Billed as the largest annual pet trade show ever held, Global Pet Expo featured 680 exhibitors in 2,049 booths—the equivalent of 10 football fields. Last year’s APPMA show, by comparison, featured 604 exhibitors in 1,717 booths. Last year’s PIDA show featured 210 manufacturers and distributors in 426 booths.

A total of 4,365 pet professionals walked the colorful aisles of the Global Pet Expo. With 2,213 buyers representing wholesalers and multi-unit retail operations, and 2,152 representing single-unit retailers, attendance far exceeded show organizers’ expectations, according to Bob Vetere, chief operating officer and managing director of APPMA. Last year’s APPMA show, by comparison, attracted 2,135 qualified buyers—1,653 representing wholesalers and multi-unit retail operations, and 482 representing single-unit operations. Last year’s PIDA show attracted approximately 2,600 retail and wholesale buyers.

Global Pet Expo was open to all qualified industry members on Sunday and Monday, and was open exclusively to distributors, mass-merchandise buyers, larger pet specialty chains and international visitors on Tuesday.

Six companies garnered awards for outstanding booth presentations. In the large-booth category, for exhibits occupying five or more booths, the winners were Scott Pet Products (Rockville, Ind.) and Central Garden & Pet Co. (Walnut Creek, Calif.). In the small-booth category, for exhibits of four or fewer booths, the winners were Fat Cat Inc. (Williston, Vt.) and Canine Hardware Inc./Chuck It (Seattle). In the What’s New! category, for booths by first-time exhibitors, the winners were Pet Ego L.L.C. (Chicago) and Sinwin USA Inc./Island Pets (Chino, Calif.).

The next Global Pet Expo will be held March 23-25, 2006, in San Diego. For more information, call APPMA at (203) 532-000, or visit www.globalpetexpo.org. [May 2005 PET AGE]

BEST NEW PRODUCTS AND DISPLAYS AT GLOBAL PET EXPO
Aquarium Products
First	144 Stainless Steel Half Circle Aquarium Combo Oceanic Systems Inc. (Dallas)
Second	AquaVista 500 Wall-Mounted Aquarium AquaVista Enterprise Inc. (Menlo Park, Calif.)
Third	Aqua Betta Current USA Inc. (Vista, Calif.)
Pond Products
First	Ulti-Vac Python Products (Milwaukee)
Second	PreStrike Mosquito Torpedo Wellmark International (Schaumburg, Ill.)
Third	PreStrike Larvicide Wellmark International (Schaumburg, Ill.)
Bird Products
First	Sweet Swing Naturals Sweet Feet & Beak (Clermont, Ga.)
Second	Brown's Fixins Wild Bird Mealworms F.M. Brown's Sons Inc. (Sinking Spring, Pa.)
Third	Feathered Phonics Volume 5-International Edition Feathered Phonics (Longview, Wash.)
Cat Products
First	Hidden Litter Aquiline Innovations Corp. (North Highlands, Calif.)
Second	Fling-A-String Moody Pet Inc. (Philadelphia)
Third	Kitty Kat Circus Four Paws Products (Hauppauge, N.Y.)
Dog Products
First	Glo n Go Reflective Pet Collars and Leashes Lazy Pet Products (Brea, Calif.)
Second	Le Bistro Electronic Portion Control Feeder Doskocil Manufacturing/Petmate (Arlington, Texas)
Third	Chewy Louie Pooch Pizza RedBarn Pet Products (Long Beach, Calif.)
Horse Products
First	WashWand Miller Manufacturing Co. (Eagan, Minn.)
Second	Country Vet Equine Products Display Waterbury Cos. Inc. (Waterbury, Conn.)
Third	Vita Sport Horse Snacks Vitakraft Pet Products Co. Inc. (Bound Brook, N.J.)
Reptile Products
First	Exo-Terra Canned Foods Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp. (Mansfield, Mass.)
Second	Waters Edge Bio-Habitat Marineland Aquarium Products. (Moorpark, Calif.)
Third	The Original Reptile Lunch Box Timberline Live Pet Foods (Marion, Ill.)
Small Animal Products
First	Critter Operated Chopper Super Pet (Elk Grove Village, Ill.)
Second	CritterTrail Off to School Super Pet (Elk Grove Village, Ill.)
Third	CritterTrail XYZ Super Pet (Elk Grove Village, Ill.)
Gift Products
First	AntWorks Fascinations Toys & Gifts Inc. (Seattle)
Second	Your Love on Canvas Everly Originals L.L.C. (Roseland, N.J.)
Third	Little Dogs-Training Your Pint-Sized Companion T.F.H. Publications Inc. (Neptune City, N.J.)
Holiday Products
First	Jingle Bites Edible Christmas Ornaments for Dogs Crunchkins (Rancho Mirage, Calif.)
Second	Fat Cat Holiday Toys for Cats and Dogs Fat Cat Inc. (Williston, Vt.)
Third	From the Pet Greeting Cards Avanti Press Inc. (Detroit)
Point of Purchase Displays
First	The Ultimate Dog Den Creature Leisure (Seattle)
Second	Bling Bling Blinkers Petsport USA Inc. (Pittsburg, Calif.)
Third	Reptile UVB Lighting Center Zoo Med Laboratories Inc. (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)