A new requirement issued this week by the city of Boston has implications for the upcoming Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in March.

Starting January 15, people will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination in order to enter certain interior spaces in the city, including convention centers and exhibition halls. People working in these places will also need to have received their vaccines.

Show attendees, exhibitors, vendors and staff will also be required to wear a mask indoors.

SENA is scheduled at the Boston Convention Center from March 13-15.

“With a lot of things changing in the world right now, we want to assure you that as we continue to plan for Seafood Expo North America / Seafood Processing North America in Boston, the health and safety of our exhibitors, attendees, sponsors , speakers and staff is our top priority, ”the organizers of Diversified Communications posted on the SENA website.

The show was canceled in 2020 and 2021, but at this point is slated to take place this year.

Currently, Diversified Communications lists around 425 seafood companies and around 220 processors planning to exhibit at this year’s SENA event. In 2019, the show attracted 1,329 exhibitors spread over 256,690 net square feet of exhibition space.

The March show in Boston will soon be followed by the organizer’s seafood show in Barcelona.

The company claimed in a November press release that Seafood Expo Global (SEG) is so far larger than all previous editions of the seafood fair, which is traditionally held in Brussels but will move to Barcelona in 2020. This show and the 2021 version of the event have been canceled.

“Five months before the 2022 edition, the organization has already sold 41,985 square meters of exhibition space, an increase of 3.3% compared to 2019, the largest edition since its inception,” said Diversified Communications in November.

In the past, SEG has attracted 29,000 global seafood professionals and more than 2,000 exhibiting companies from 89 countries, the company said.

“In 2022, we understand that the situation with COVID-19 can be volatile and that businesses, depending on their location, could face travel restrictions,” said Liz Plizga, group vice president at Diversified Communications.

“We are working closely with Fira de Barcelona and the city to ensure that we can host a valuable in-person event that will bring back the representation that makes Seafood Expo Global / Seafood Processing Global the global seafood market and event most comprehensive commercial in the world. “

The Barcelona event is scheduled for April 26-28.

Diversified Communications never disclosed the financial losses suffered due to the cancellation of events in 2020 and 2021, but a IntraFish The estimate placed the loss of revenue from the two events in 2020 at around $ 35 million (€ 31 million).

Questions at the time regarding the company’s creditworthiness prompted a letter from Mary Larkin, president of Diversified Communications, reassuring industry professionals that the company was financially strong enough to withstand cancellations.

“First of all, I can confirm that the company is in a strong financial position and has never defaulted on any loans,” she wrote in the letter.