Trade Show Scheduling

Seafood Processing America is the largest resource in North America to find the equipment, services, and technology you need for getting seafood from the dock to the market. You will be able to source, compare, and purchase equipment, services, and technology. Meet with product experts to discuss your specific needs. Find processing machinery, refrigeration systems, and freezing equipment. Find transportation, warehousing, and packaging services and equipment. And discover hard-to-find resources for quality control, logistics, computer/information technology, as well as financial needs.

Seafood Processing America is co-located with The International Boston Seafood Show, North America’s largest seafood exhibition bringing together nearly 18,000 seafood buyers and sellers from around the world. You will find the largest assortment of seafood, equipment and products. The latest in packaged seafood products, condiments, and culinary dishes will be showcased. A panel of seafood buyers and experts from the retail and food service industries will conduct a live tasting of the latest seafood products on the market. “Best New Retail Product” and best New Food service Product” will be named at the Awards Ceremony and Reception.

Chef Masaharu Morimoto, star of Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, will be on hand for a discussion and to answer questions. You can submit your own question for Chef Morimoto at the conference web site.

The Seafood Marketplace Seminar will focus on industry best practices. Industry experts will discuss such topics as:

· Under the Glass and on the Ice

· Making Money with Seafood

· Frozen Seafood Sales

· Low Shrink, Low Labor Income Opportunities

· The ABC’s of Ordering

The 3^rd Annual Oyster Shucking Contest will be held at the Culinary Demonstration Theater. William “Chopper” Young, the current Guinness World Oyster Shucking Champion, will defend his title as fastest shucker in the East.

Seafood Processing America will take place March 15-17, 2009, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210. For registration and more information you can visit their web site at http://www.seafoodprocessingamerica.com/09/public/enter.aspx.

PLMA’s 2008 Private Label Trade Show will be the event of the year as more than 10,000 manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, brokers, and suppliers converge on Chicago’s Rosemont Exhibition Center November 16-18, 2008. Nearly 20,000 different products will be on display from food and beverages to health and beauty care and household. Exhibitors will be covering all major product categories. The show floor will include fresh, frozen, and refrigerated foods, snacks, beverages, ethnic specialties, and gourmet lines at numerous trade show displays. Also shown will be paper, plastics, wraps and foils, all types of kitchen and household products, health and beauty, DIY and GM.

The percentage of American shoppers frequently buying store brands has been steadily increasing. Seven out of ten shoppers believe that the private label products they buy are as good, if not better, than their national brand counterparts. Nearly half of all consumers say that their typical market basket contains 25% or more of store brand products. Store brands now account for one of every five items sold in U.S. supermarkets, drug chains, and mass merchandisers. They represent more than $65 billion of current business at retail.

PLMA’s “Idea Supermarket” will reveal the latest examples of what supermarkets, drug chains, and mass merchandisers around the world are doing with their private label programs. Retailers from Europe, Asia, and South America will all be represented along with chains from the U.S. and Canada. Innovations in product concepts, ingredients, and packaging will be highlighted at the “New Product Expo.”

Sunday seminars will provide the latest market research and information offering insight into sales and merchandising. In conjunction with St. Joseph’s University’s Food Marketing Institute, “Weekend with St. Joe’s” will provide executive education courses in private label branding and supply chain management.

PLMA 2008 will be held November 16-18, 2008 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (formerly the Rosemont Convention Center), 5555 N. River Rd., Rosemont, IL 60015. For more information you can contact the Private Label Manufacturers Association, 630 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017. Telephone: (212) 972-3131. Fax: (212) 983-1382. Email: info@plma.com.

Registration can be made at the PLMA web site: http://www.plma.com.

The BioFach America – Organic Products Expo draws motivated buyers and influential executives from the East Coast and beyond providing exclusive access to key regional markets and global players in every category. Co-located with the annual Natural Products Expo East 2008 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, this expo promises to draw the largest organic buying audience in North America. Attendees include independent products retailers, co-op natural products retailers, chain natural products retailers, distributors/wholesalers, mass market and warehouse club retailers, specialty products retailers, importers/exporters, and online and catalogue retailers. Thousands of new and unique certified organic products, timely and informative education seminars, and exceptional networking events will be featured.

This year’s expo will showcase raw materials and ancillaries; agricultural and marine products; meat, dairy, vegetable, and fruit products; semi-finished food and beverage products; convenience and deep-frozen food; natural cosmetics; hair, skin, and body care; toys and baby care products; detergents and cleaning products; natural textiles and fabrics; and wine, coffee, tea, juice, and soft drinks. Consumer trends show that organically produced products such as milk, cheese, meats, and baby foods are growing in popularity. The natural food industry has enjoyed above-average growth for a number of years.

Brazil and India are both expanding their positions as organic raw material suppliers and want to share the extremely positive development of the U.S. organic market. A highlight of BioFach America 2008 will be the Indian pavilion. The Indian subcontinent will be presenting its rich treasure of organic products for the first time in a pavilion in Boston. The first BioFach India will be held in Mumbai from April 29 – May 1, 2009. In addition to this, the German pavilion will be broader than ever with exhibitors like Bionade, Logona, and Sante as well as organic winegrower Lorenz and Andechser Molkerei Scheitz.

BioFach America will be held October 16-18, 2008 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St., Boston, MA 02210. For more information you can email biofach@ngfmail.com or visit the web site at: http://www.biofach-america.com/main/eqxrljnr/page.html .