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PATS has smashed all records with its first-ever three-day show at Telford in Shropshire, attracting its highest ever attendance figures since the event was launched in 2009. A total of 3,541 visitors – made up of retailers, buyers, groomers and industry professionals – came through the doors of the Telford International Centre in Shropshire, which was 52% higher than the previous record set last year.
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Excitement over the biggest-ever PATS continued into the second day as visitors flooded into the halls for another lively day of trading at Telford’s International Centre. Exhibitors reported busy stands all day with retailers and buyers eager to see, feel and touch the latest products to be launched onto the market.
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The winners of the PATS 2024 New Product Awards, sponsored by pbwnews, were chosen by a team of expert pet retailers, who arrived early at the show in order to make their choices from the record number of entries. The panel judged more than 400 new products entered in the New Product Showcase, basing their decisions on criteria such as product innovation, design, quality, packaging, value for money and sustainability.
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Inventor Cat, Furr Boost, and Scoff Paper have made significant progress since appearing on BBC One’s hit programme Dragons’ Den. All three entrepreneurs reported a positive experience in the gruelling year-long process from doorstep to Den. Visitors to PATS 2024 – the Pet & Aquatics Trade Show – will get the chance to meet all three business owners at the PATS exhibition, which takes place at the Telford International Centre in Shropshire from Sunday, 29th September to Tuesday, 1st October 2024. Gemma Connolly of Scoff Paper, edible greeting cards for dogs, turned down the opportunity to appear in the Den the previous year. She said: “But when I had the call this year, I knew it was the right time. Coming out of the filming day, I was beyond exhausted but proud.” She left the Den with a £50,000 investment from Sara Davies. “With no prior investment, funds were always tight in the business, so we chose trade shows as our main way to get in front of stockists,” added Gemma. “Being in the Den was an opportunity to get 4 million eyes on our brand in one night, and it's something that money couldn't buy. Sales went into their thousands that night. I’ve never experienced anything like it.” Gemma has access to Sara’s logistics, supplies, branding, and digital marketing contacts and the community of other Den contestants who won investment from Gemma. “Since the show I have had hundreds of enquiries from potential stockists, wholesalers and brands looking to partner with us, both in the UK and overseas, which we can now service thanks to the injection of cash we received,” Gemma explained. “We can now develop different products alongside our edible cards and cannot wait for them to hit the market.” Scoff Paper makes a third appearance at PATS in Hall 2, stand J42, where retailers can get a discount on their sought-after range of edible cards for Christmas and all year round. Director of Inventor Cat Victor Carpio pitched The Dental Wand, a cat oral health product. He left the Den with an offer of £45,000 from Deborah Meaden. On the night of the episode, over 500 units were sold, and sales have consistently increased since. Victor fulfilled a lifelong ambition to appear on the show, telling the Dragons: “I remember seeing you when I was a kid and wishing I could be here. It’s a dream come true, so whatever happens, thank you so much for letting me do this.” He added: “Meeting with Deborah was like seeing the magician at work. By asking the right questions, she was able to dissect and put our business back together. She is amazing. We took advice on how to increase the average order value, communicating the brand story and manufacturing, which led to decreased production costs.” Since the show Victor has been nominated for eight awards and is in the process of rebranding as the second version of the Dental Wand launches. He has other exciting new inventions in the pipeline.” Inventor Cat will debut in the New Starter Zone at PATS on stand Q21. Retailers who order at the show can expect a 15% discount on orders over £200. Louise Toal, Co-Founder of Furr Boost, a pet smoothie drinks business, walked away with an offer of £50,000 from Dragon, Touker Suleyman. “Our pitch was 15 minutes long, and then you’re hit with the questions. We were there for two hours. I never thought about being in that scenario and what it would be like. I thought I was going to pass out, but the producers and Dragons make you feel as comfortable as possible,” said Louise. That night, website traffic reached 20,000 at its peak as customers placed 500 orders in one weekend. Grocery and Independent Retailer enquiries came flooding in. “Everything we said we would do in The Den, we have done. We have more than doubled our turnover,” said Louise. Global demand on the back of the show has come as a surprise to the entrepreneur. “You under-estimate how many people watch Dragons’ Den worldwide. It created demand from America, Turkey and Europe, and we are now working on processes to export Furr Boost internationally.” The episode sparked significant interest from the owners of poorly dogs, which helped Furr Boost break into the Veterinary Sector, something they had been working on before the show. Furr Boost exhibits at PATS for the second time, and you can find them in Hall 3, stand M23. Retailers who order over six cases can get 20% off. They have seven recipes available, including the limited edition Christmas flavour.
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Supreme Petfoods is returning to PATS this year after an 11-year absence. The award-winning pet experts will be offering the UK pet trade its first sight of the exciting new Selective Botanicals range which has its official launch on 1st September. Supreme will also be showcasing Tiny Friends Farm dog treats which launched earlier this year. Supreme has long had a reputation for offering strong support for retailers and the team will be out in force and available to discuss category insights that can be actioned to grow sales. Find Supreme on stand M29.
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The new Aquatics Zone at PATS 2024 – a dedicated hall for the key aquatics, reptile and watergardening exhibitors – will showcase the latest launches from leading manufacturers and suppliers. Visitors will find the Zone located in Hall 1A, a prime position immediately next to the show entrance, where almost 40 of the UK’s leading aquatics, reptile and watergardening companies will be exhibiting.
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