Adieu Brussels: Seafood Expo owner gives up fight to reschedule event

It means last year’s edition of the world’s biggest seafood trade show was the final one to be held in Belgium, as Expo chiefs had already taken the decision to move it to Barcelona from 2021.

Seafood Expo Global was originally scheduled to take place next week but was postponed due to the increasing seriousness of the Covid-19 epidemic.

‘A 2020 edition is infeasible’

“When we announced the postponement of the 2020 event, we hoped to reschedule to later this year,” said Liz Plizga, group vice president of Expo organiser Diversified Communications in a press release last night.

Following a recent announcement that the limitation on large gatherings in Brussels has been extended until August 31 and the ongoing impacts of Covid-19, including global travel restrictions and the broad need to practice physical distancing, Diversified Communications had concluded it is impossible to hold the event.

“We are disappointed to concede that hosting a 2020 edition of the event is infeasible,” added Plizga.

Planning for Barcelona

In the coming weeks the Seafood Expo Global team will contact exhibitors regarding the 2021 edition and will answer questions around the cancellation of the 2020 edition.

“While we all continue to navigate this difficult situation, the Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global team is engaged in intensive planning for the next edition, scheduled for 27-29 April 2021, in our beautiful new location, Fira Barcelona Gran Via, in Barcelona, Spain,” said Plizga.

Aquaculture UK, now owned by Diversified’s UK subsidiary, has been postponed from its original May date because of Covid-19 but remains on course to take place in Aviemore from September 15-17

Seafood Expo North America, postponed from March, will take place in Boston on September 23-24, with a conference programme beginning on September 22.