SuperZoo 2012, hosted September 11-13, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, saw a record number of participants, with 871 exhibiting companies in 160,000 net square feet of space at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Attendance to the 2012 pet product show increased 12 percent over 2011, with participants coming from 53 countries, says show organizers, World Pet Association.
The New Product Showcase at SuperZoo made it easier for participants to find new products and gave them a chance to vote for the "Best New Products of 2012" in nine categories plus "Best in Show."
Educational sessions were also held, including "Business Reinvention: The New Normal on Main Street & Every Street" and "Beyond Facebook." A featured topic at the conference was "The Destination Business," presented by guest instructor Jon Schallert of the Schallert Group, who shared his 14-step strategy to transform businesses from a "store" to an "experience."
Representatives from pet chew maker, Pet Carousel, and petfood manufacturer, Natural Balance, also made made appearances at the show. Another petfood manufacutrer, P&G Pet Care, sponsored a concert by Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, with proceeds benefitting the Pets in the Classroom program.
Additionally, Paul Jolly, vice president for Petco Animal Supplies, executive director for the Petco Foundation and co-founder of PAWS LA, was awarded the Jiro Matsui Award from the World Pet Association, honoring lifetime contributions to the pet industry.
SuperZoo 2013 will be held July 23-25, 2013, at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.