It’s show season for the UK pet trade. Dozens of new products and award winners have been announced in the space of a few weeks.
For retailers and groomers, it’s time to snap up new deals and special offers. Awards and new product displays act as a guide to the latest must-stock products.
If you’ve yet to attend one of 2015’s trade shows, there’s still time to drop into AQUA 2015 on October 14-15. The premier event for the water gardening and aquatics industry sold out of exhibitor space months in advance and expects 82 companies to be present.
AQUA isn’t the first autumn event to attract attention pet professionals. Not one but two awards ceremonies took place last month during popular pet trade show PATS Telford. PATS’ New Products Showcase Awards were closely followed by PetQuip’s dinner and ceremony.
PATS had caused a stir, by moving from its old home in Harrogate to the Telford International Centre. It was a longer trek for some (including the Pet Gazette team) but the change paid off, as organisers announced that over 2,000 visitors attended the event for the first time in its history. Over 180 companies showcased products and services.
Following PATS, a number of exhibitors packed up their stands and headed straight to Warwickshire, where the 2015 British Dog Grooming Championship took place last weekend. The one-day grooming show, which was run by the British Dog Groomers’ Association, attracted 112 competitors and hundreds of visitors.
Members of the trade have snatched time over the last few weeks to visit shows prior to the Christmas rush. If the items unveiled so far are any indication, the industry can expect an innovative and profitable 2016.
