"The must-attend event of the year"

The Global Pet Expo will be the first industry trade show of 2018 and with 343 000 net square feet of exhibition space (or more than 65 000 m2) this show promises to be the industry event of the year. The 2018 event will feature more new products and qualified buyers, all under one roof, than ever before. A qualified buyer attending the Global Pet Expo works for an established business with a proven record of purchasing pet products from a manufacturer or distributor in quantity for resale to the consumer. Global Pet Expo has an unmatched qualification process that ensures buyers are attending this show to make purchasing decisions and place orders with our exhibitors. 

Pet food sales continue to be the biggest segment of the industry year after year and are expected to be the biggest driver again in 2018. The third highest source of spending in the pet industry is on supplies and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. In 2016, 14.71 bn dollars were spent on items such as beds, collars, leashes, toys, travel items, clothing, food and water bowls, and other accessories. We're expecting spending for 2017 to come in around 14.93 billion dollars and for the trend to continue in 2018 as manufacturers continue to bring to market more products than ever for our pets.

Early response to booth sales and attendee registration has been strong. At the 2017 show we saw 6 761 buyers in attendance (nearly a 10 percent increase over the previous year), more than 3 000 new pet product launches, 1 130 exhibitors and 3 437 booths sold. Overall attendance totalled 16 646 people. While it's too early to provide numbers, we fully expect the 2018 show to be another record-breaking year.

At the 2017 show, there was a 22 percent increase in international buyer attendance over 2016 and that trend has been on the upswing for many years now. While 72 percent of buyers were domestic companies, more than a…