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Twelfth Annual Global Pet Expo Had Record-Setting Attendance, New Product Launches

Pet Age Staff//April 6, 2016//

Twelfth Annual Global Pet Expo Had Record-Setting Attendance, New Product Launches

Pet Age Staff //April 6, 2016//

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Global Pet Expo 2016 experienced record-setting attendance and new product launches during the three-day show that took place from March 16 to March 18 in Orlando, FL.

Now in its twelfth year, Global Pet Expo, presented by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA), featured more than 320,000 net square feet of exhibit space to accommodate the growing number of booths and attendees. Total show attendance came to 15,478 people.

Global Pet Expo experienced an impressive spike in domestic buyers at 4,679, an 8.4 percent increase over last year, with a total of 6,170 buyers in attendance. The show also boasted more than 3,000 new pet product launches, 1,087 exhibitors and 3,218 booths sold—the highest post-show numbers to date.

“For the exhibitors, this is their opportunity to debut the hottest, newest products at the industry’s first show of the year, which is why we consistently enjoy increased buyer attendance each year,” said Andrew Darmohraj, vice president and COO of APPA.  “It is incredibly rewarding to experience continued growth and recognition for the show that has become the must-attend industry event of the year.”

21 percent of exhibitors were international and 24 percent of buyers were from outside of the U.S.

The 2016 Show featured more new product launches than any other show in the industry and had 950 entries in the 30,000 square-foot New Products Showcase alone.

“The level of diversity and innovation in new products launched at Global Pet Expo never ceases to amaze me,” Darmohraj said. “This was another fantastic year filled with everything from high tech and high end products to those that leave people thinking ‘why didn’t I think of that?’”

Attendees sent 5,031 tweets using the official show hashtag, #GlobalPetExpo, generating more than 33 million impressions and reaching more than 5.4 million people.

“We’d like to thank everyone that participated in this year’s show, making it the biggest Global Pet Expo ever,” Darmohraj said. “We look forward to another great show in 2017.”