Team Canada Left Their Mark at CIPS 2019!
Huítóu jiàn, Shanghai! Until next time! PIJAC Canada and Canadian members packed up their bags and flew to Shanghai, China, to set up the first ever Canadian Pavilion at the 23rd edition of the China International Pet Show (CIPS). The four-day exhibition covering 130,000sqm of show space is a powerful networking platform that attracts thousands of qualified buyers from across Asia and the world. In fact, CIPS News shared that at the time of pre-registration, visitors from 122 countries and territories were to attend the show. They also shared that domestic buyers cover all provinces and autonomous regions, represented more than 1,000 local distributors, national Top 50 pet e-commerce, and that 10, 000 stores were registered to participate, giving Canadian companies lots of opportunity to discover new connections and make valuable trade deals over the four show days. Six Canadian companies formed the Canadian Pavilion, leaving their mark on the Asian market. Visitors particularly enjoyed the friendly hospitality that Canadians are renowned for.
Trade shows like the China International Pet Show are a valuable opportunity for Canadian companies to expand their sales reach beyond our borders. Being present at these shows also presents an excellent opportunity to gain in-depth understanding of the market and to seize the latest industry trends. With over 27, 400, 000 pets in China, with 11% of the population having a pet in their home, the Chinese pet market is important for Canadian companies. It is forecasted that in the next three to five years, the pet industry will see a 20% increase. The Canadian companies participating in CIPS grasped this opportunity to make their brands better known in this part of the world. After all, Canadians have the reputation of providing top quality products and customer service, which make Canadian companies highly sought out at these international shows.
President & CEO of PIJAC Canada, Stephanie Girard, has had the opportunity to participate in two pet industry trade shows held in Shanghai this year. Having visited both the China International Pet Show and Pet Fair Asia, she can truly say that she has been fully exposed to the booming Asian pet market. “It’s amazing to see firsthand the scale of the pet market in Asia. Innovation is top-of-mind for Asian manufacturers. I am proud to support our Canadian companies abroad and facilitate their exchanges with the Asian market. They clearly distinguish themselves! The innovative products and technology found at these shows clearly demonstrates in which direction the pet industry is headed. I look forward to seeing how innovation will continue to shape our industry.”
To conclude, we wish to extend a special thank you to Agriculture and Agrifood Canada’s AgriMarketing Program, which make our member’s participation in the China International Pet Show and other international events possible. The program helps small to medium Canadian businesses using Canadian produced materials reach new markets. We also wish to thank your valuable board members for all that they do. The participation in events like CIPS would be impossible without your continuous support.
Check out our PIJAC Canada Facebook page for CIPS 2019 photos
