Brussels, World Fish Capital! European Seafood Exposition & Seafood Processing Europe.

Business Editors/Food Writers

European Seafood Exposition 2002

BRUSSELS, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 28, 2002

The tenth European Seafood Exposition, the most prestigious of all world seafood events, will take place from 23 to 25 April 2002 at the Brussels-Expo, in Halls 5,6,7 & 11. Seafood Processing Europe, the largest show of materials and equipment for processing seafood products, will be held in Hall 12 at the same time as the European Seafood Exposition.

Together, ESE and SPE represent the largest European seafood show and occupy an exhibition area of more than 50,000 m2. ESE will bring together more than 1,100 exhibitors from more than 65 countries, while Seafood Processing Europe will present more than 250 exhibitors from more than 25 different countries.

The world's leading seafood companies will again vie with one another for the prestigious "Seafood Prix D'Elite Prize." This competition will be held during ESE on 23 April 2002.

Major impact on our capital and beyond!

The European Seafood Exposition brings 20,000 visitors here from more than 100 countries, mostly decision-makers and buyers from the food industry or in distribution or the restaurant trade. The latter represent 80% of visitors to ESE. This has a considerable economic and financial impact on our capital. Every hotel room in the Brussels conurbation is full for the week and every flight to Brussels booked. With several months to go until this prestigious event the hotels President Centre and President Nord are already displaying "FULL" signs. Together they have a capacity of 136 rooms. "The Seafood exhibition fills our hotels every year," says Mrs. Sabine Thiry, Director of Sales at the hotels President Nord, President Centre and President World Trade Center. "On the last day of the show our clients already start booking their rooms for the next year to be sure of having somewhere to stay."

Even the restaurateurs and hoteliers in the Wavre, Waterloo and Anvers regions feel the effects of the Seafood phenomenon. It amounts to quite a turnover when you add up all the indirect revenue, from hotel and restaurant bookings, taxis, airlines and rail networks to construction and decoration of the stands, rental of the halls, electricity and air conditioning. The figure borders on 25 million euros for the three days.

Interview with David Boon, Seafood coordinator at Brussels Expo:

"Seafood is the biggest international seafood exhibition. Every year we are very happy to welcome back the American organizers of the show, Diversified Business Communications, with whom we have an excellent relationship. This is a unique exhibition, which grows larger every year. The fact that they choose Brussels and the Brussels Expo rather than other European capitals such as Paris or Amsterdam is mainly due to the investment we have made in order to provide quality services. All our staff and our administrative services, our people on the ground such as the electricians and plumbers -- they are all multilingual. Furthermore Brussels is less expensive than other capitals, and most importantly is renowned for its gastronomy and conviviality. Brussels is a major business capital but also offers some of life's pleasures."

Why Belgium and Brussels?

Interview with Mary Larkin, Director of the Seafood exhibition:

"We chose Brussels to hold the European Seafood Exposition because of its strong European profile. There is also its easy access for both exhibitors and visitors, thanks to direct daily flights, and the fact that Brussels is only a two-hour flight from most major European towns -- the combination of all these factors makes Brussels the ideal location for the show."

Belgium is a ready consumer, considered to have mature tastes. The Belgian market represents a real live test platform, all the more because of its dynamic distribution networks. It is the second most Michelin-starred country. With only 10 million consumers, Belgium could be considered a small country, but in terms of commercial opportunities, it is in fact large. More than 60% of products consumed in Belgium are imported and 60% of production is exported. In some sectors where there is little local production of seafood, supply is based mainly on importation.

Around thirty Belgian companies exhibit at the show. One of these tells us, "Seafood is the most important seafood exhibition in Europe, and even in the world. We have been taking part since the second show and we have to say that this show always crackles with excitement. The fact that it is sited in Brussels, at the heart of Europe, means that we can meet with our European and Asian clients and suppliers in the space of only three days. We accomplish the work of several weeks there, which is why we bring our sales and purchasing departments. It saves us a considerable amount of time," according to Pieters Visbedrijf NV., Dhr Francis Pil, Corporate Marketing Manager, Bruges.

Diversified Business Communications provides information and market access through trade exhibitions, magazine publishing, and online resources on five continents. In addition to producing International Boston Seafood Show, the largest seafood show produced in the US, DBC produces three other internationally recognized seafood shows and other food exhibitions organized throughout the US, Europe, Australia and Asia. DBC also publishes SeaFood Business, the premier business-to-business seafood publication in the United States.