ASMI to Host Roundtable Discussion with Seafood Experts in Retail, Foodservice During All Hands on Deck Meeting
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 6, 2020
CONTACT: ASMI – Ashley Heimbigner, 907-465-5562, [email protected]
JUNEAU, Alaska (Nov. 5, 2020) – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt buying patterns around the world, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) will host its Customer Advisory Panel (CAP) for a virtual roundtable discussion on Nov. 10. The panel, which will aim to shed light on global consumer shifts at retail and foodservice, will be held as part of ASMI’s virtual All Hands On Deck conference Nov. 10 – 13.
The CAP is made up of ten industry leaders in the foodservice, distribution, CPG and retail sectors, from key geographic markets including the United States, United Kingdom, China and Japan. They will address consumer trends and how the Alaska seafood industry can best position itself to respond to the impacts of the pandemic and continue to drive consumption.
“As we look back on the craziness that was 2020, the success seen in retail seafood is a great opportunity to work to grow consumption to new levels,” explains ASMI CAP member Guy Pizzuti, Seafood Manager of Publix. “We must understand that this new customer is very different with a unique demand for product knowledge and transparency. I see ASMI as playing a major role in this effort for not only Alaska but as a benchmark for others to follow.”
ASMI, which aims to strengthen, develop and protect the global brand of Alaska Seafood, holds its annual All Hands On Deck conference each year to discuss upcoming marketing strategies among its board, committee, and other stakeholder members. ASMI relies heavily on information brought forth during All Hands On Deck to drive its seafood marketing response.
“This is a challenging time for the seafood industry, and consumer habits have drastically changed since the last All Hands on Deck conference,” says ASMI Executive Director Jeremy Woodrow. “That also makes this a timely opportunity to listen to some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry about what they are seeing on the ground and how the Alaska seafood industry can react to reach more customers across the globe.”
The ASMI CAP will meet during the General Session of All Hands On Deck at 9:45 am AKT on Nov. 10. Additional meetings will include species and operational committee meetings and the meeting of ASMI’s board of directors. To learn more and register for free, visit www.alaskaseafood.org/about-asmi/all-hands-on-deck/.
About Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute:
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is a partnership between the State of Alaska and the Alaska seafood industry promoting the benefits of wild and sustainable Alaska seafood and offering seafood industry education. The seafood industry is Alaska’s largest basic private sector employer with nearly 60 percent of all wild seafood and 90-95 percent of wild salmon harvested in the U.S. coming from Alaska. In addition to wild salmon, Alaska is known for its crab and whitefish varieties such as Pacific cod, sablefish, halibut, Alaska pollock, sole and rockfish – available fresh or frozen year-round. Alaska has been dedicated to sustainable seafood for more than 50 years and is the only state with a constitution that mandates all seafood be managed under the sustained yield principle. Alaska has taken a leadership role in setting the global standard for precautionary resource management to protect fisheries and surrounding habitats for future generations and leading to an ever-replenishing supply of wild seafood for markets worldwide.
