The American Pet Products Association (APPA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) hosted the 20th annual Global Pet Expo on March 20-22, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. The pet industry’s premier event showcased a sold-out show floor with over 1100 exhibiting companies spanning 343,500 net square feet of exhibit space.
Total attendance reached nearly 20,000 attendees representing over 85 countries at the event known for delivering the latest in pet products, business connections and world-class education. The show, hosted at the Orange County Convention Center, brings in millions of dollars to the Orlando Metropolitan area each year, with Global Pet Expo 2024 delivering over US$45 million in local economic impact. Global pet Expo also gives back to the local pet community through its longstanding partnership with the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando to collect product donations after each event. This year, over 70 booths were donated to help serve the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando’s mission.
“It was exhilarating to see the pet industry come together at Global Pet Expo with record-braking attendance. We spent an incredible week discovering new pet products hitting the market this year and celebrating the latest innovations our industry has to offer,” said APPA President and CEO Peter Scott.
New Pet Product Innovations
The event showcased thousands of the latest pet products and innovations across trending consumer categories, from smart technology to at-home wellness solutions and sustainable products. The New Product Showcase displayed over 1000 products across 13 product categories, with the winners of the 14th Annual Awards announced during Global Pet Expo’s ‘Best in Show’ Awards. VetChip, a biotechnology company dedicated to improving animal health and welfare through pioneering technology that monitors, analyses and detects pet health issues, was selected as the grand prize winner of the 2024 Purina Pet care Innovation grand Prize. The company was one of five pet startups from across the US, Canada and Australia that pitched their businesses to a panel of judges during Global Pet Expo, including APPA’s Peter Scott.
Enhancements to the Show Experience
Global Pet Expo 2024 unveiled new activations at the event to elevate the attendee experience. Entrances to the show floor were redesigned to create an immersive sensory experience upon arriving at the event. The new Innovation in Motion Experience revealed a modernised New Products Showcase display, Spotlight Stage and Think Tank. The show floor also expanded to feature new specialty areas, including The Modern Pet, the Supplier Pavilion and the Sustainability section, in partnership with the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC).
World-Class Education
The Global Learning Series delivered over 50 hours of education across four days of sessions featuring topics shaping business decisions in 2024. “Participation in the Global Learning Series sessions neared 2000 attendees this year,” said PIDA President Celeste Powers. “The excitement during the sessions and throughout the show floor was palpable, and the entire Global Pet Expo team was inspired seeing months of planning transform into a fantastic event for the pet industry.”
Unprecedented Media and Influencer Attendance
Media and influencer engagement with Global Pet Expo 2024 was record-breaking, with nearly 300 members of the media and influencers attending the show. This year, Global Pet Expo will be honoured by Trade Show Executive as one of the top fastest-growing shows in the US for 2023 at the Trade Show Executive Fastest 50 Awards & Summit, May 8-10, 2024. The show was ranked in the Fastest 50 By Exhibiting Companies and Next 50 By Total Attendance and By Net Square Feet.
Global Pet Expo 2025 will take place on March 26-28, 2025, at the Orange County Convention Centre in Orlando, Florida.
This Event Report was published in the May 2024 Edition of International Petfood Magazine.
