What is the Alaska Symphony of Seafood?

The New Products Contest. This is a competition for acclaim from a panel of expert judges and from a crowd of hungry, Alaskan connoisseurs. The entrants are food manufacturers and the main ingredient is Alaskan seafood.

The first venue is a privately judged competition in Seattle on January 23, 2008. We gather prominent experts in the food industry for an afternoon of sampling and review. The judges use their experience in retail and wholesale markets to assess the products' price, packaging, preparation instruction, target market, and, yes, taste, taste, taste. First, second and third prizes are determined in the categories of Retail, Food Service and Smoked Products. The names of the winners are held in confidence until announcement in Anchorage at the Gala Soirée & Awards Ceremony on January 31, 2008. After the judges are finished, we invite chefs, manufacturers, buyers, sellers and the media to a final taste and an opportunity to vote on the Seattle People's Choice.

The second venue is the Gala Soirée & Awards Ceremony on January 31, 2008 in Anchorage, Alaska. Anyone can attend (many do year after year) to sample what the industry is putting on the market. It's a fun evening with live music and dancing, prizes, a free Alaska Symphony of Seafood wine glass or Alaskan Amber pint glass with two free drink tickets for either wine or beers from the Alaska Brewing Co., and an Anchorage People's Choice ballot. At the end of the evening, all the winners are announced, including the privately-judged event, and the Seattle and Anchorage People's Choice winners.

The reward to the manufacturer is, first and foremost, to be named winner. The Alaska Symphony of Seafood is in its 15th year and the media is on alert to post the winners. In addition to the limelight, winners receive free booth space at the International Boston Seafood Show and a professional product photo shoot.

The goal of the Symphony is to reward and publicize innovative uses of Alaska salmon, whitefish and shellfish and to increase the number of people eating Alaskan seafood.