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(Stamford, CT) —Andrew Darmohraj, executive vice president and COO of the American Pet Products Association (APPA) is proud to announce Global Pet Expo 2018 successfully wrapped its 14th Show with record-setting size during the three-day Premier Industry Event. Global Pet Expo, presented by APPA and the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA), boasted a Show Floor spanning 352,300 net square feet of exhibit space to accommodate the growing number of attendees and booths.

Global Pet Expo, where the pet industry met All Under One Roof, experienced impressive growth in the number of exhibiting companies with 1,164, up three percent from 2017, with 272 first-time exhibitors making their debut at the Show. The Show Floor also expanded with 3,523 booths, a 2.5 percent increase over last year’s Show. Total buyer attendance was 6,508, representing 77 countries from around the world.  More than 2,100 buyers attended Global Pet Expo for the first time, which is a 26 percent increase from 2017. 

“As the premier industry trade show, it is of the utmost importance to Global Pet Expo officials that we continue to expand the offerings and enhance the trade show experience for attendees each and every year,” said Darmohraj.  “And, we’re excited to announce the Show Floor will be even bigger and better than ever at the 2019 Show.”

This year’s Global Pet Expo was marked with high energy and enthusiasm as attendees and exhibitors were more engaged than ever before. New educational and networking opportunities and increased social media engagement created a constant buzz on the Show Floor.  For the first time, mini educational sessions took place in the New Products Showcase that were so well attended there was standing room only. And the debut of aquatic seminars in the Aquatic Lounge on the Show Floor were a welcome addition for members of the aquarium industry.

Overall, the 2018 expanded Academy was a huge success attracting nearly 1,800 attendees, up 12.5 percent from last year. The Academy, managed by PIDA, featured 20 speakers offering 35 hours of retailer education on topics such as social media marketing, competing with online retailers, merchandising tips, customer service solutions and the hottest topics in employment law.

Social media engagement was also at an all-time high, as the Show employed the latest trends to reach thousands of users.  Compared to last year, 25 percent more people were retweeting, mentioning and hash-tagging about Global Pet Expo 2018 on Twitter, while on Instagram, the #GlobalPetExpo hashtag was used nearly 10,000 times. New for this year, Global Pet Expo took advantage of the growing popularity of Instagram stories by posting our own, while more than a hundred people mentioned the Show in their Instagram stories.  Global Pet Expo also received over 1,000 Facebook live views, and the Show’s Snapchat filter was seen by more than 5,000 people.

Global Pet Expo featured more than 1,000 entries in the impressive 30,000 square-foot New Products Showcase, as more buyers turned out than ever before, casting twice as many votes for their favorite products. Now in its eighth year, the New Products Showcase “Best in Show” awards ceremony took place on the Show Floor where awards were handed out to Best in Show, Second and Third place winners across nine categories. Petronics, Inc. took home the top prize in the Cat category with their new “Mousr” and Aquapaw, LLC took home top Dog category award with their new “Aquapaw Pet Bathing System.” With more entrants and more votes cast than ever, buyers narrowed down top picks to determine the winners. Visit the press center on GlobalPetExpo.org for a full list of the New Products Showcase winners.

Global Pet Expo also garnered national media attention from those within the industry and outside the industry as outlets were eager to share the latest trends and products with their pet-owning audience. From representatives covering for NBC, CBS, Fox, USA Today, industry trade publications and more, Global Pet Expo provided fun and exciting content on endless amounts of pet product and ownership information. 

2018 also marked a commemorative year for both associations as they celebrated milestone anniversaries, APPA’s 60^th and PIDA’s 50^th, at a special reception for their members held during Global Pet Expo.

“It is remarkable to think that this organization, founded by a small group of distributors meeting in Chicago in 1968, continues to provide value to distributors, their suppliers and customers all these years later,” commented PIDA president Steve King. “We are very proud of our legacy of service to the pet industry and look forward to helping our members thrive as they face future challenges and opportunities.”

Similarly, APPA was founded by a group of 17 companies in 1958, and six decades later consists of over 1,200 domestic and international pet product manufacturers, importers and livestock suppliers, representing both large corporations and growing business enterprises.

“As we’ve looked back at how The Association got its start with just a few key players in such a small industry at the time, it’s amazing to see the progress we’ve made that has led us to where we are today, part of a 69 billion dollar industry,” said Bob Vetere, president and CEO of APPA.

During Global Pet Expo, APPA released its annual pet industry spending figures- announcing a record-breaking $69.51 billion in pet spending for 2017, up from $66.75 billion in 2016.  Estimated spending for this year is $72.13 billion; another 3.7 percent growth.

Global Pet Expo is open to independent retailers, distributors, mass-market buyers, and other qualified professionals. It is not open to the general public. The 2019 Global Pet Expo will take place Wednesday – Friday, March 20-22, 2019 in Orlando, FL, at the Orange County Convention Center. For details, visit www.globalpetexpo.org.

“The level of attendee and exhibitor engagement was fantastic this year, creating such high energy and buzz throughout the Show, making it the most successful Global Pet Expo to date,” added Darmohraj.

Global Pet Expo, the pet industry’s largest annual trade show, is presented by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA). The 2018 Show featured 1,164 exhibitors, 3,523 booths and more than 3,000 new product launches. Additionally, 6,508 pet product buyers from around the world attended. Global Pet Expo is open to independent retailers, distributors, mass-market buyers, and other qualified professionals. The 2019 Show will take place March 20-22, in Orlando, FL at the Orange County Convention Center. For more information, visit www.globalpetexpo.org.

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) is the leading trade association serving the interests of the pet products industry since 1958.  APPA membership includes more than 1,200 pet product manufacturers, their representatives, importers and livestock suppliers representing both large corporations and growing business enterprises.  APPA's mission is to promote, develop and advance pet ownership and the pet product industry and to provide the services necessary to help its members prosper. APPA is also proud to grow and support the industry through the following initiatives: Pets Add Life (PAL), the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), The Pet Leadership Council (PLC), the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), Bird Enjoyment and Advantage Koalition (BEAK), and the Pet Care Trust.  Visit www.americanpetproducts.org for more information.

Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) has represented the interests of pet product distributors since 1968. The mission of PIDA is to enhance the well-being of the wholesaler-distributor, to promote partnerships with their suppliers and customers and to work cooperatively with other organizations in fostering the human-companion animal bond. Visit www.pida.org for more information.