The recent Global Pet Expo, dubbed this year as “The Show That Means Business”, experienced significant growth in total buyer attendance with 6,761 buyers, up more than 9.5 percent from 2016. There was a 22 percent increase in international buyer attendance from 2016. While 72 percent of buyers were domestic companies, more than a quarter of total buyers were from outside of the U.S., coming from 79 countries – confirming Global Pet Expo as a key trading opportunity for companies from around the world.
Giving the buyers thousands of new products and trends to choose from throughout the three-day show, was an impressive 1,130 exhibiting companies- including 270 first-time exhibitors- boasting more than 3,437 booths. Twenty seven percent of the exhibitors were international, making up 305 of the 1,130 exhibitors- up 30 percent from 2016.
New this year was the debut of country-specific pavilions. Previously, multiple countries exhibited together in one space on the Show Floor, but this new international model allowed participating country delegations dedicated space throughout the exhibit floor. Separate pavilions for Great Britain, Canada, China and Taiwan allowed these delegations to highlight their country branding and showcase their companies and products more uniquely.
