A total of 1,502 visitors attended the two-day AQUA 2019 trade show at the Telford International Centre, in which more than 80 exhibitors had stands.
As the doors closed, Mark Winter, managing director of Aqua One, said: “This year’s show has exceeded my expectations with the opening day being the busiest day ever at an AQUA exhibition.”
Mark, who celebrated after picking up a Lifetime Achievement Award and New Product Award at the AQUA dinner, added: “I’m so proud to be associated with such a successful event.”
First-timer Steve Davies, managing director of Plimat UK, had a successful show and said: “It’s our first time exhibiting at AQUA and I have to say wow! There is so much that attracts the eye – bright and enticing stands plus the diversity of all the products. It has been a great show for us, more than we could have expected.”
Another first-time exhibitor was PM Aquatic Wholesale, whose Jeremy Gay said: “We’ve only got a small stand but it has really worked for us with lots of leads, both from existing and new customers. It’s been so good we’ll definitely be back next time.”
Juwel Aquarium made a return to AQUA and the company’s Kevin Allen said it had been the right decision. “We’ve had lots of comments from customers saying they were glad to see us back at the show so I’m glad we’ve returned. It has been an excellent show for us and we’ll definitely be back in two years time.”
‘IT HAS BEEN FANTASTIC’
International companies also gave the show the thumbs-up. Marcel Pellekooren, director of AquaLine from The Netherlands, said: “We visited the show two years ago and afterwards made the decision to exhibit this year, and we are so pleased we did. It has provided us with the opportunity to forge new business.”
Retailers were also happy with the show. Stuart Pell, owner of Angel Aquatics in North Walsham, Norfolk, said: “It’s great to see the whole industry coming together under one roof. I particularly like the fact that you can compare products and make an informed judgement about what to buy. It definitely formulates my buying strategy.”
Rick Johnson, manager of Sunny Bank Koi, Congleton, Cheshire, said: “It’s the first time I’ve attended an AQUA show and it has been fantastic. I love the way the show is set out – it’s bright, colourful and enticing. We’re looking to expand into tropical fish, and AQUA has been the perfect place for us to source new products in this sector of the market.”
Andrew Stratton, managing director of Pelagic Aquatics, Kent, said: “It feels a busier show this year with more variety of products and more information, which is good to see and good for the trade. This show gives us the opportunity to see our existing suppliers but also the chance to meet new companies.”
And Matt Hogg, of Custom Reef Aquariums, Surrey, added: “AQUA is brilliant. It provides visitors with an opportunity to see what’s around and what’s coming up. It’s essential to attend this show and I never miss it.”
The AQUA dinner was attended by 500 guests after day one of the show. Jo Bladon, who organised the dinner, said: “It was a great evening with an amazing number of exhibitors and visitors enjoying themselves.”
