News from the UK

One of the most successful pet supplies fairs in the UK, PATS Sandown, is coming round again. A host of exhibitors will once more present the latest innovations and products for pets from 18 to 19 March. Following the busiest and biggest PATS shows to date last year, nearly 100 exhibitors have already snapped up over 87 per cent of the stand space for Sandown. The southern show will also be bigger with the introduction of the Sandown View Lounge, where visitors can relax and enjoy a view of the racecourse.
Organiser Annie Dyke says that “the high demand for stand space at Sandown proves that PATS, now in its sixth year, is more popular than ever”. With PATS Sandown well on the way to becoming a sell-out, the two halls at Sandown Park – Surrey and Esher – are set to be a hive of activity for visitors, according to the organiser, Impact Exhibitions & Events. One of the activities featured is the New Product Showcase. In previous years more than 200 new items have been entered into the Showcase, so it is one of the best places to view potential bestsellers. The PATS grooming workshops will feature state-of-the-art grooming demonstrations in association with Groom Team England, and a free-to-attend series of seminars will cover a wide range of topics designed to help retailers boost their profit potential, according to the organiser.

As well as new products, a strong seminar programme has also been put together for the show days. The organising team has secured a strong line-up of speakers for two days of seminars designed to give pet retailers ahead-of-the-game ideas on new lines, new approaches and new profit potential. The talks, produced in association with Pedigree Wholesale, will take place in the seminar theatre in Esher Hall at Sandown Park on both days of the show. The free-to-attend series of seminars will cover topics including driving sales in the small animal category, catering for the different needs and nutrition of neutered cats, getting more online visitors and understanding the shoppers. There will also be a chance to earn Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points for those people attending a special seminar by animal healthcare specialists Merial. The CPD points will…