A growing number of distributors and large retailers from around the world look set to attend PATS Telford in September as the event builds on its reputation of becoming an international pet trade show.
That’s welcome news to UK suppliers and manufacturers exhibiting at Telford International Centre on September 27-28, with more than 110 of them being exporting companies.
The switch to Telford was always seen as a great opportunity to attract more international visitors eager to discover innovative new pet products from UK companies. With England’s two largest international airports (outside of London) ideally situated for Telford – Birmingham with 110 daily arrivals and Manchester with almost 200 – travelling to and from the event will be easier.
PATS has launched a new initiative this year, working with PetQuip to attract inward missions of key European buyers distributors to the Telford exhibition.
Organiser Gordon Thomas exhibited in the British pavilion at Zoomark in Italy and was impressed with the level of interest shown in PATS Telford.
“It was evident from the trip to Zoomark there is great interest in buying British,” said Gordon. “The UK pet market is the second largest in Europe and international distributors and retailers recognise that fact, and also that British companies invent and manufacture innovative new products. They want to see all the latest launches from UK companies and they accept that PATS Telford is the best place to do that.
“At Zoomark I met companies from a wide range of countries, including Egypt, Italy, Macedonia, Israel, Denmark and Slovenia, and many of them promised to be at PATS Telford.
“The fact we have moved our September show to Telford has also made a visit to the show more attractive to European buyers because they can hop on a plane and fly into Birmingham airport.”
To recognise the fact there will be more visitors from around the globe, PATS has included an International Buyers’ Centre at Telford, which will be run in association with PetQuip.
Amanda Sizer Barrett MBE, director general of PetQuip, says: “I’m certain the move to Telford will elevate PATS on the international stage. The whole image of the venue will be good for attracting buyers from abroad and we will be working closely with the PATS team to deliver a growing number of overseas visitors. The International Buyers’ Centre is a great addition to the show and my team will be on hand to answer questions on the UK pet market throughout the two days of the show.”
Many PATS exhibitors are seeing the advantage of the exhibition’s growing reputation on the international scene.
Tastybone were among a number of companies exhibiting at Zoomark as part of the PetQuip group and the company’s Ken Seymour said: “Shows like Zoomark are tremendous show for us, and we think PATS is becoming just as important from an export point of view. We’ve noticed a growing international presence at the show, and I think it will get even bigger at Telford.”
PATS Telford is taking place on Sunday, September 27, and Monday, September 28, 2015, and UK pet suppliers are already getting excited about the chance to showcase their products and services to a growing number of overseas distributors.
“We hope the show continues to grow,” says Lisa Osborne, of Marriages Specialist Foods. “We want PATS to draw more people from around the world and put the British pet care market in the global spotlight.”
PATS Telford will be the biggest show ever in the UK’s No.1 pet trade show’s seven-year history with more than 150 companies already booked to exhibit.
A full and up-to-date list of exhibitors is available on the website www.patshow.co.uk together with information on how to reach the venue and regularly updated show news.
