Seoul Seafood Show 2024 Recap: TBESFOOD at Booth E02, COEX

From 15 to 17 May 2024, TBESFOOD exhibited at the 19th Seoul Seafood Show (서울국제수산식품전시회) at COEX in Seoul, at Booth E02. It came three weeks after our own stand at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, and it was a very different show: smaller, more focused, and built around one market that cares deeply about seafood quality.

Korea's own seafood show

The Seoul Seafood Show is organised by the Korea Fisheries Association (한국수산회) and held at COEX in Gangnam. The 2024 theme was "Blue Food Tech: Innovation and Challenge of K-Seafood", and the halls brought together Korean importers, distributors, retailers, food manufacturers and restaurant groups, alongside exhibitors from across Asia.

For a Vietnamese exporter, it is a direct line to the Korean buyer. Korean buyers know exactly what they want in size, glazing and packing, and they say so at the freezer.

A booth that spoke Korean

We designed Booth E02 for this audience. Our headline "A Prestige Seafood Supplier in Asia" ran in both English and Korean, and every product on the wall carried its Korean name: 냉동 팡가시우스 필렛 for frozen pangasius fillet, cooked shrimp, barramundi fillet and breaded PTO shrimp. Our Halal, HACCP, BRCGS and Sedex credentials sat next to our U.S. FDA registration number.

The display freezer carried what Korean buyers asked about most:

• Frozen pangasius fillets (Pangasius hypophthalmus)
• Vannamei and black tiger shrimp, raw and cooked, including shrimp rings
• Breaded PTO shrimp
• Barramundi fillets
• Freshwater prawns (scampi)

Three days at COEX

The freezer did most of the introductions. Buyers picked up packs, checked the glaze and the count, and the conversation moved to the table: sizes for Korean retail, packing for food service, and how quickly a container could leave Vietnam.

Korean buyers gave TBESFOOD a warm welcome from the first morning. Importers, distributors and food manufacturers stopped by across all three days, many of them coming back with a colleague to continue the conversation.

Small gestures, the Korean way

Business in Korea starts with respect and relationships, so we brought gifts rather than giveaways: Vietnamese lotus tea in a lotus-printed bag for every partner who sat down with us, and a TBES tote for everyone else. One buyer answered with a finger heart for the camera.

What Seoul 2024 gave us

Korean buyers value a supplier who meets them in their own language, with product they can see and touch, and Seoul gave us three days to do exactly that. After Barcelona in April, May put TBESFOOD in front of Korea's own seafood trade.

감사합니다 to every buyer, partner and visitor who stopped at Booth E02. If you import pangasius, shrimp or barramundi into Korea, our export team is at export@tbesfood.com.

Show at a glance

• Show: Seoul Seafood Show 2024 (서울국제수산식품전시회), 19th edition
• Dates: 15-17 May 2024
• Venue: COEX, Seoul, Korea
• Organiser: Korea Fisheries Association (한국수산회)
• Theme: Blue Food Tech: Innovation and Challenge of K-Seafood
• TBESFOOD booth: E02
• Products shown: pangasius fillets, vannamei and black tiger shrimp (raw and cooked), breaded PTO shrimp, barramundi fillets, freshwater prawns

FAQ

When and where was Seoul Seafood Show 2024?

It ran from 15 to 17 May 2024 at COEX in Seoul, Korea. It was the 19th edition of the show.

Who organises the Seoul Seafood Show?

The Korea Fisheries Association (한국수산회).

Where was TBESFOOD at Seoul Seafood Show 2024?

At Booth E02, under the name TBES COMPANY LIMITED.

What did TBESFOOD show in Seoul?

Frozen pangasius fillets, vannamei and black tiger shrimp (raw and cooked), breaded PTO shrimp, barramundi fillets and freshwater prawns from Vietnam, with Korean product names on the stand.

Sources

• COEX, Seoul Seafood Show 2024
• Seoul Seafood Show, official website