This year DanFish is back to full strength and there’s a buzz gathering ahead of this year’s DanFish International, due to take place in Aalborg Congress & Culture Center (AKKC) 10-12th October. It’s the 28th time this key fishing industry event is being held, and the business has been looking forward to this – with all Covid restrictions finally lifted.
DanFish International this year has 7000 square metres of exhibition space at Aalborg’s AKKC venue, plus 4000 square metres of additional temporary space set up specifically for the busiest fishing industry event in the Northern Hemisphere.
‘For us, Thyborøn Trawldoor, the Danfish show is a big deal. It’s the biggest international exhibition, well visited by decision makers from all over the world, and even better is, it is right here in Denmark, said Henrik Andreassen of Danish trawl door manufacturer Thyborøn Trawldoor. ‘At Danfish we really get the opportunity to show the world what Danish craftsmanship, quality and development is all about.’
While the exhibition centre itself buzzes with activity for three days, the city’s hotels, restaurants and other venues also see a boom as thousands of visitors come from around the world to exhibit, look for new business, check out what’s new, and catch up with innovations in the fishing industry.
It hasn’t always been this way, as until the 1990s what had been a modest local event successfully geared up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to attract overseas visitors, making DanFish the busiest industry event of its kind in the North Atlantic region.
The 2021 event, which took place during a lull in the Covid pandemic, was exceptional – both in being on the small side, and also for being able to take place under such difficult circumstances as a number of countries maintained strict restrictions on travel.
This year DanFish International is looking forward to business as usual now that Covid has released its grip.
‘Danfish is a genuinely global exhibition, attracting partners, clients, and colleagues from across the world. Despite recently emerging from the pandemic, the previous Danfish event was a remarkable success. We eagerly anticipate our return to Aalborg this year and beyond, continuing the momentum of this thriving exhibition,’ said Francis Parrott of Canadian electronics company Notus, a longstanding exhibitor at DanFish.
It’s definitely a relief to many that visitors can again visit Aalborg without having to be concerned about restrictions.
‘We are aware both among exhibitors and visitors of a real expectation ahead of participating in the DanFish exhibition in October without worrying about corona restrictions. Everyone is looking forward to coming to the event, feeling the atmosphere and seeing the many products,’ said Else Herfort, AKKC’s Head Of Sales & Expos.
Going midweek
There’s a further innovation this year as for the first time, DanFish International is a solidly midweek event. It’s many years since extending the exhibition into Saturday was abandoned, in response to those who were tired of business events that regularly spilled over into the weekend. Now DanFish’s organisers have gone a step further, and this year’s event opens on Tuesday and ends on Thursday evening, giving participants the opportunity to travel home on a weekday.
‘This is something that people had mentioned, and we decided to respond to their concerns. So visitors and exhibitors no longer have to sacrifice family time at the weekend,’ Else Herfort said.
