Aqua 2015 Aquatics Wholesale Show
If you’re not in the aquatics industry, the biennial AQUA trade show may be unfamiliar to you. If you are in the aquatics industry, however, you’ll know that AQUA is the UK’s largest aquatics and water gardening trade show. It’s an unmissable event for both aquatics retailers and wholesalers.
AQUA is held in association with the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association (OATA), a non-profit organisation founded in 1991 that promotes and protects the UK ornamental aquatic industry. The event creates community around aquatics and water gardening by providing an opportunity for retailers and wholesalers to meet. Attendees can network with like-minded peers, get a first look at new products and be inspired by the diversity of the thriving UK aquatic industry.
Held over two days, AQUA features exhibition stalls run by various suppliers and a dinner open to both exhibitors and buyers. The latest trends in aquatics are on display at the New Products Showcase, and top products are given New Product Awards that recognise innovation, originality and commercial success across several categories.
AQUA 2015 took place last month at the Telford International Centre. With OATA’s support and the organisational skills of AQUA’s organiser, Annie Foord, the event was a record-breaking success. In total, 82 exhibitors participated and 1,711 visitors attended – a 9% increase from the previous event in 2013. This year’s performance further cemented the show’s reputation as the UK’s leading aquatic event.
AllPondSolutions at AQUA 2015
AllPondSolutions exhibited at AQUA for the first time this year. We supply wholesale aquatic products to hundreds of stores across the UK and Ireland, such as Chiltern Aquatics, Coleraine Pet Shop, Aquatic Store Ltd. Erdington, Creation Aquatics, Tamar View Aquatics, M and L Aquatics, Jaydee Aquatics, Submarine Aquatics (Johnsons Garden Centre) and Scarborough Aquatics. The show was an ideal stage to launch our new product ranges in front of the whole industry. It was great to interact with our peers and get a sense of where the aquatics industry is headed.
As an online-only business, it is especially important for us to seek out opportunities to meet our stockists in person. AQUA allowed us to get direct feedback from some of our regular trade customers, as well as introducing us to many new stockists. We had a lot of interest in our new external filter range, as well as our ReefSurge Wavemaker that will be available soon.
AQUA 2015 was our first trade show experience, but it certainly won’t be our last. As a top aquatics wholesaler, trade shows are an excellent way for us to engage with the wider aquatics community, and we are excited to attend more in the future.