Eleventh Annual Global Pet Expo, held March 4-6, in Orlando, FL Surpasses Projected Numbers
Greenwich, CT (March 25, 2015) – Andrew Darmohraj, Executive Vice President and COO of the American Pet Products Association (APPA) is proud to announce Global Pet Expo 2015 experienced record setting attendance and new product launches during the three-day show. Presented by APPA and the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA), the Show opened its doors to more than 311,300 net square feet of exhibit space, making it the biggest Global Pet Expo in its eleven years.
There was an increase in growth across the board as Global Pet Expo featured 6,061 buyers in attendance, an 8.3 percent increase over last year, more than 3,000 new pet product launches, 1,051 exhibitors and 3,113 booths sold – the highest post-show numbers to date. Total show attendance came to nearly 15,500 people.
“Having experienced another record-breaking year, we recognize that it is thanks to the growing support and consistent commitment of our exhibitors and attendees, which allows us to see such incredible gains,” said Darmohraj. “Global Pet Expo attracts the best the pet industry has to offer, which certainly motivates us to provide the best trade show possible to meet their needs.”
On a truly global front, 20% of exhibitors were international, making up 213 of the 1,051 exhibitors. An impressive 29% of buyers were from outside of the U.S., coming from 82 countries – another clear indication that Global Pet Expo is as a key trading opportunity for companies from around the world.
With more than 230 members of the press at Global Pet Expo, the 2015 Show saw record media attendance ranging from trade magazines and bloggers to major national media outlets like The Huffington Post, CNN, The Chicago Tribune and the popular series, Shark Tank: Beyond the Tank.
Global Pet Expo exhibitors and attendees took to Twitter with roughly 4,000 tweets sent using the official show hashtag, #GlobalPetExpo, generating more than 18.9 million impressions and reaching more than 6.2 million people. Online interaction surged #GlobalPetExpo to be a ‘trending topic’ during the event: the ultimate triumph for a dedicated Twitter user.
This year’s Global Pet Expo also featured more new product launches than any other show in the industry with nearly 1,000 entries in the New Products Showcase alone. From ice cream mix, herbal tea and automated ball launchers for our dogs as well as modern cat-scratching furniture, organic human-grade treats and food, sling-shot fetch toys and small animal play houses with accessories, every pet product imaginable was on display.
Now in its fifth year, the New Products Showcase Awards recognized Best in Show, Second and Third place winners across nine categories. With more entrants than ever, buyers narrowed down their top picks out of 925 products to determine the winners. Visit the press center on GlobalPetExpo.org for a full list of the New Products Showcase winners.
For the first time, the 2015 Show offered free pre-registration for its Global Pet Expo Academy. With record attendance to its expanded lineup of 29 seminars, it was clear attendees took advantage of this valuable educational series. The Show also debuted a trolley to carry attendees from one side of the floor to the other, and launched a Global Pet Expo app, which could be downloaded to any smart device.
“All of this is a result of the time and effort our staff spends planning for ways to make Global Pet Expo even bigger and better for buyers and exhibitors alike,” said Darmohraj. “By adding new features each year we want to improve the experience for all attendees and ensure the Show is a success for everyone.”
Global Pet Expo recently received a spot on Trade Show Executive (TSE) magazine’s Fastest 50 list as one of top fastest growing trades shows (in attendance) across all industries, and has been recognized for the past six years with the TSE Annual Gold 100 Award. The Show has even received a ‘Best Use of Social Media’ award from TSE as well as awards for its sponsorship development program and Exhibitor prospectus from the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE).
Also released at the Show were APPA’s annual pet industry spending figures, which showed an estimated $60.5 billion in pet spending for 2015, an all-time high. The press release can be found in its entirety in the Association’s press center at http://www.americanpetproducts.org.
Global Pet Expo is open to independent retailers, distributors, mass-market buyers, and other qualified professionals. The 2016 Global Pet Expo will take place Wednesday – Friday, March 16 – 18, 2016 in Orlando, FL, at the Orange County Convention Center. For details, visit http://www.globalpetexpo.org.
For more information, interview opportunities or hi-res images from the Show photo gallery, please contact Jamie Baxter at 775-322-4022 or Jamie(at)theimpetusagency(dot)com.
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Global Pet Expo, the pet industry’s largest annual trade show, is presented by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA). The 2014 Show featured 985 exhibitors, 2,896 booths and more than 3,000 new product launches. Additionally, 5,597 pet product buyers from around the world attended. Global Pet Expo is open to independent retailers, distributors, mass-market buyers, and other qualified professionals. The 2016 Show will take place March 16-18, 2016 in Orlando, FL at the Orange County Convention Center. For more information, visit http://www.globalpetexpo.org.
The American Pet Products Association (APPA) is the leading not-for-profit trade association serving the interests of the pet products industry since 1958. APPA membership includes more than 1,100 pet product manufacturers, their representatives, importers and livestock suppliers representing both large corporations and growing business enterprises. APPA’s mission is to promote, develop and advance pet ownership and the pet product industry and to provide the services necessary to help its members prosper. Visit http://www.americanpetproducts.org for more information.
Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) has represented the interests of pet product distributors since 1968. The mission of PIDA is to enhance the well-being of the wholesaler-distributor, to promote partnerships with their suppliers and customers and to work cooperatively with other organizations in fostering the human-companion animal bond. Visit http://www.pida.org for more information.