Global Pet Expo even more international

“It’s rare to come across visitors of such a high calibre as are found here at other trade shows. If a visitor’s badge declares them to be a buyer, then you can rely on the fact that the visitor really is a buyer,” said the marketing manager of one big European pet food manufacturer. And he’s not alone in holding this opinion. Other exhibitors among the 800-plus who came to Orlando for the Global Pet Expo praised the level of internationality of this year’s fair. This is attributable in part to the international pavilions integrated into the show for the first time. Pet product companies from Great Britain, Italy, France, New Zealand, China and Taiwan presented their wares under the umbrella of these pavilions. Of the visitor contingent to the show from abroad, the high number of visitors from Central and South America was striking and many European buyers were also in attendance. The considerable popularity of the Global Pet Expo among foreign visitors was not necessarily to be expected, especially given that the world’s biggest pet trade show, Interzoo, takes place six weeks after the Orlando fair, but an extremely upbeat atmosphere prevailed on the first show day in particular. The omens for a successful show were already pretty good in the run-up to the event. “All the special sections have sold out earlier than originally expected,” said Andrew Darmohraj, senior vice president of the American Pet Products Association (APPA), which is responsible together with the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) for the organisation and focus of the Global Pet Expo. As well as the special sections already familiar from the previous year – The Boutique, Everything Aquatic and What’s New! – natural products featured in their own section for the first time. Andrew Darmohraj: “This debut highlights the latest in healthy, organic and environmentally friendly products. This section will provide media and retailers with an opportunity to learn about green-conscious trends in the pet industry.” In fact, it was clear at the show that the trend towards natural products that was discernible last year has continued uninterruptedly this year. Many new products were exhibited once again in this segment. This trend now encompasses not only food but also accessory products and cat litter. A large number of the many new products on show fell into the categories of complementary foods with added health value for pets, dental hygiene for dogs (and cats), which continues to…