PATS 2024 – the Pet & Aquatics Trade Show – is set to have a strong international presence with a growing number of pet buyers and exhibitors from around the world expected to attend the new three-day show taking place at Telford International Centre from Sunday 29th September to Tuesday 1st October.

In a further move to create more interest with international buyers, the PATS team will be travelling to Nuremberg in Germany next month to exhibit at Interzoo in the British Pavilion. PATS will also have a presence at Superzoo in Las Vegas in August.

“Our primary aim for exhibiting at international shows is to meet, talk to and encourage international retailers and distributors to come to our show,” said Gordon Thomas, of Impact Exhibitions & Events, organisers of PATS.

“We know that UK pet products sell very strongly around the world and representatives from international pet companies can see the advantage of meeting up with British suppliers all under one roof.

“They agree that PATS is the perfect destination to discover what’s new in the market for the year ahead, and an ideal opportunity to talk to UK-based manufacturers and suppliers.”

Gordon added: “We will be working closely with trade association PetQuip on a programme to identify key European pet product buyers and invite them to visit PATS. 

“We ran a similar Inward Mission programme with PetQuip pre-Covid and it was highly successful, attracting buyers from across Europe, including Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland.” 

At the Interzoo show Gordon will promote the new three-day PATS 2024 which is the biggest ever in the show’s 16 years. With five months still to go, more than 260 brands have already signed up to exhibit and the final figure is expected to be over 300.

PetQuip’s Trade Federation Manager Susan Fairley is pleased to be supporting PATS 2024 in guaranteeing renewed interest from international buyers. She said: “The new three-day timeline will add value for both UK and international buyers. The last day of the Telford show last year was notably busy right up until the end, so it’s clear that the current visitors will welcome more time to complete their visit. For international buyers, the extended show days will make their trip more beneficial.”

Barcelona-based Rob James, of Petwork Marketing, sources UK-manufactured products for a network of 50 stores across Spain and has attended PATS in the past with partner and pet shop owner Mireia Sabate De Vale. He said: “I will certainly attend PATS for a minimum of two days and probably all three. A well organised trade fair is vital for our company. It gives us the opportunity to not only conduct a great deal of business, but it also facilitates the introduction to many new products that we would otherwise struggle to find the time to see. I am delighted the show has grown into a three-day annual event and that even more manufacturers and distributors will be able to exhibit. It will prove to be a good use of our time and resources.”

A full list of exhibitors can be found on the PATS website www.patshow.co.uk where visitors can also register to attend for free.