Starting on Sunday, March 17, and ending on Tuesday, March 19, SENA returns to Boston, and it is probably the largest seafood event in the country. If you are a writer, from freelancer to a blogger, and cover any topics related to seafood, from recipes to sustainability, then I strongly encourage you to attend. As I have said repeatedly before, "the seafood show is fertile soil for a myriad of story ideas as each exhibit booth has its own unique and interesting story." Any writer who attends this show should easily find the seeds for at least a dozen stories, and likely many more.
SENA is a huge trade show, and last year there were about 1341 exhibitors, representing 57 different countries, showcasing a wide diversity of products and services. The total exhibit space is about 258,630 square feet, broken down into 30+ aisles of the Expo, so just walking through the show makes for great cardio exercise. With the vast number of exhibitors, you're sure to find plenty of fascinating stories. Even if you attended all three days, you still wouldn't have enough time to visit all of the booths.
This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about a myriad of seafood issues, to talk to numerous seafood businesses, to explore the seafood industry. You can discover more about different countries, such as by visiting the pavilions for Japan or Iceland. In addition, the show is fun, with plenty of delicious seafood samples, from lobster to oysters. Ever had salmon bacon? Fried alligator? You never know what might be available to sample at SENA. SENA presents a range of interesting conference panels too, and this year you can attend ones such as "Seafood Trends & Preferences at Home & Away from Home" or "Changing the Narrative on Sustainable Aquaculture in the Culinary Community." You can also attend the annual Oyster Shucking Competition.
We all know that seafood is at the crux of some of the most important food issues in the world. The range of seafood topics touches on so many crucial matters, from sustainability to health, climate change to slavery. Seafood is integral to the economic health of many local businesses, from fishermen to restaurants. The potential extinction of certain fish species is a major concern that needs to be addressed. These are all issues which need much more coverage by the media, and which you can make your own contributions.
Why do I care? First, I view our local writers and bloggers as a community and I believe we all benefit by helping each other, giving recommendations for excellent events. Second, I feel that seafood is a vital topic which more people need to write about so that we raise attention to all of its urgent issues. That will benefit all of us in many ways. It is with greater exposure and cooperative efforts that we can cause change in the seafood industry. Third, it is a sad fact that there are four times as many negative articles about seafood than positive ones, and we need to change that ratio.
So I hope to see you next weekend at the Seafood Expo North America.
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