With a year to go before AQUA 2015, the UK’s No 1 water gardening and aquatics trade exhibition is shaping up to be one of the best shows ever staged at Telford International Centre with 82% of stand space already sold.

Returning exhibitors include Alf Ltd, Aqua One, Berry Ring, CASCO, Certikin, Evolution Aqua Interpet, Lotus-Atlantis, J&K, JMC, Mars Fishcare, OASE, Pedigree Aquatics Wholesale, Peter Golding, Tetra and Tropical Marine Centre. A full list is on the AQUA website www.aquatelford.co.uk.

The two-day exhibition on October 14-15, 2015, will also have a strong international presence with companies like Eheim, JBL and Tunze (from Germany), Aquadip, Sibo BV and Velda (The Netherlands), Petra Aqua (Czech Republic), and Amblard (France) having committed to taking stand space.

“It’s great to see the industry getting right behind AQUA 2015,” says organiser Annie Foord. “Major companies from both the UK and abroad are returning to show,

“There’s still a year to go before the event and with 82% of the available stand space already booked, I can see the exhibition being sold out before too long.”

AQUA, which is staged every two years, has grown in size and popularity with companies like Alf Ltd agreeing it’s the perfect stage to launch new products. Sales and marketing director Tania Barton says: “AQUA is a great event and pulls the whole industry together under one roof. It gives us the chance to showcase any new and exciting products to many of our customers over two days. This is more effective than our sales people going around shops with samples as some shops just don’t have the resources to spend a lot of time with reps during opening hours.

It’s a similar story for JMC, whose Jane Flaherty says:  “AQUA is an important event for us because it is one of the few places where we can showcase our products to such a great selection of the aquatic trade. I think we would be crazy to miss it and have already started planning a new and exciting stand layout for 2015.”

There will be lots for visitors to see and do at AQUA 2015 and one of the most popular features is the New Products Showcase where exhibitors get the chance to unveil their latest launches. A panel of retailers will judge all entries on the first morning of the show before New Product Awards are handed out to the winners later in the day.

CASCO Europe won a New Product Award at AQUA 2013 and CEO Matthew Bubear says they’ll be entering again next year. “We have various products and innovations in development at the moment which we will launch at AQUA 2015.

“AQUA is a very well organised and attended trade show which gives us a great opportunity to reach out to the trade,” adds Matthew. “At the show our aim is to provide brand and product awareness. It also gives us the opportunity to demonstrate features and provide an excellent platform to launch new products.”

Annie Foord talks to exhibitors on a regular basis and she knows that AQUA 2015 is an important date in their calendar. “Companies will be working hard between now and AQUA 2015 in a year’s time to produce new and innovative products and services. So if you’re a retailer or buyer make sure you put the date in next year’s diary. It’s an event you can’t afford to miss.”

The AQUA 2015 website can be found at www.aquatelford.co.uk and the AQUA hotline is +44 (0) 1892 862848. Companies wishing to exhibit should call Annie Foord on the same number.

Date for the diary

AQUA 2015, October 14-15, Telford International Centre