Interactive laser toys for cats, an educational kit that teaches fish to perform tricks like shooting hoops and mice that “glow” in the dark made tongues wag at Global Pet Expo 2009, the pet industry’s largest annual trade show.

The show, held Feb. 12-14 in Orlando, Fla., was the fifth cosponsored by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (Greenwich, Conn.) and the Pet Industry Distributors Association (Bel Air, Md.). Its underlying theme: The pet industry remains resilient even during the worst economic downturn in almost 70 years.

“The pet industry continues to grow at a record pace and has proven to remain strong during times of change, stress and setbacks,” said Bob Vetere, president of APPA. “As pet ownership and pet quality of life continues to rise, so will the pet industry.”

Nearly 780 exhibitors—including 150 first-time exhibitors—showcased their latest innovations in 240,000 square feet of booth space. Last year, 796 companies occupied 2,357 booths.

APPA had not finalized attendance numbers at press time; the final count of registered buyers will appear in an upcoming issue of PET AGE.

Eight companies were honored for outstanding booth presentations. In the large-booth category, for exhibits occupying 400 square feet or more, the winners were Nestle Purina PetCare Co. (St. Louis) and Petmate, a division of Doskocil Manufacturing (Arlington, Texas). 

In the small-booth category, for exhibits occupying 300 square feet or less, the winners were Crunchkins (Rancho Mirage, Calif.) and Green Dog Naturals, a division of Rainbow Light Nutritional Systems (Santa Cruz, Calif.).

In the boutique booth category, the winners were Kakadu Pet (Broadway, Australia) and Paus (Ironwood, Mich.).

In the What’s New! category, for booths by first-time exhibitors, the winners were Fur Pet’s Sake, a division of TMAX Group Limited (Kowloon, Hong Kong), and Pet Tree Houses L.L.C. (Lake Mary, Fla.).

In addition, APPA and ZooToo.com announced the winners of the Pet Lovers’ Choice Awards. For details, go to www.zootoo.com/petloverschoiceawards.

At the close of the show, manufacturers donated enough products to fill two semi trucks to the SPCA of Central Florida.

The next Global Pet Expo will be held March 25-27, 2010, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.globalpetexpo.org. [April 2009 PET AGE]

BEST NEW PRODUCTS AND DISPLAYS AT GLOBAL PET EXPO

Aquarium Products
R2 Fish School
digPETS (Largo, Fla.)
Bird Products
Polly Wanna Pinata-Bird Toy & Treat In One
Fetch-It Pets Inc. (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Cat Products
FroliCat BOLT
Lucky Litter L.L.C. (Chicago)
Dog Products
Lasso
Dogmatic Products Inc. (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Reptile Products
ReptiBreeze
Zoo Med Laboratories Inc. (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
Small-Animal Products
Habitat Defined Fun-nel Home
Super Pet/Central Avian and Small Animal, (Elk Grove Village, Ill.)
Horse Products
Shoo!TAG
Energetic Solutions Ltd. (Austin, Texas)
Pond Products
Laguna Honey Comb Fountain Kit
Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp. (Mansfield, Mass.)
Boutique Products
New Collars/Harnesses
Hip Doggie Inc. (Studio City, Calif.)
Gift Products
Talk to Me Greeting Cards with Treats
Talk to Me Pet Products (Chesterfield, Mo.)
Point of Purchase Displays
Planet Spinner
Planet Dog (Portland, Maine)