Brussels show ‘tremendously successful’

Liz Plizga MORE than 22,160 buyers and sellers from around 143 countries attended Seafood Expo Global in Brussels in April, the organisers have disclosed.

The expo featured the stands of 1,664 exhibiting companies from 80 countries covering 35,862 square meters of combined exhibit space, including 73 national and regional pavilions. Last year, there were more than 26,000 trade visitors.

‘Seafood Expo Global/ Seafood Processing Global was tremendously successful this year in light of what happened in Brussels a few weeks prior to the exposition,’ said Liz Plizga, group vice president for Diversified Communications.

‘As we anticipated in these circumstances, we saw some impact on the level of participation, though the event offered a safe environment, bringing together serious buyers and suppliers from around the world to conduct business.

Key buyers who attended included: Aldi (Italy, Spain); Alibaba. com (China); Carrefour (Belgium, France, Italy); Compass Group (United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, France); Coop (Switzerland, Italy, Denmark); Costco (France, United Kingdom); DO & CO (United Kingdom, Turkey, Austria); E.Leclerc (France, Reunion); Subway (United States); Gate Gourmet (United Kingdom); JD.com (China); Lidl (Italy, Germany, United Kingdom); Marks & Spencer (United Kingdom); Mercadona (Spain); Metro (United States, etc); Monoprix (France); Morrisons (United Kingdom); Picard (France); REWE (Hong Kong, Germany, Austria); Sainsbury’s (United Kingdom); Sodexo (United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy).