Abstract
This year’s historical largest edition and the record of visitation reconfirmed the event’s leading position in Asia Pacific
Shanghai September 5th, 2023: Pet Fair Asia held successfully its 25th edition during August 16 to August 20 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). It welcomed attendees from all over the world and gave the international pet industry community the chance to meet again in world’s second largest market, after the 3-year halt due to closed borders. The total number of professional visitors beat any prediction and reached 101,372, coming from China and more than 80 other countries. Opened to public in the last 2 days, the show was also visited by an overwhelming number of 352,169 end consumers. The event encompassed an expansive gross exhibiting area of 230,000 sqm, hosting over 2,200 exhibitors, who showcased more than 24,000 local and international brands of all the sectors in the pet business. Concurrently held with “Pet Fair Supply” and “Pet Fair Veterinary”, Pet Fair Asia formed a cohesive and enhanced platform, with over 40% of participating brands being first-timers. The 26th edition of Pet Fair Asia will return to Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from August 21st to 25th, 2024.
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHINA PET INDUSTRY BOOM
This year’s edition marked the 25th anniversary of the show. Since its birth in 1997, Pet Fair Asia has witnessed and given its contribution to the rising of the Chinese pet industry. The pet population in China has grown by 70% in the recent decade, reaching 116 million pets in 2022. China’s pet industry worth is estimated to reach 445.6 billion RMB (66.1 billion USD) by the end of 2023. In particular, the sales volume of foreign pet food brands in China has grown from 100 million USD in 2016 to 1 billion USD in 2022. With the pet owner population making up only 20% of the total China’s population, the space for penetration in the market is still huge. This edition was also a true proof of the consumer power of China’s expanding class of young, well-educated and tech-savy pet owners, which, as of 2022, owned 69% of China’s pet population. Capitalizing on the influence of the key opinion leaders’ (KOL), the event served as a dynamic stage to showcase the post-pandemic vitality and vibrancy of the pet industry in China and Asia Pacific.
EXHIBITORS CONCLUDE A SUCCESSFUL EDITION
The 17 expansive halls were categorized by distinct themes, with sections dedicated to pet supplies, pet food, and pet healthcare. Specialized zones for small pets, reptiles, and exotic pets, in particular, captivated significant attention from the general public. This comprehensive integration showcased the complete spectrum of the pet industry, solidifying the show’s status as a one-stop platform for trade and interaction in the international pet business.
The show hosted also country pavilions from New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Poland as well as the institutional presence of the USDA Agricultural Trade Office at the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai. “This was the first time for our office to exhibit at Pet Fair Asia” – said Lashonda McLeod Harper, Director of the Agricultural Trade Office. “I was thrilled to visit the show to witness China’s growing pet food industry and the great opportunities it presented for the U.S. pet food industry. I was also glad to see the abundant number of U.S. brands showcased. I hope to continue our partnership with Pet Fair Asia to expand awareness of U.S. pet food and to promote U.S. pet food products to China” – concluded Lashonda.
THE IMPRESSIVE RETURN OF INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS
Among the notable highlights of this year’s edition was the presence of thousands of international participants from 80+ different countries. Despite challenges in travel, stemming primarily from lengthy visa application processes, the international community showcased remarkable loyalty and trust to the event. The organizer hosted various buyer delegations for each major segment, enabling participants to engage in diverse activities such as guided booth tours, visits to local pet shops and pet hospitals as well as various networking events. The international participants appreciated the efforts made by the organizer to assist their travel, create a foreign friendly environment, provide several types of hospitality services and show them a sincere and heartfelt welcome to China after these years.
GUIDING THE INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION
The Pet Fair Asia has consistently committed itself to nurturing sustainable industry growth and spearheading new directions within the pet sector. It does so also by acting as a meeting and exchange point among worldwide industry leaders and practitioners. In particular this year, the “12th IPIS International Pet Industry Summit – Asia CEO Summit” brought together over 1,000 CEOs, senior executives, and industry decision-makers from across the globe to discuss the latest industry trends and developments. Additionally, more than 20 professional summits and forums, including the Asia Pet Veterinary Conference, Asia Pet Food Summit, Asia Pet E-commerce Conference, and Pet Shop Asia, comprehensively covered medical, supply chain, distribution, retail, and other sectors of the industry. With insights from over a hundred pet industry experts and leaders from China and abroad, discussions centered on the evolving landscape and global trends as well as envisioning the future of the pet industry in the post-pandemic era.
The 26th edition of Pet Fair Asia will return to Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from August 21st to 25th, 2024 and is set to hold an even larger scale and, internationally, more impactful event.
For more information about the show visit: www.petfairasia.com
Media Contact:
Ms. Clement Wong- VNU Exhibitions Asia
Email: clement.huang@vnuexhibitions.com.cn
About Pet Fair Network:
Community
apa (Asia Pet Alliance): Founded in 2019, apa is an innovative platform powered by associations, societies, companies and individual professionals of the pet industry in Asia. It focuses on the China pet industry and, at the same time, aims to unite the entire Asian pet market, with the purpose to establish common norms for the industry and promote its growth and healthy development.
Events
Pet Fair South East Asia 2023.10.25-27, Bangkok Thailand, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibitions Center (BITEC) provides the international pet industry with a B2B Partnership Hub for Distribution, Retail, and Sourcing.
Pet Fair Shenzhen 2023.11.24-26, Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, will continue to support the development of pet industry manufacturers, brands and distributors in China’s southern provinces.
Pet Fair Beijing 2024.3.1-3 will continue to support the development of pet industry manufacturers, brands and distributors in northern China.
Publications
“Blue Book of the Pet Industry”: Annually published by apa, “Blue Book of the Pet Industry” has gained extensive industry recognition and dissemination and has become a must-read report for pet industry professionals as well. The book has been translated into English for distribution in overseas pet markets, with the purpose to assist the continuous integration of China’s pet industry into the global academia and researches.