Ornamental Fish International (OFI) and the China International Pet Show (CIPS) will host the 3rd Aquatic Industry Convention from 12 to 14 November 2026, during the 30th CIPS (12–15 November) at the China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou.
Under the theme Transforming the Aquarium Industry: Data, Technology and Retail Innovation, the convention brings together exporters, importers, breeders, retailers, manufacturers, researchers and regulators. Over three afternoons they will look at where the global aquarium trade is heading, and at the business models that are working now.
The convention is free for CIPS attendees, with live English–Mandarin interpretation throughout. Sessions run each afternoon from 13:30 on the convention stage in Area B, on the aquatic floor.
Day 1, Thursday 12 November: Markets, Regulation and Industry Direction
The convention opens with a welcome from Shane Willis, President of OFI, and an opening speech by Li Jin, President of CIPS, followed by the signing ceremony for the OFI Chapter for Butterfly Koi – Asia by Shane Willis and the Chapter.
Shane Willis then gives the keynote, State of the Global Aquarium Industry 2026: Trade, Markets and the Forces Reshaping Our Industry. He is followed by:
- Svein A. Fosså, OFI Vice-President and President of the European Pet Organization, on emerging policies shaping the aquarium industry.
- Professor Zaizhong Chen of Shanghai Ocean University, on the China aquarium market.
- Jay Springer of Pet Supplies Plus (USA), joining live online, on the US aquarium market.
- Nathalie Gamain, OFI's EU Affairs Officer, on the European market and what EU regulatory trends mean for exporters.
Day 2, Friday 13 November: Aquarium Retail Excellence and Commercial Innovation
Day 2 opens with the winners of the OFI Aquarium Retail Excellence Award and the OFI Emerging Aquatic Species Award. Retail speakers follow:
- Ibrahim Mefire Kouotou, Managing Director of EHEIM (Germany): From Product Shelf to Experience Platform: Retail Innovation in Connected Aquatics.
- Balázs Farkas, co-founder of Green Aqua (Hungary), on how aquascaping transformed the European aquarium market.
- Oh Sang-jin, founder of AquaTale (Korea), on building a modern aquatic lifestyle business.
- Zhang Kai of the OFI Butterfly Koi Breeding Chapter, on breeding butterfly koi for retail.
- Shamjith S of Sreepadma Aqua Flora (India), on how social media is driving aquatic plant retail.
- Lin Jinqing, founder of Aquascape Café, on bringing aquascapes into the café as a new path for aquatic retail.
Day 3, Saturday 14 November: Innovation, Technology, AI and Social Media
The final day moves from the farm to the checkout:
- Danilo Ronchi of DaniReef (Italy), on how online communities are transforming the aquarium industry.
- Leo Kuo of ShareGuru Intelligence Technologies, on AI in Amano shrimp production.
- Ran Epstein of Colors Farm (Israel), on sustainable fish farming with aquaponics and solar.
- He Chuan of the Beijing Fisheries Technology Extension Station, on innovation in goldfish breeding.
- Liam Hsueh of STB Clownfish Farm, on large-scale clownfish breeding.
- James Lin of Creative Way Global, on AI for aquarium retail sales.
Each afternoon closes with a live panel, where delegates can put their questions to the day's speakers.
"Our industry is changing faster than at any time I can remember. How customers find fish, how fish are bred and how they're sold are all shifting at once. This convention is where we stop and look at that honestly: what the trade data tells us, what the rules are doing, and which businesses are getting it right. Last year more than 200 of you joined us in Guangzhou. I'd like to see the room even fuller this year," said Shane Willis, President, OFI.
Registration: free with CIPS visitor registration at http://s.chgie.cn/NvQYxe
Programme and speakers: https://www.ofish.org/CIPS-3rd-Aquatic-Industry-Convention
