Trade exhibitors have reported one of their best ever years at the annual garden, pet and leisure industry exhibition, Glee, which had more aquatic industry exhibitors this year than ever before.
The event, which was held at the NEC in Birmingham earlier this week, is an international trade show for manufacturers to show their new products to the industry's retail and wholesale buyers. Around 25,000 retailers, distributors, wholesalers, importers and exporters attend the show which brings in both exhibitors and visitors from across the world.
Petindex, the section of the show devoted to the pet industry, is Europe's largest annual pet and aquatic exhibition and included stands from virtually all of the world's top aquatic brands, many of which were showcasing new products for the first time.
This year saw a record number of aquatics bookings at the show, with around 280 stands devoted to aquarium and pond equipment as well as a similarly healthy watergardening section.
Many of the exhibitors Practical Fishkeeping spoke to at the event said that they had taken more orders than ever before, indicating that the aquatics market remains lively at the moment, despite Glee's competition with rival European trade show Interzoo earlier this year.
Among the hundreds of new products on display this year were everything from new plants from Tropica, to new holiday foods, aquaria and phosphate controls from Tetra, to new starters from Arcadia and a new pond filter from Hozelock.
Further details on some of the new launches can be found in the trade magazine Pet Product Marketing next week, as well as in future issues of Practical Fishkeeping.