Innovation Takes Center Stage at Global Pet Expo 2025

The event highlights cutting-edge products, emerging brands and new solutions driving the future of pet care.

STAMFORD, CONN. (April 16, 2025) – The American Pet Products Association (APPA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) hosted the pet industry’s premier event on March 26-28, 2025, in Orlando, Fla., showcasing over 1,000 exhibitors across 351,000 net square feet of exhibit space. 

Global Pet Expo, known for delivering the latest pet products and innovation, welcomed nearly 20,000 attendees with record-breaking global attendance across more than 105 countries to discover new pet products, network with industry professionals, and more. The show, hosted annually at the Orange County Convention Center, delivered an estimated $50.7 million in economic impact to the Orlando Metropolitan Area and collected nearly 40 booths of pet products from exhibitors to donate to the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. 

“Each year, Global Pet Expo raises the bar for what’s possible in the pet industry, and 2025 was no exception,” said APPA’s President and CEO, Pete Scott. From groundbreaking product innovation and inspiring thought leadership to future-focused education and community impact, this year’s show underscored the energy, creativity and resiliency of our industry. Our team is proud to provide a platform where pet professionals and businesses of all sizes can connect, grow, and shape the future of pet care together.”  

Highlights from Global Pet Expo 2025 also include: 

New Pet Product Innovation 

The New Products Showcase displayed the latest pet products hitting the market in 2025 across 12 product categories, with the winners announced during the event’s Best in Show Awards. VEA, an AI-powered automation tool for veterinary practices, won the 2025 Purina Pet Care Innovation Prize Pitch Competition Grand Prize. The company was one of five pet startups from across the U.S., Canada and Australia that pitched their businesses to a panel of judges during Global Pet Expo, including APPA’s Chief Growth Officer, Jeremy Baker. The new Startup Pavilion featured 18 emerging brands with early-stage innovations entering the pet industry as part of the event’s commitment to fostering new and up-and-coming small businesses. 

New Specialty Areas & Education Opportunities 

The event brought new and reimagined specialty areas and education opportunities throughout the show floor, including Aquatics & Exotics, Pet Sustainability, Spotlight Stage, Catalyst Theater, Sustainability Theater, and Tails of Joy Theater. The Pet Sustainability section of the show floor showcased Pet Sustainability Coalition-accredited companies, a rapidly growing segment of the pet industry. Global Pet Expo’s new keynote series featured topics of entrepreneurship with speakers including Bert Jacobs, CEO & Co-Founder of Life is Good® and Tyler Mathisen, renowned news anchor and Vice President of Events Strategy for CNBC, alongside a panel of industry leaders, including Lynette Ackley (Group VP, Merchandising, Meijer), James Elasky (Senior VP & Chief Merchant, PetSmart), Yvonne Hsu (EVP + GM, Hill’s Pet Nutrition), Niko Lahanas (CEO, Central Garden & Pet), and Gopi Sandhu (VP of Environmental Sustainability, Nestlé Purina). 

New Pet Industry Data and Insights 

APPA announced the latest pet ownership data and insights alongside its 2025 State of the Industry Report during a media-exclusive press conference. According to APPA, the total U.S. pet industry expenditures reached $152 billion in 2024, and U.S. pet ownership rebounded, with 71% of US households owning a pet.  

Record-Breaking Media and Influencer Attendance 

Media and influencer attendance at Global Pet Expo 2025 was unprecedented, with over 400 members of the media and influencers attending the show. 

Global Pet Expo was ranked by Trade Show Executive as one of the fastest-growing shows in the U.S. for 2024 and was honored at this year’s Trade Show Executive Fastest 50 Awards & Summit. 

The 2026 event will take place March 25-27 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Attendees can save the date and get notified when registration opens at GlobalPetExpo.org.