Good mood in Guangzhou

Occupying 35 000 m² gross (14 500 m² net), a record number of pet professionals from 68 countries gathered at the China Import & Export Fair Pazhou Complex in Guangzhou. 590 international exhibitors presented their pet products to nearly 27 000 visitors. A number of new features were successfully launched, including a new supporting programme, bespoke facilities for international visitors and a special area for fish. The show also saw the founding of China's first national professional pet association, the China Pet Accessory and Food Association (PAFA). As in previous years, special attention was devoted to intellectual property rights. The annual show, organised by the China Great Wall International Exhibition Company and Nürnberg Global Fairs, alternates between Beijing and Guangzhou each year. After over ten years of continued growth, the CIPS has firmly established itself as Asia's leading exhibition in the pet product sector. The number of companies exhibiting the latest products for dogs, cats, rodents, reptiles and fish rose by nearly 20 per cent compared to 2008, amounting to 590 in total (2008: 472). Visitor numbers rose to nearly 27 000 (2008: 25 000), attracted not least by the interesting additional features that were launched this year. Fish exhibition stands pooled Exquisite goldfish were at the centre of an attractive new area devoted to fish breeders and their products. "This part of the show attracted a lot of interest and attention, especially from overseas buyers," Cheng Yang, president of the organising company China Great Wall International Exhibition, said. "We have therefore decided to increase the space next year to enable breeders to show an even greater variety of aquarium fish." A novel fashion show for pet accessories proved likewise to be a visitor magnet. Staged by top pet clothes manufacturer China Xiamen Lago Garment Company, it showcased the latest in designer pet wear, from tank tops to raincoats and necklaces to wedding dresses. International visitors benefited from a half-day seminar on the rules of import and export to China, basics of the Asian business culture and product safety regulations. Places on a tour to the factories of Rocktain and Best Quality, both manufacturers of pet accessories in the Guangzhou area, were also snapped up quickly. Chinese exhibitors in turn were keen to learn more about the European market and product safety at a talk organised by the German company Fressnapf Tiernahrungs GmbH…