Wild Western Pet Expo Round-up

When it comes to our shows, expansion is exactly what we want to see.  Bigger and better than ever, the Western Pet Expo added 20% more exhibitors to meet demand of our visitors.  According to the crowd, it was the show special that brought them through the door and had them exploring the aisles. 

With a significant percentage of products in our industry being dedicated to nutrition, it was no surprise to see the success of the Animal Nutrition workshop, presented by Serge Boutet.  The presentation discussed cat and dog food development, nutritional philosophy and composition (what are each ingredient included for) and how private brands compare.

Despite the size of the province, one of the amazing things about the Western Pet Expo is the community feel, as the exhibitors greet long-time customers and welcome new ones.   "The main reason we like these shows is the meet and greet part with our customers. Many times we sell to stores and build great relationships over the phone and email but never get a chance to see them face to face. That is by far (in my personal opinion) the best reason to attend and reason we do them." says Jamie Gagnon, President of the Little Fish Company. Visitors clearly agreed, as they took a break from the perfect weather to meet with close to 80 exhibitors.

Not to be outdone by the Calgary Show on the 26th, voting in the Best New Product competition was prolific.  The official winner will be announced via social media later this week. 

As our domestic trade show team finishes up with our spring series and our international team heads to Italy for Zoomark this week, the PIJAC Canada staff will shortly be gearing up for ExpoZoo in its new Drummondville location, August 23 and 24, as well as, the National Pet Industry Show, September 20 - 21.