The Maine Lobstermen’s Association is once again offering a one-day bus trip to Seafood Expo North America (formerly known as the Boston Seafood Show) on March 12. And this time the trip is free!

Anyone involved in Maine’s lobster and seafood industries is invited to travel for free to the show. The bus will depart the morning of Monday, March 12, from Bangor at 7:30 a.m. and stop in Augusta, Portland, and Kennebunk to pick up passengers. Participants will arrive at the Expo at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on Summer Street around noon, where they will have an opportunity to explore the international world of seafood production. From Tokyo to Athens, from Chile to China, the Expo brings together an unparalleled mix of seafood businesses and organizations. Maine lobster will be featured at the Maine Lobster Pavilion, organized by the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative in conjunction with Maine seafood companies. At the close of the day, participants will attend the Maine Lobster Reception, also organized by the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative, before boarding the bus for the return trip at 7 p.m.

Those who took the trip in previous years know that part of the fun of the Expo is tasting all sorts of seafood, attending presentations, and talking to experts from around the world involved in seafood purchasing and processing. In addition, the bus trip also affords participants the chance to meet and talk with Maine seafood industry professionals on the ride to and from Boston. And the entire trip is free!

The March 12 Seafood Expo North America bus trip is sponsored by Hannaford Supermarkets, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative, and the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. Registration is required for this free trip. To sign up go to www.mainelobstermen.org, call 967-4555 or email andi@mainelobstermen.org.