Seafood Expo Global 2023 Recap: TBESFOOD in Barcelona

TBESFOOD exhibited at Seafood Expo Global 2023 in Barcelona from 25 to 27 April, inside the Vietnam Pavilion in Hall 4 of Fira de Barcelona Gran Via. It was the largest edition in the show's history, and over three days our team met importers, distributors and processors from across Europe and beyond.

We brought pangasius, vannamei and black tiger shrimp, freshwater prawns, value-added seafood and frozen fish fillets, and spent most of the three days in meetings.

A record year for the world's largest seafood show

The 29th edition broke every record the expo keeps. Organiser Diversified Communications reported 2,078 exhibiting companies from 87 countries and more than 34,000 seafood professionals, up 24 percent on 2022. Exhibitors filled 49,339 net square metres, more space than any seafood show before it, including the record 2019 edition in Brussels.

For a Vietnamese exporter, that meant buyers from every major market under one roof for three days.

Inside the Vietnam Pavilion

VASEP, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, brought 38 Vietnamese companies to Barcelona, twice as many as in 2022, on a 464-square-metre national pavilion at stands 4B501, 4B601 and 4C600. The pavilion ran under the "Sustainable Destination" banner, a message about the industry's move to greener, cleaner production.

Our stand carried our BRCGS, HACCP and Halal credentials, with a display freezer of frozen fish fillets, including red mullet and skin-on barramundi.

What buyers saw at our stand

• Pangasius fillets (Pangasius hypophthalmus)
• Vannamei and black tiger shrimp
• Freshwater prawns (scampi)
• Value-added seafood, including breaded shrimp and seafood dim sum
• Frozen fish fillets such as red mullet and barramundi

Three days of meetings

Most meetings took place at the pavilion tables, with brochures, specification sheets and the product range laid out between us. Visitors came from across Europe and from as far away as Australia. Our team also walked the halls to meet buyers at their own stands.

What Barcelona 2023 started

Barcelona 2023 opened our European calendar. We returned to Fira Gran Via in April 2024 with our own stand, 4H307.

Thank you to every buyer, partner and fellow Vietnamese exporter who shared the pavilion with us. If you source Vietnamese shrimp, pangasius or value-added seafood for Europe, our export team is at export@tbesfood.com.

Show at a glance

• Show: Seafood Expo Global / Seafood Processing Global, 29th edition
• Dates: 25-27 April 2023
• Venue: Fira de Barcelona Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain
• TBESFOOD location: Vietnam Pavilion (VASEP), Hall 4
• Scale: 2,078 exhibitors from 87 countries, more than 34,000 visitors, 49,339 net square metres
• Products shown: pangasius, vannamei and black tiger shrimp, freshwater prawns, value-added seafood, frozen fish fillets
• Organiser: Diversified Communications, Seafood Expo Global

FAQ

When and where was Seafood Expo Global 2023?

It ran from 25 to 27 April 2023 at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain. It was the second edition held in Barcelona, after the show moved there from Brussels in 2022.

How big was Seafood Expo Global 2023?

The organiser reported 2,078 exhibiting companies from 87 countries, more than 34,000 attendees and 49,339 net square metres of exhibit space, the largest edition in the show's history.

Where was TBESFOOD at Seafood Expo Global 2023?

Inside the Vietnam Pavilion in Hall 4, organised by VASEP, which brought 38 Vietnamese seafood companies to the 2023 show.

What did TBESFOOD show in Barcelona?

Pangasius, vannamei and black tiger shrimp, freshwater prawns, value-added seafood and frozen fish fillets, including red mullet and barramundi.

Sources

• Seafood Expo Global, results press release, 27 April 2023
• SeafoodSource, Attendance record set at 2023 Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona
• VASEP, Vietnamese seafood will be displayed at the global exhibition
• VASEP, Seafood Expo Global 2023: Vietnamese enterprises' participation doubled