Pet news at the race track

The halls at Sandown racecourse are normally packed with punters following the fortunes of the noble beasts, but at the annual PATS Sandown trade show they are frequented by trade and industry representatives of the pet sector in the UK and the rest of the world seeking the latest innovations and trends. The fair is appreciated by visitors above all for its rather relaxed atmosphere. It is no longer regarded purely as an ordering fair, which it doubtless still is, but is also popular as a meeting place where the trade and industry can indulge in informal exchanges about new developments in the sector. The atmosphere of an intimate house fair is enhanced also by the understated stand presentation, because no huge, extravagant stands are to be found here.

The easy-going atmosphere resulted in a considerable flow of visitors this year too, although numbers were slightly down on the previous year. 1 859 visitors took the route between the two show halls in Sandown Park in 2015, compared with 1 903 in 2014. Nevertheless, there were positives to be drawn from this figure too. "The number of pet retailers attending the show increased by 2 per cent compared to 2014," stated Impact Exhibition. "There was also a larger presence from garden centres at the Sandown Park showpiece in Surrey, 6 per cent higher than the previous year, as the pet category takes on a growing importance throughout this sector." The number of pet supplies dealers present at the show highlighted the fact once again that the independent pet trade in the UK still occupies a strong position and has not yet been overtaken by the dominance of the big chains.
The show also welcomed more visitors from London (20 per cent up on 2014) and the South West (7 per cent higher) of the United Kingdom. Even if the number of visitors fell slightly, however, this did not lessen the satisfaction of the exhibitors. "The feedback we've received has been fantastic, with lots of exhibitors remarking that the quality of visitors to their stands was of a high standard," said Gordon Thomas from the organisers. "They've been telling us there were more decision-makers at the show, and this has been confirmed by our data, which shows a larger number of company owners and directors attended this year."