Although a $2.7 billion industry,the Australian Seafood lags behind otherp rimary producers in its ability to centrally organise, market and represent itself to consumers,regulators and the general public.

There remains a strong need for seafood producers (fishers and farmers) to understand the curren seafood market, supply chainand advances in product development and marketing.

A marketing symposium would provide industry with an update on the current trends and approaches, it would further benefit industry by benefit industry by:

1. Informing participants how effective marketing works
2. Inspiring participants with practical examples of effective marketing they could apply at a sector, category or company level.
3. Showcase examples of effective marketing for domestic demand, export, trade and industry goodwill
4. Identify and explain new marketing channels and the opportunities they present
5. Demonstrating how to incorporate a systematic approach to developing a brand
6. Identifying meaningful and distinct consumer markets through market segmentation

It is clear that the priority audience for the symposium are fishers and farmers looking to improve their profitabulity

It is common within the CRC and more broadly throughout the seafood industry, that producers talk about marketing, while most of them having in mind a limited range of marketing actions (such as advertising). In many cases, seafood industry players are more product-oriented, not knowing on which plates their product will end up. In other words, they don't know very much about the end users of their products, nor their needs. As mentioned in a several occasions and reports, there is a need for the industry to be more market-oriented, to better understand its market in order to deliver greater value to the end-users. In brief, there is a need for industry participants to better understand how consumers and markets’ expectations can be turned into strategic marketing actions for their company.

However, equally there is a need at the organization level for seafood industry members to improve their marketing skills, so they can better serve their market(s). There is also a need at the industry level to improve seafood industry participants marketing skills so they can better understand and use outcomes of the various marketing-based projects that are planned as well as better express their needs for market and marketing research for the next few years.