28th - 30th September 2025  |  NEC, Birmingham
24 Apr 2024

Renewed boost to international interest in PATS

Renewed boost to international interest in PATS
Barcelona-based Rob James, of Petwork Marketing, and Spanish pet shop owner Mireia Sabate De Vale are regular visitors to PATS.

PATS 2024 – the Pet & Aquatics Trade Show – is set to have a strong international presence with a growing number of pet buyers and exhibitors from around the world expected to attend the new three-day show taking place at Telford International Centre from Sunday 29th September to Tuesday 1st October.

In a further move to create more interest with international buyers, the PATS team will be travelling to Nuremberg in Germany next month to exhibit at Interzoo in the British Pavilion. PATS will also have a presence at Superzoo in Las Vegas in August.

“Our primary aim for exhibiting at international shows is to meet, talk to and encourage international retailers and distributors to come to our show,” said Gordon Thomas, of Impact Exhibitions & Events, organisers of PATS.

“We know that UK pet products sell very strongly around the world and representatives from international pet companies can see the advantage of meeting up with British suppliers all under one roof.

“They agree that PATS is the perfect destination to discover what’s new in the market for the year ahead, and an ideal opportunity to talk to UK-based manufacturers and suppliers.”

Gordon added: “We will be working closely with trade association PetQuip on a programme to identify key European pet product buyers and invite them to visit PATS.

“We ran a similar Inward Mission programme with PetQuip pre-Covid and it was highly successful, attracting buyers from across Europe, including Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland.”

At the Interzoo show Gordon will promote the new three-day PATS 2024 which is the biggest ever in the show’s 16 years. With five months still to go, more than 260 brands have already signed up to exhibit and the final figure is expected to be over 300.

PetQuip’s Trade Federation Manager Susan Fairley is pleased to be supporting PATS 2024 in guaranteeing renewed interest from international buyers. She said: “The new three-day timeline will add value for both UK and international buyers. The last day of the Telford show last year was notably busy right up until the end, so it’s clear that the current visitors will welcome more time to complete their visit. For international buyers, the extended show days will make their trip more beneficial.”

Barcelona-based Rob James, of Petwork Marketing, sources UK-manufactured products for a network of 50 stores across Spain and has attended PATS in the past with partner and pet shop owner Mireia Sabate De Vale. He said: “I will certainly attend PATS for a minimum of two days and probably all three. A well organised trade fair is vital for our company. It gives us the opportunity to not only conduct a great deal of business, but it also facilitates the introduction to many new products that we would otherwise struggle to find the time to see. I am delighted the show has grown into a three-day annual event and that even more manufacturers and distributors will be able to exhibit. It will prove to be a good use of our time and resources.”

A full list of exhibitors can be found on the PATS website www.patshow.co.uk where visitors can also register to attend for free.

Photographs of PATS Telford 2023 are available to download at

https://stewartwrittle.dphoto.com/album/dollqv

For further media information please contact Neil Pope by email press@impact-exhibitions.com

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We are thrilled with the incredible response from our very first exhibition at PATS! The three days were absolutely brilliant, giving us the opportunity to connect with many new and existing customers. PATS proved to be the perfect platform for launching our new catalogue and introducing over 350 brand-new SKUs. We can't wait to be a part of next year's event at the NEC!

Tom Gwilliam
Sales & Marketing Director |  HugglePets

I think it’s a great idea to add a third day to PATS. We’re here for all three days, giving us enough time to meet everyone and make informed decisions about stocking new products. We also like PATS because of all the networking opportunities.

Tina Quest
Redpaw Pet Supplies, Devon

At PATS 2024 it was lovely to reconnect with our existing customers while also having the opportunity to meet potential new ones. We were thrilled to launch three new ranges during the show, Canagan Petite, Canagan Raw (Freeze Dried Treats and Toppers) and Symply Little, all of which have sold amazingly well, further highlighting the value of this event for showcasing our innovations. Looking ahead, we believe that the Birmingham NEC could offer significant advantages, including improved transport links and a larger venue to accommodate a growing number of exhibitors and visitors, both will enhance the overall experience.

Charlie Williams
Joint Managing Director |  Canagan Group

We’ve been rushed off our feet on all three days. It has been an excellent show and I love the fact you can spend more time with visitors. I will definitely need a larger stand in 2025

Cyril Geoffray
UK & Ireland national Sales Manager |  Zoo Med
We’ve missed going to Aqua so we’re really happy to be visiting the Aquatics Zone at PATS. We’ve come to see the new products, find out about deals on offer and meet people face to face. It’s also a great opportunity for networking with other shops and companies and building new relationships – something we have missed out on during the Covid years
Mark Warren
Partner |  West Dorset Aquatics
We’ve come to PATS for the whole three days because you just can’t do it justice in only two. For us, as we deal with the whole spectrum of the pet industry, we spend day one wandering through the halls to see what catches our eye and day two doing our buying – but we’ve found that by the end of the second day we haven’t always got round to everyone. So the third day is a real bonus. There is less of a rush to get it all done and we can spend more time building relationships and ensuring we’ve caught all the deals and found all the new products we might want to stock. PATS is an important highlight of the year and we wouldn’t want to miss any of it!
Toni Thornton
Managing Director |  Four Oaks Pet Supplies, Scarborough

It was great to see the Aquatics Zone sold out and full of exhibitors. For us at J&K it was a pleasure, as always, to catch up with a good number of our longstanding customers as well as meet with and introduce our brands and product ranges to potential new ones. Hopefully the new format for 2025, moving into a larger venue, capable of accommodating even more exhibitors, and with better air, road and rail access, will encourage even more visitors, allowing the show to grow in the years to come.

Ben Windeatt
Sales & Marketing |  J&K Aquatics
I’m a big advocate of having three show days because it gives you more time to spend with clients. PATS keeps growing in a good way because it gives more companies – big and small, old and new – the platform to make their mark. I had a look at the New Starter Zone and loved the buzz that these new companies were creating. PATS is great for the UK pet industry
Greg Van Praagh
Head of UK |  RPFC Group

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