Paul Wittenstein + Chloe Starr, ARC Chapin Sea Farms, Dennis Cape Cod

The Seafood Expo North America / Seafood Processing North America convention returned to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) in the Seaport district on March 12-14, 2022.

Considered the largest seafood expo in North America, the Expo took a two-year hiatus in 2020-21 due to the global pandemic, and the industry was eager to get back to business.

For the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, the show marked the return of an important show coming back to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

“We were pleased to welcome back Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America to the BCEC this week for the first time since 2019,” said MCCA Executive Director David Gibbons. “This was the 40th anniversary of the show and its return brought back an energy and vibe that felt pre-pandemic, with over 18,000 attendees from more than 50 countries, and many exhibitors from right here in Massachusetts.”

Among the Massachusetts companies in attendance:

Boston Area
Boston Smoked Fish Company
John Nagle & Company
North Atlantic Pacific Seafood

South of Boston
Chapin Sea Farms of Dennis, Cape Cod
Plymouth Rock Oyster Grower of Plymouth
Superior Lobster of Humarock in Marshfield

North of Boston
Cape Seafoods Inc of Gloucester
Intershell of Gloucester
Cape Ann Lobstermen of Gloucester
Plenis Group Inc. of Lowell

The Seafood Expo was just one of several important events returning as the meeting industry continues to return to pre-pandemic normalcy.  “We couldn’t be more excited for the return of conventions and have many of our longtime favorite events returning to our facilities soon, including the St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast (March 21), the New England Food Show (April 2) and PAX East (April 21-24),” Gibbons said.

The popular exhibitor hall was filled with fish enterprises from around the world: Maryland and Alaska, Ireland and Scotland, Canadian Maritimes and Indian Maldives, and from throughout Asia and Australia, with attendees sampling fresh seafood, negotiating deals and sharing industry updates from across the globe.

The Expo featured 28 workshop sessions from 124 industry experts, who covered topics such as aquaculture, food safety, seafood sustainability, traceability and transparency.

Megan Green, Financial Times columnist and senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, delivered the keynote address on the economic outlook for 2022, examining structural trends, global trade flows, political factors and policy developments affecting the seafood industry.

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) workshop included Mark Hager, CEO of New England Marine Monitoring in New Bedford, who spoke about how AI-enhanced cameras and electronic monitoring can help improve the on-deck sorting processes while helping to identify fish species.

Rhode Island’s Steve Boreen took First Place at the 14th Annual Oyster Shucking Competition held at the expo.

As the meetings industry continues to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, the Mass Convention Center is looking forward to a busy spring.

“We couldn’t be more excited for the return of conventions and have many of our longtime favorite events returning to our facilities soon, including the St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast (March 21), the New England Food Show (April 2) and PAX East (April 21-24),” Gibbons said.

For information about visiting Massachusetts, go to visitma.com.