National branding of seafood workshop to be held in Paris – Fishupdate.com

National branding of seafood workshop to be held in Paris Published:  16 October, 2012

A ONE-day workshop entitled “Sustainability, national branding of seafood products: competing or complementary messages?” is being held in Paris on October 18.

The event is being organised by Marie Christine Monfort and Pascale Baelde, of Sea-matters, and looks at the potential competition between brands promoting the national origin of seafood products and messages promoting their sustainability. Is the growing interest in distracting market players away from the difficult sustainability issues? What is the future for these themes as differentiating factors on the French market?

As market operators, you come across obstacles when attempting to respond to sustainability challenges, and particularly because of difficulties in getting relevant and reliable information or guarantee on the sustainability of the products you buy (fresh and frozen). Combined with today’s economic crisis and erosion in purchasing power, some fear that the launch of national brands could lead seafood suppliers and buyers to move away from the complexity of sustainable purchase?

This workshop will allow major supplier countries to the French market to present the actions they have undertaken on the subject and explain how they articulate seafood national identity and sustainability in their policies and communication. Middlemen in the seafood chain will have the opportunity to discuss these issues with their suppliers and clients and better understand their intentions. The workshop will also allow buyers at the end of the seafood chain to clarify their needs and expectations.

The workshop is addressed to professional buyers (retail chains, processors, collective catering) and their suppliers (producers and PO, wholesalers, distributors).

Programme

8h45 – 9h30: coffee

9h30 – 9h40: introduction

9h40 – 12h15

· Ireland by Finnian O’Luasa, Bord Iascaigh Mhara

· Norway by Johan Kvalheim director Norway Seafood Council and Benedicte Nielsen from Norges Fiskarlag, fishermen association, Northern Norway

· Great Britain by Karen Galloway marketing director Sea Fish Industry Authority, Great Britain

· France by Emmanuelle Sauvion general secretary France Filière Pêche

· USA by Stéphane Vrignaud from NOAA, and Nelly Masson from Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute

12h15 – 14h00: lunch

14h00 – 14h50

· Iceland by Gudný Káradóttir Marketing Manager for Iceland Responsible Fisheries

· Canada by Katherine Cinq-Mars, secretary, Environment and fisheries Canadian Mission to the European Union

14h50 – 15h30

Round table: sustainability of seafood products, national branding: how do these two themes fit with each other? Experience of several seafood operators.

 • Matthieu Lambeaux, CEO Findus,

 • Mathias Ismail, CEO R&O Rungis,

 • Pierrick Lech’vien, Système U purchasing manager

 • Charles Braine, fisherman member of the network petite pêche

15h30 – 16h30: Thematic workshops

16h30 – 16h45: Conclusions for the day and what next?

To register, or for further information, visit www.sea-matters.com