Global Pet Expo 2011 sets records in attendance, new pet products introduced

Petfood companies and exhibitors showed off the latest pet products on the floor of Global Pet Expo 2011.

The American Pet Products Association and Pet Industry Distributors Association  announced that Global Pet Expo 2011 exceeded 2010's record-setting numbers in nearly every aspect with thousands of new pet products introduced, and a record number of booths, exhibiting companies and buyers attending the show.
Global Pet Expo 2011 took place March 16-18,  in Orlando, Florida, USA. The show had 835 exhibiting companies, 2,380 booths and total attendance of 4,691 buyers – the highest buyer attendance ever at Global Pet Expo. Pet Expo’s Twitter and Facebook pages also reached all-time highs, with Twitter followers increasing 51% and the Facebook fans increasing by 325% from the previous show.
“I believe our new show date pattern definitely contributed to the record level of attendance this year,” said Andrew Darmohraj, APPA senior vice president. “Overwhelmingly we had heard from buyers that the amount of time they spend at the Show would increase should the show dates take place on weekdays only as opposed to the previous format of Thursday through Saturday. As buyer attendance is critical to the success of Global Pet Expo and its exhibitors, we listened and successfully made the change to a Wednesday through Friday format.”
Dog trainer and TV personality Victoria Stilwell was named the 2011 recipient of Global Pet Expo’s annual “Excellence in Journalism and Outstanding Contributions to the Pet Industry Award.” Stilwell accepted her award at a media-exclusive event sponsored by Nestle Purina Pet Care Co. on March 17. Other show highlights included the debut of the New Products Showcase Awards Presentation and the announcement of APPA's 2010 pet industry spending figures.
The 2012 Global Pet Expo is scheduled to take place from February 29 through March 2, 2012, in Orlando, Florida, USA.