to talk to the personnel?
• Does the stand give clear and relevant information about the message it is meant to communicate?
With these questions in mind, a jury will spend the first three days of the exhibition visiting stands. On the final day, their decision will be announced.
Book early
Hotel accommodation has traditionally been a problem at Aqua Nor, although in recent years, Trondheim has added more than 30 per cent to its hotel capacity. Hopefully, most of those intending to visit will have booked by now, and those needing visas will have already applied.
For further information contact: Erik Hempel, director of communications, the Nor-Fishing Foundation, on +47 9084 1124, email erik.hempel@hempelco.com, or visit www.aqua-nor.no