Global Pet Expo 2015 Sets Records

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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 11 years.

There was an increase in growth across the board as Global Pet Expo featured more than 6,000 buyers in attendance, an 8.3 percent increase over last year, more than 3,000 new pet product launches, more than 1,000 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 allow us to see such incredible gains,” said Andrew Darmohraj, executive vice president and COO of APPA. “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.”

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.

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.

On a global front, 20 percent of exhibitors were international, making up over 213 of the 1,051 exhibitors. An impressive 29 percent 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 television 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 pushed #GlobalPetExpo to be a ‘trending topic’ during the event: the ultimate triumph for a dedicated Twitter user.

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 the 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.

“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 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, Fla., at the Orange County Convention Center. For details, visit www.globalpetexpo.org.