The National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the U.S. seafood industry’s foremost trade group, has announced its 2021 Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC) will take place online from 1 to 5 February.
The conference, which offers seafood marketplace data to NFI members and doubles as the NFI’s annual meeting, which was originally scheduled to take place in Coronado, California, U.S.A. in January. In July 2020, NFI announced it would be moving the conference to 23 to 28 May, 2021, as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
NFI still plans to host an event in May at the Loews Coronado Bay Hotel in Coronado “if there is a widespread COVID vaccination which allows for a safe in-person gathering,” according to NFI Vice President of Communications Gavin Gibbons.
The GSMC 2021 Virtual Conference will feature plenary sessions covering the retail and foodservice sectors, finance and the economy, alternative proteins, and more, according to the announcement. Speakers scheduled for the event include Duane Lenz of CattleFax, Christian Lawrence of Rabobank, Tim Quinan of Wells Fargo, and CEOs from retailer and foodservice companies. And former professional athlete Vincent Edward “Bo” Jackson, the founder of food distribution company VEJ Holdings, the maker of Bo Jackson’s Signature Sideliners, will make an appearance at the event as well.
The weeklong virtual event will include daily two-hour sessions, which will also include expert industry panels and opportunities for attendees to meet in smaller breakout sessions. NFI opened registration for the event on 14 December.
Additionally, NFI is offering a GSMC Webinar Series to begin in January 2021 and continue bi-weekly on Wednesdays throughout the year. Registration for the GSMC Virtual Conference and the GSMC Webinar Series will open in December, according to the organization.
Photo courtesy of Chris Chase/SeafoodSource
