SHANGHAI, Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pet Fair Asia 2012 broke all previous records attracting almost 50,000 visitors during the four-day event, which was held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, Shanghai, China, October 11-14, 2012. A total of 506 exhibitors from 25 countries showcased new and existing brands, and 12,351 industry professionals and 36,000 pet owners attended to the show.

40 exhibitors from German, Italy, Netherlands, France, the US, Australia, Japan and Korea attended the first ever International Pavilion, which enjoyed great success at the event. "This is the first year that AFB participated in Pet Fair Asia, and it impressed us. The fair provides us a fantastic environment. We will certainly participate in the next fair and look forward to that with enthusiasm," said Kevin Hall, Area Director of AFB International.

There are currently around 40 million pets in China, and this number is growing by 20% annually. The Chinese 'pet economy' was valued at approximately RMB2.5 billion in 2010, and it is expected to exceed RMB15 billion by the end of 2012, representing one of the most promising markets in the global pet Industry.

Pet Fair Asia 2012 hosted the International Pet Industry Summit (IPIS) and the first ever Pet Food Forum China. The IPIS featured top level debates from the world's pet industry experts. They discussed trends in consumer behavior and key manufacturing challenges. The first ever Pet Food Forum China, industry experts from throughout the world presented information and insights on pet nutrition and ingredients, safety and packaging and regulations in and out China. The feedback from delegates praised the high quality and diversity of presentations on China's growing market opportunities.

"Pet Fair Asia 2012 has exceeded all expectations," said David Zhong, President of VNU Exhibitions Asia. "The exhibiting area increased substantially by 30%. Feedback that we have received so far from exhibitors and visitors has been extremely positive. By the end of the event, 60% of the booths available for next years' event were already pre-booked!"

Pet Fair Asia 2013, will be held August 22-25, 2013, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai, China.

"We look forward to welcoming pet industry professionals to Shanghai again in 2013," added David. "It is a key opportunity to introduce many more to the great potential of Asia's pet industry."

Pet Fair Asia is organized by VNU Exhibitions Asia

Website: www.petfairasia.com