GPE Expands Opportunities for Int’l Exhibitors

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Officials for the premier industry event, Global Pet Expo, are proud to report that as this $62 billion industry continues to grow and thrive, so does its largest annual tradeshow. With the impressive growth of Global Pet Expo, show organizers have listened to attendee feedback and are continuously looking for new ways to enhance the show experience for exhibitors, buyers and media alike. One exciting addition at the 2017 show, set to take place March 22-24 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, will be the debut of country-specific pavilions for international exhibitors.

The new international model will replace the International Pavilion, where multiple countries exhibited together in one space. Country delegations will now showcase their companies and products more uniquely, using country branding to highlight their exhibition strategies and the characteristics and traits of their companies and product lines. Pavilions from Great Britain, Canada, China and Italy will be featured with overall booth space projected to be 25 percent larger than the pavilion in 2016.

And while the new pavilions are an outstanding addition to Global Pet Expo, officials expect more than 100 additional international exhibitors to have a presence in the special sections and general show floor where they will be featuring products that showcase international trends. This coupled with buyer attendance that represents 76 countries, truly defines the show as a global marketplace for business.

“We are proud to have experienced continued growth across the board, and our international attendance is certainly no exception,” said Andy Darmohraj, executive vice president and COO of the American Pet Products Association (APPA). “We recognize that the strong international influence at the show significantly contributes to its overall success, and we’re thrilled to be offering this new opportunity to international exhibitors.”

The 2016 show boasted more than 320,000 net square feet of exhibit space, which was nearly 10,000 feet larger than the 2015 show. The record-breaking 2016 show also featured 6,170 buyers in attendance, more than 3,000 new pet product launches, 1,087 exhibitors and 3,218 booths sold. Overall attendance totaled 15,478 people. As for the global impact at the 2016 show, 21 percent of exhibitors were international, making up 233 of the 1,087 exhibitors. An impressive 24 percent of buyers were from outside of the U.S., coming from 76 countries—continuing to position Global Pet Expo as a key trading opportunity for companies from around the world. As the first pet products tradeshow of 2017, Global Pet Expo promises to continue the growth trend across the board.

Presented by APPA and the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA), Global Pet Expo is open to exhibiting manufacturers, qualified buyers and media from around the world.