The Aquaculture Roundtable Series (TARS) held their tenth annual, first virtual conference after a 2020 hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The 10th edition of the Aquaculture Roundtable Series® (TARS) returned with a virtual edition in 2021, following its postponement last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organised by Aqua Culture Asia Pacific and Corporate Media Services, under the theme ‘Shrimp Aquaculture: Margins • Markets • Productivity’, TARS assembled key stakeholders from the government, academic, public and private sectors, to seek solutions for pressing issues in Asia’s shrimp aquaculture industry and for its future growth.

Established in 2011, TARS provides a neutral platform to share new knowledge, deliberate on critical issues, and identify strategies for improvement – to ensure a sustainable aquaculture industry in Asia. TARS is designed as a series of roundtable sessions to focus on specific sectors of the industry. In the past nine years, TARS covered the following: Aquafeeds in 2011, 2015 & 2019; Shrimp Aquaculture in 2012, 2014, 2016 & 2018; and Finfish Aquaculture in 2013 & 2017.

 

Initially a pandemic by-product, the event’s virtual format enhanced instead of compromised its aims, drawing close to 400 attendees from their chosen environments internationally. The content was as cutting-edge as its web platform in responding to current challenges that include changes in markets and consumer preferences during these pandemic years; strategies for market-led production; disease mitigation with nutritional; and for the future, sustainability along the supply chain and improving predictability in production with digitalisation and data analyses.

All In The Loop’s custom branded web platform and branded mobile app allowed the conference to proceed with high levels of quality. TARS’ platform utilised: a networking lounge for attendees; Q&A panel, breakout rooms for discussion; and a feature enabling attendees to easily request and facilitate meetings with each-other, which are all available in-app. The custom ‘Matchmaking’ zone created a space where exhibitors, attendees and sponsors could connect according to their interests (e.g. ‘Sustainability’, ‘Farming’, or ‘Nutritional Solutions’).

Breakout room discourse included ‘Building alliances to improve the supply chain and traceability’ and an exploration of Asian shrimp farmers’ distrust of functional feed, with a platform given to environmentalism and bottlenecks to create a sustainable shrimp industry to meet consumer demands – a concern exacerbated by the 2021 documentary ‘Seaspiracy’.

Conference sponsors were high-profile companies such as DSM Nutritional Products, BASF Animal Nutrition, BIOMIN, INVE Aquaculture, Corbion, Adisseo, Jefo Nutrition, Diana Aqua, and Grobest Group, with All In The Loop’s dedicated Sponsors Hall facilitating convenient interaction with sponsors.

TARS opted for All in the Loop due to its outstanding level of service, providing branded platforms with a skilled team always ready to assist. The ‘Green Rooms’ feature, for example, operated by our team, allowed for slick presentations, moving seamlessly between footage, state-of-the-art livestream, and image content. Test rehearsals ensured conference success, demonstrating an eye for detail, and answering queries about the event. Other features included a live Q+A option (accessible on-the-go), polls, and an E-Poster gallery.

The conference enjoyed:

  • Over 300 discussion comments during Live Sessions
  • Over 1,000 visits to exhibition booths
  • 39 private virtual meetings between attendees
  • 400+ private messages sent between attendees
  • Over 1,000 visits to the E-Poster Gallery

On-demand sessions are available here through All In The Loop as a central resource for attendees. For an event with vital implications for our environment and an industry under pressure, All In The Loop was delighted to fulfil TARS’ event requirements and look forward to working with the TARS conference team in future.

Industry   Aquaculture
Location  Singapore
Goals  TARS assembled governmental, academic, public and private sector stakeholders, finding solutions for pressing issues in the aquaculture industry.
Type Virtual Conference/Exhibition

Main Features used

Live Streaming
SimuLive
Discussion/Q&A
Breakout Rooms
Virtual Networking
Exhibitor Booths
Guided Access
E-Posters