Request for Proposals
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Seafood Choices Alliance is no longer accepting proposals for the 2010 Seafood Summit; the instructions below are for information purposes only. If you would like to be added to the e-mailing list to receive information about this and upcoming Seafood Summits, or for any questions, please email Seafood Summit.
Call For Proposals: Panel, Presentation or Workshop
Seafood Summit brings together global representatives from the seafood industry and conservation community for in-depth discussions, presentations and networking with the goal of making the seafood marketplace environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
While many industry events offer companies networking opportunities to showcase their products and services, Seafood Summit is different. It is the only venue that connects large and small companies from a diverse array of industries with leaders from the conservation community to bridge the gap between the latest science and the reality of the seafood marketplace. Summit attendees include international representatives with vested interest in the seafood industry, including: fishermen, fish farmers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, food professionals (chefs, restaurateurs), conservation organizations, academic scientists, media, and policy makers.
Instructions for Proposals:
Seafood Choices Alliance is now accepting proposals for presentations, panels, and workshops at the next Seafood Summit. Professionals from the food, seafood, conservation, policy, communications, economics and health fields are encouraged to submit proposals that address critical topics related to sustainable seafood and the seafood market, paying particular attention to this year’s theme, “Challenging Assumptions in a Changing World”.
The seafood industry today is facing rapid changes on many fronts: environmentally, economically and politically, all of which are adding new challenge to the business of responsible practice. Global climate change alone will have far reaching effects for the future of the industry, with impacts ranging from species migration, to ocean acidification to rising sea levels – all of which affect the oceans, seafood supply and industry operating costs. Further, the economic downturn and some shifting trends in global markets add to reframe the issues facing the industry. As we continue to seek ways to create an ever more sustainable global industry, and customers rightly demand responsible and ethical practice, we will explore if the existing paradigms are appropriate, what might need to change and who, and what, is behind new thinking. Proposals should be submitted with this year’s theme in mind, and may focus on, but are not limited to:
- Marine pollution and risks to the seafood industry
- Sustainability and market growth
- Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported Fishing (IUU)
- Data deficient Fisheries: data gathering, intelligence sharing and acknowledging good
- Organic aquaculture regulations around the world
- Tools for developing sustainable aquaculture practices
- Production systems and their relative sustainability
- Non-aquaculture uses of fishmeal and oil (e.g. agribusiness, pet food, cosmetics)
- Non-fishmeal and oil derived feedstuffs for aquaculture: innovation, ethics and competition
- The role of the foodservice sector
- Carbon footprints and life cycle assessments; scope, reporting and importance
- Telling the story of the global seafood industry: celebrating the good, raising awareness of the bad
- Analysis of existing certification systems; depth, scope and relevance
- Impacts of social/eco-labels on consumers
- Regulatory approaches to sustainability around the world
- The role of intergovernmental institutions in sustainable fisheries management
- Social Responsibility
- Impacts of “sustainability actions” taken by consumers, NGOs, and industry
- The future of small-scale fisheries and the communities that depend on them
- Consumer attitudes towards seafood
- Global pricing structure for seafood products
- The facts and impacts of the developing power of Asian markets (e.g., consumer attitudes, supply & demand)
- China’s role in ensuring the sustainability of seafood
- Effects of fishing and/or aquaculture on ecosystems
- Fisheries, aquaculture and spatial planning: competing priorities?
- The greatest challenges of climate change to the seafood sector
- The greatest impacts of the seafood sector on climate change
- Global ocean science
- The effects of endangered/protected species regulations on seafood sustainability
- Health benefits and risks of seafood
- Health benefits of seafood and its risk to the oceans
- The role of the finance industry in ensuring a sustainable seafood supply
Presentations will be allotted 30 minutes with 30 minutes Q&A (1 hour total). Presentations will be limited to 2 presenters.
Panels will be 90 minutes in total length, with 45 minutes for presentation and 45 minutes for Q&A. Panels will consist of a moderator with up to 4 panelists representing a variety of viewpoints and geographies. We strongly encourage moderators to focus on facilitating the panels and discussion while recruiting interesting, dynamic presenters. Panels in which the moderator takes a speaking role will be limited to 3 additional panelists.
Workshops can be up to 3 hours in length, depending on workshop design. Proposals should be action-oriented - workshops may serve as training tools, enhance interest or participation in a particular effort, or help to brainstorm a new issue with a higher level of group interaction. Proposals for workshops should be as detailed as possible. Unlike presentations and panels, attendance at workshops will be limited to 60 - 100 people, depending on available meeting space. Workshops will run concurrently with other sessions and may be scheduled anytime during the three days of the conference.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION IS MONDAY 8 JUNE 2009. Please note that preference will be given to proposals with the most thorough detail, committed panelists/presenters, and a high level of diversity among presenters. Final selections by Seafood Choices Alliance will be made by the end of July 2009. If accepted, presenters and panel/workshop moderators will be responsible for the design and execution of their session, as well as timely submission of session abstracts, panelist/presenter biographies, and any electronic/PowerPoint presentations. All panelists/presenters must be confirmed by mid-October 2009, or the time slot may be given to an alternate panel.
Please note that moderators and presenters are responsible for expenses related to participation in the Seafood Summit, including travel and hotel costs. Seafood Choices Alliance will offer all speakers discounted rates for attendance of the full conference or free attendance for the day of the session. Seafood Choices Alliance has a limited amount of resources for financial assistance, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that 100% scholarships are unlikely and any allocated funds may only be used for airfare or hotel expenses and will be disbursed on a reimbursement basis.
If you have any questions regarding the proposal process, please email Seafood Summit.
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