Breaking previous records

The early signs from potential exhibitors once the 2005 campaign got under way were encouraging and, as the date for the 2005 staging approached, there was every indication that it would be a record breaker. In fact, demand for exhibition space was so high that the organisers had to increase the display area allocation to 10 000 m². Two important reasons for doing this were the reservations for larger booths from established exhibitors, plus the applications that were being received from new exhibitors. The introduction of Inter Garden and the launch of two new competitions, the Marine Tank Competition and the First Singapore International Betta Competition, the largest Betta competition in Asia, also added to demand. Picture aquariums, such as this one, attracted visitors throughout the show. The launch of InterGarden – a subsidiary event dedicated to ponds and water gardening – opened up new opportunities that were seized eagerly by exhibitors, among them leading companies like Oase and Hozelock Cyprio. The InterGarden launch not only means that exhibitors can now target the Far East markets more effectively than hitherto, but that buyers from both East and West can now visit Aquarama with their pond and water garden shopping lists. The best-known names in the world of aquarium lighting, such as Arcadia with its justifiably renowned and impressive range, were present of course, along with an ever-growing number of exhibitors offering all manner of lights and equipment. The trend for small aquarium set-ups has been growing significantly in the Far East in recent years. While not popular in the West, there can be no denying that some of the best offerings within this niche sector can be quite attractive. The Guest of Honour, Dr. Vivian Balakrishan, opening the show. Assisting him is CMP’s Sai Fengmin. Regarding fish foods, while some of the giants of the industry were much in evidence, such as Tetra, Argent Laboratories and Ocean Nutrition, there were also some of the smaller play- ers with their own specialities. The pelleted food offered by New Life International is said to be suitable for all fish including Moorish idols, which are famous for being difficult to feed. This exhibitor did not have any live Moorish idols on show, but it did have a video showing them feeding freely on the product. Dr. Vivian Balakriskan and Peter Sutton, CMP’s CEO, admiring the winning entry in the Marine Tank Competition, James Tan, North Kaoshiung Aquarium, Taiwan. Many of…