Pet Fair Asia visitor attendance up by 6%
The global trade fair Pet Fair Asia has reported that visitor numbers for its hybrid in-person and online fair in Shanghai in August were up by 6%. Its 17 halls hosted 1,683 exhibitiors and 70,849 registered visitors.
Organisers said the show in Shanghai in took place in a ‘business atmosphere one could almost consider normal’ and, while acknowledging the lack of overseas visitors due to on-going travel restrictions, the exhibition’s attendance was up.
The show was a hybrid event to allow foreign brands and buyers to connect remotely with professionals on-site. This was via an International Matchmaking Program, bringing together international pet brands and local buyers through pre-arranged meetings, videoconferencing and on-site product presentations.
There were also several live video sessions at the show, addressing topics such as 2020 pet food trends or innovation trends in the Chinese pet industry, showcasing a new generation of brands born in China.
With three more halls than the 2019 edition, organisers said the show was a ‘good barometer’ of the pet industry’s ability to resist recession. In particular the pet food sector proved resilient, with numerous new brands being launched.
A spokeman said of the new food brands: “Positioned in the medium- to premium-segment, with fancy design clearly targeting a new generation of pet owners born post-95, these newcomers do not play the cheap card any more.
“They promise high quality nutrition, some of them emphasising their production in state-of-the-art foreign factories; New-Zealand and Canada topping the ‘origin’ chart this year.”
A number of imported brands were also on show, apparently reflecting the growing number of overseas factories receiving approval from China’s Customs and Ministry of Agriculture for general trade import.
Source: Pet Buisness World