AQUA 2015, the UK’s premier water gardening and aquatics trade event, will stage its biggest ever show in October with a record number of 82 companies showcasing their products and services.
Visitors to the exhibition at Telford International Centre on October 14-15 can expect a busy and exciting show as all the exhibitor stands have now been sold.
The exhibition halls will be packed with companies from both the UK and overseas, and as well as meeting up with a long list of AQUA regulars, visitors will be greeted by a host of new faces.
A growing number of companies are choosing to exhibit for the first time as they see AQUA as the perfect opportunity to showcase their products to retailers and overseas distributors.
All Pond Solutions Ltd supply aquatic products to hundreds of stores across the UK and Ireland and they’re looking forward to their first AQUA show.
“It promises to be a great event,” said All Pond Solutions general manager Charlie Kenton-O’Neill. “It’s the ideal stage to launch our new product ranges.
And as well as our own high-quality range of specialist aquarium and pond products, we also offer brands such as Aquatlantis, BOYU, Jebao, Marine Sources, Natural Color, and Twinstar.”
Aidan Wallace, of Nauticalia, said: “We’re new to the show and we’re really looking forward to it. We’ll be promoting a couple of our products – Netfloat and V-pump. Netfloat is a system of easy-to-install plastic nets which protect fish from attack by herons, cats, and seagulls. And V-pump will empty a pond, fish tank, or hot tub using only mains water as its power source.”
Norwood Aquarium Ltd is another newcomer to AQUA, and general manager Rob Street said: “We have been supporting the bricks-and-mortar aquatic trade for 50 years, and we have recently made significant investments in our infrastructure. We believe AQUA 2015 is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate these changes and show retailers why we believe we can offer them the best service in the trade.”
Philip Nicholl, sales director of Hamac Trading Company, commented: “Several of our customers have recommended the AQUA show and we are excited about exhibiting this year, especially our new brand of water feature accessories called ‘Aqua Flo’.”
One of the most popular features at AQUA is the New Product Showcase, and this year it has been given greater prominence with a new and bigger home.
Nearly 100 new products were showcased in 2013 when AQUA was last staged, and a higher number is expected this year. All the items will be entered into the New Product Awards, which will be judged by team of independent retailers on the opening morning of the show.
In recognition of the growing importance of the New Product Showcase and Awards, there will 10 different categories compared to five in 2013.
The categories that now make up the Showcase and Awards are:
- POS/Merchandising Idea
- Reptile Product
- Pond Construction/Decoration
- Pond Pump
- Pond Filter
- Pond Food, Care and Accessories
- Aquaria and Furniture
- Aquarium Equipment
- Aquarium Food, Care and Accessories
- Aquarium Decoration
As well as getting to see all the new products to be launched on to the market, visitors will be well looked-after during their stay. There are more catering facilities and everyone will receive free tea and coffee, and a free deli bag lunch. Retailers and buyers will also be invited to join exhibitors at an AQUA dinner on the first evening of the exhibition. The dinner, which will also be free, has been moved to a larger room to accommodate nearly 700 people.
Visitors can also benefit from free parking next to the exhibition hall, and will be able to take full advantage of a new events village called Southwater Square, recently opened close to the centre with a new hotel, restaurants, and one of the UK’s largest town-centre parks.
A full list of exhibitors can be found on the AQUA 2015 website www.aquatelford.co.uk. For anyone with inquiries call the AQUA hotline on +44 (0) 1892 862848.
