Visitors to PATS Harrogate in September will be greeted by a host of new exhibitors as well as the industry’s big-name brands.

Manufacturers and suppliers have identified PATS as the best place to showcase their products to UK retailers and overseas buyers, and an increasing number of them are newcomers to the exhibition.

Companies like ROK Straps Europe, who have just returned from a successful Zoomark trade exhibition, will be making their first appearance at PATS Harrogate on September 15-16.

“After visiting the Sandown show earlier this year and speaking with a number of other UK companies that have recommended the exhibition, we felt we needed to expand our distribution and retail in the UK and believe PATS is the way forward,” said Mike Abbott, sales and operations manager.

“We aim to show retailers and distributors why our products are the best in today's market and are achieving strong sales growth. For PATS Harrogate we will have new matching plastic buckle style collars and couplers designed to walk two dogs on a single lead.”

Other new exhibitors to PATS Harrogate include Alpha & Ruby's Dog Bakery, Bell & Barker, Christies Direct, Equisafety, Europa Pets, Fisherman’s Daughter, Forthglade Foods, Oggy Pets, Retail Data Partnership, Sea Horse Atlantic, and Snug & Cosy.

Alpha & Ruby’s Dog Bakery is a new company baking its own unique gluten free dog treats in Oxfordshire.  

“We have found that the trend for pet owners to really understand where their pet food comes from and exactly what’s in their pet’s food is on the rise,” explained director Fatima Maktari.

“As a company that bakes all of its own treats from high quality, human grade ingredients we feel that our range of premium dog treats will appeal to a large number of visitors to the show. The attractive packaging and quality ingredients are hard to beat and act as a great diversifier to those already on the market.

“We feel that exhibiting at PATS will be a great way of meeting new and potential contacts from both the UK and Europe that we hope will develop into long-lasting and healthy business relationships for both of us. 

“As a new company, our entire range of products will be new to the vast majority of visitors to PATS, and we will also be unveiling our new range of Christmas gift ideas.”

The Forthglade brand has been around for over 40 years, but the company feels there are still significant opportunities to increase distribution.

“We have gone through an extensive rebranding process over the past 12 months and our attendance at PATS will help us showcase our product range to the trade,” said joint managing director Gerard Lovell.

“Retailers have a great opportunity to capitalise on the rebranded range, as the product quality is excellent and affordability is good. We will have a couple of new products that we believe will be very interesting to the trade, which will help drive up consumer spend and attract new consumers to the brand.”

The mission of another PATS newcomer Oggy Pets is simple: ‘To design, develop and manufacture the best natural pet hygiene and grooming products that Mother Nature has to offer’.

The company will use PATS to spread the message that grooming is vitally important to both the health and psychological of not only humans but animals as well.

“We need to dispel the myth that animals like to be dirty, and instead make everyone aware that domesticated pets prefer to live in a clean environment. After all 'cleanliness is next to godliness', why should that be any different for our pets,” explained managing director Damone Armstrong, Managing Director, Oggy Pets.

As well as seeing new exhibitors at PATS Harrogate, visitors can expect a warm welcome from regulars like Beaphar UK, Bern Pet Food, Company of Animals, Eurostitch, Johnson's Veterinary Products, KONG, Mars Pet Care, Pointer Pet Products, Sharples & Grant and Wagg.

The exhibition will have the same layout as in 2012, using Harrogate Main visitor entrance in Hall M.

PATS Harrogate will also be full of popular visitor features, including the New Products Showcase and Awards, a full programme of free seminars, and the Grooming Workshop.

You can register for free entry now by clicking here