With just under two months to go until the Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition, World Fishing & Aquaculture talks to Marianne Rasmussen-Coulling, Head of the Event, to find out what will be happening at this year’s show.
WF: What are the main changes to this year’s Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition to previous editions of the show?
MR-C: It is no secret that the economic turmoil and credit crunch hit Iceland hard right after the last event in 2008, however it also resulted in the country having to re-focus and capitalise on what has always been its backbone - fish and fishing. This re-focus has made a noticeable difference to this year’s Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition.
The show is also back to being held in September - the last event in 2008 was, for the first time, held in October due to several good and valid reasons, however the charming but, at times rather unreliable, Icelandic weather clearly gave us the message that September is the month for this long established exhibition.
Also we are very pleased with new interest from both Icelandic and overseas companies in the exhibition this time. Our new bigger sales team has attracted a good number of first time exhibitors including a fishing gear company from Lithuania, an engineering company from Australia, seafood companies from India and Denmark, a wire company from Turkey, a German control systems and alarm company and a processing/packaging plus a fishing company from Sweden. We are once again very pleased to welcome national group stands from Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Norway and the UK
Finally we are again co-ordinating a VIP visitors programme to bring in more quality visitors from overseas and have already had confirmation from fleet managers/processors from Canada, Greece and the US.
WF: What makes the Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition different from other exhibitions taking place around the world?
MR-C: First and foremost the huge importance of the fishing industry to the country's economy. Secondly the three year cycle. If you look at the Iceland and Vigo [World Fishing Exhibition, held every six years in Vigo] shows both are giving exhibitors a chance to develop new products between events and by allowing more years between shows it also gives the companies a chance to spread their investments, making these kinds of exhibitions the most cost-effective marketing investments. Visitors are pulled rather than pushed to the exhibition - they know they will be visiting an event with many new innovations and the show itself looks fantastic because companies are investing in the designs of their stands. It's a win/win situation for everyone.
WF: How do you see the Icelandic Fisheries industry at the moment?
MR-C: It is amazing that a small nation of around 300,000 inhabitants is ranked 16th in the world's catching nations – in the last three years the Icelandic export of fish and fish related products increased by ISK99bn to a total of ISK209bn. 1,582 registered Icelandic vessels land 1.125 million tonnes of fish which accounts for 42% of the country’s total export.
WF: What do you think Iceland has to offer to the rest of the world in terms of fishing?
MR-C: Fantastic innovations in technology and machinery, but then again it is hardly surprising when you are looking at a nation whose entire economy is so heavily dependant on fishing. Another factor is Icelandic knowledge in controlling and sustaining their industry. Icelandic fishing companies welcome foreign investments but by law the majority sharers have to be kept within Iceland to hold the control.
WF: Are there any other events taking place around the exhibition time?
MR-C: Thursday morning (22 September) will see the opening of the show. The Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Jón Bjarnason will inaugurate the exhibition in the presence of the President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, the Mayor of Kopavogur Guðrún Pálsdóttir, VIP's, exhibitors and the press. The official opening will be followed by a tour around the exhibition.
The Awards Reception will take place on the Thursday evening in the Gerdarsafn Artgallery in Kopavogur. It will be hosted by the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture and the Mayor of Kopavogur. The Awards ceremony, fifth in the series since the launch in 1999, will see the announcement of 17 winners who have made outstanding contributions to the Icelandic and/or international fishing industry. There are also four highly competitive exhibition awards. This year the awards are sponsored individually by prominent players in the fishing industry including Samskip, Sjova Insurance, Vonin and Marel.
There will be a very topical conference on Cod Farming in the Nordic Countries, which will take place on 21 September, just before the exhibition so it will allow attendees to stay on and visit the show. Details can be found on www.icefish.is/aboutus/conference-cod-farming.
In the afternoon of 22 September there will also be a seminar on Iceland’s Responsible Fisheries and certification mark, this conference is looking to attract local and international companies involved in the value chain of Icelandic Seafood. For more information on the seminar please visit www.icefish.is/aboutus/conference.
Full information on the 10th Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition, 5th Icelandic Fisheries Awards, hotel reservations and visitor pre-registration, plus any other aspect of the event can be found on www.icefish.is.
