• From 17 to 19 October, business meeting dedicated to the fish and seafood sector gathered 3,100 people at the Pro Magno Event Center in São Paulo

• Business Rounds raise expectations of more than 15 million opportunities in futures contracts

• Next edition will be held by Francal Feiras and Seafood Brazil from October 24 to 26, 2023

São Paulo, October 2022 – SEAFOOD SHOW LATIN AMERICA has ended its first edition fulfilling its proposal: to offer the most complete and dynamic business platform for the fish production chain in Latin America. Held by Francal Feiras and Seafood Brasil from October 17 to 19, at Pro Magno Event Center, in São Paulo, the meeting integrated exhibition of products and services with the offer of qualified content, bringing together producers and distributors of fresh and frozen fish, food service, refrigerators, importers, class entities, government representatives,  specialists and suppliers of machinery and equipment.

“Fish is an increasingly consumed food around the world, and the production and marketing value chain in Latin America deserved a dedicated and qualified event, capable of boosting partnerships, disseminating knowledge and strengthening common agendas,” says Valeska Ciré, head of product at the fair. “It was gratifying to be able to provide this opportunity after intense planning.”

Throughout its three days, SEAFOOD SHOW LATIN AMERICA received an  audience of 3,100 people, who were able to know news from 76 exhibitors and participate in a diversified program with more than 30 hours of attractions. “It’s a joy to see the top players gathered at a specific event. The fish market is still crawling in Brazil and Latin America, and it is essential that we have a showcase of technologies to make it evolve. I hope that this edition will be the first of many”, commented the visitor Leandro Grilo, partner of Campeixe, Campinas (SP), who circulated through the corridors of the fair.

Public and exhibitors approve the proposal

Exhibitors also positively evaluated the experience. “The audience that came to our booth was very qualified and focused on tilapia, which is our product. We are pleased and should be in the next editions”, says Janaína Brasílio, marketing director of Tilabras. “The movement during the three days was very good and exceeded our expectations. We received many customers and were able to expand the relationship with them,” says Angélica Seiblitz, commercial marketing manager at Bom Porto.

There was also a prominent international participation in the fair, through companies or missions from countries such as Argentina, Chile, the United States, Peru, Thailand and Vietnam.  “We were very happy with the participation, because Brazil is an attractive and important commercial destination for us. We already have the tradition of exchange, and we want to expand it. We received the Ambassador of Argentina in Brazil, Daniel Scioli, and seven companies dedicated to fishing, processing and marketing of fishery products. The event exceeded our expectations and we were able to strengthen the bond with customers and partners,” said Julián Suarez, alternate president of the federal fisheries council and national director of fisheries coordination and supervision, at the argentine delegation’s booth.

As it could not fail to be, companies took advantage of the fair as a platform for the announcement of new products. Brazilian Fish highlighted the launch of tilapia ground meat. “It is a product that brings a multitude of modes of preparation, which allows versatility and use of creativity in various recipes”, passes the managing partner Ramon Amaral.

In turn, Brusinox used the fair to reinforce the dissemination of its equipment for fish processing, an area in which it is a pioneer in Brazil, and which now have connectivity resources aligned with the concept of industry 4.0. “The automation of fish cleaning and cutting lines gains evidence because of the shortage of labor. It frees human workers from repetitive and tiring operations, offering a number of benefits to the business,” says commercial manager Ambrózio Bacca Filho. “Several foreigners told us at the fair that they had never seen similar technology in their countries. These findings are a beneficial effect of our participation.”

A FEAST ON CONTENT

In terms of content, the menu was varied. ArenaTalks has concentrated several panel discussions and presentations of the Seafood Innovation Show, Seafood Talk Show and Agrifutura Pescado initiatives, covering topics ranging from trends and perspectives in the production and trade of tilapia, salmon, white fish and shrimp; production control, inventory and traceability; ESG; Japanese cuisine; and entrepreneurship, with the support of Sebrae. SEAFOOD SHOW LATIN AMERICA also hosted the IX SIMCOPE – Fish Quality Control Symposium, which for three days had a diversified grid of technical short courses and thematic panels.

Other attractions moved the event. At the Seafood Service Show, chefs led show classes on fish and the peripheries (chef Edson Leite and chef Tia Nice), tuna and Japanese cuisine (Nanci Emi Kawahito) and Amazonian menu (chef Guilherme Tedeschi de Amorim). ABGJ (Brazilian Association of Japanese Gastronomy) held the Meeting of Japanese Cuisine, emphasizing the importance of seasonality and local ingredients for the advancement of consumption.

The Fish Innovation Marathon, promoted in a partnership between Agrifutura Pescado, the Fisheries Institute (IP) and the INNAImC Institute of Israeli Innovation, promoted gymkhana and hackaton among students to develop disruptive solutions to improve the fish chain. In addition, the initiative held a showcase of startup proposals. First place went to PotiMarket,  a developer of a digital quality-certified e-commerce platform aimed at helping shrimp suppliers and buyers conduct business transactions with agility and security. The second place was obtained by Sample, a biotechnology platform for on-demand innovation in aquaculture. Third place went to Paraná’s By Fish, creator of a  line of tilapia protein-based ice cream.

Another action that attracted curiosity and many photos of the public was the contest BEST FISH FROM BRAZIL, aiming at valuing this profession and encouraging the creative exposure of fresh fish at points of sale. For this first edition of the contest, Carrefour nominated two of its best teams of fish-goers for a dispute that gathered a large amount of audience at the venue. In two aquarium rooms side by side, the teams were challenged to perform a neat assembly of exhibition of various fish. The winners, elected by the public that accompanied the demonstrations, were André Ricardo de Oliveira and Samuel Nunes, fishmen of the Imigrantes do Carrefour unit in São Paulo. The fresh produce used was courtesy of New Fish, as well as Relux, which ceded equipment for the contest.

“For years we have been looking for ways to value these professionals, who have an immense importance for the quality of the fresh products we offer. The fish section is the only one inside a supermarket that needs to be reborn every day, because it needs to be dismantled every end of business and reassembled the next day. Doing this with quality and zeal is an art,” says Meg Felippe, commercial director of The Carrefour Brazil Group.

BUSINESS ROUNDS LEVERAGE MORE THAN FIFTEEN MILLION IN BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Within the proposal to consolidate itself as the main platform in Latin America for connecting actors in the value chain of fish and seafood, SEAFOOD SHOW LATIN AMERICA promoted Business Rounds throughout its three days. The initiative, which was sponsored by Sebrae, brought together 14 companies   that  buyer 34 exhibitors through 121 scheduled meetings, generating R$ 15,500,000.00 (fifteen million five hundred thousand reais) in business opportunities.

With the closing of new agreements and trade exchanges, seafood show LATIN AMERICA organizers hope to contribute to further packaging the fish market in Latin America. Annual per capita consumption in the region is approximately 10 kilos, almost half the global average (20.3 kilos). To give you an idea, the per capita consumption of beef in Brazil remained for a long time in the 40 kilos per year, tending to be close to 25 kilos in 2022, according to the forecast of Conab (National Supply Company).

“The decline in beef consumption is certainly due to the decline in the purchasing power of the population, but behavioral reasons and preference cannot be overconsidered. Although Brazil and Latin America are favorable to fishing and fish farming, the higher consumption of fish has not yet happened for cultural reasons. But that’s changing, not just here,” says Valeska Ciré.

According to FAO-UN data, fish consumption evolves year after year at an average rate of 3%.  In this context, Latin America has an increasingly relevant position in the market.  The region accounts for $20 billion in annual exports of fish and seafood, and plans to increase production by 32.8 percent between 2018 and 2030.  “This is an opportunity we cannot pass up.  By strengthening ourselves as a hub for the production, export and consumption of one of the healthiest and most sustainable proteins on the planet, our economy and our society have much to gain,” adds   seafood show LATIN AMERICA’s head of product.

SEAFOOD SHOW LATIN AMERICA had institutional support from ABCC (Brazilian Association of Shrimp Breeders), ABIPESCA (Brazilian Association of Fish Industries), ABRAPES (Brazilian Association for The Promotion of Fish), Abrasel-SP (Association of Bars and Restaurants), Fish Institute, BR Fish, SIPESP (Union of the Fishing Industry in the State of São Paulo) and BaresSP.

The next edition is confirmed to take place between 24 and 26 October 2023.

About Francal Feiras

Promoter of events with 100% national capital, Francal Feiras is one of the main players in the trade fair market and contributes not only to the economic and social development of the different sectors in which it operates through the 12 events of its portfolio, but also effectively moves the economy of the places where they are held.

Driven by the same speed that affects the consumer society and the business environment, Francal Feiras offers the market innovative deliveries through events that serve as an important business platform, experiences, connection and knowledge for the entire production chain. With more than five decades of experience, it is a reference in Brazil and recognized abroad.

About Seafood Brasil

Seafood Brasil is a communication platform designed to increase consumption and generate business for the actors of the fish production chain. Inaugurated in 2013, it has a portal, social media, big data platform, events with the production chain and a magazine with five annual editions.

More information for the press:

Marcela Lage | Myrian Vallone | Teresa Silva
2PRO Communication
imprensa@francal.com.br