The world we face, once the difficulties and emergencies of the early part of 2020 have passed, is sure to bring new habits and new routines into our lives, but pets will undoubtedly continue to play a key role. The 19th edition of ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL, the International Trade Show for Pet Products and Accessories to be held in Bologna from 10th to 13th May 2021, is working on innovative solutions and new resources to respond as of now to the needs of companies and professionals in this rapidly changing scenario.
The event, the pet industry's most important international showcase held in odd years, is organized by BolognaFiere with the patronage of ASSALCO, the national association of pet food and care companies, and ANMVI, the Italian National Association of Veterinarians.
Innovation, inspiration and insight are the key words for ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL 2021, which translate to: new products and services for pets; increasingly customized food solutions to meet a diversified range of needs and accessories that combine comfort and functionality (designed and manufactured with the focus on sustainability).
The desire to get back to normal, teamed with the changing panorama of consumer behaviour and priorities opens up vast new horizons for the pet industry, and ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL is a reflection of a sector destined to confirm its importance in household spending, despite the crisis affecting all parts of the world. The previous edition in May 2019 event saw 757 exhibitors, 507 of whom were from abroad (from 45 countries) and over 30,000 professionals (+23% compared to the previous edition), 11,317 of whom were foreign (almost 40% of the total) from 104 countries.
In terms of economic indicators regarding pet food and accessories, food products for cats and dogs (of which there are around 15 million in Italy) saw a turnover of just under € 2.1 billion - an increase of 1.5% in 2019, higher than that of packaged consumer goods.
With a total of 60.4 million animals, Italy is the European country with the most pets, a ratio of 1:1 with the human population, and second only to Poland in terms of the percentage of people who own pets.
In commercial terms, Europe is currently the world's largest and most dynamic market. The percentage of European households with a dog, a cat or other animals such as fish or birds goes from 70% in Poland, to 67% in Italy, to 49% in Sweden (Source: Assalco-Zoomark Report and data from BolognaFiere).
Preview of ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL 2021https://www.zoomark.it/
The weekday schedule has been confirmed once more: the show will be on from Monday 10th to Thursday 13th May 2021. Holding the event during the working week is designed to facilitate organisational logistics for national and international professionals.
The layout adopted in 2019, which included the new halls 28, 29 and 30, was much appreciated by exhibitors and visitors alike, and this has led to the decision to use again halls 25, 26, 28, 29 and 30 for the 2021 event, with the addition of the Service Centre, which will be hosting new products and other initiatives.
AquaProject will feature once more, another of the strengths of ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL 2021. In its third year, AquaProject has grown steadily, adding new contents each time, with increasingly sophisticated design ideas and creations. There are more than 30 million aquarium fish in Italy (exotic and native species), and a highly specialised industry supplying food, technology and accessories.
ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL 2021 is also set to offer an exciting range of new features, including a special focus on packaging, an increasingly important tool in terms of security, traceability, communication and the relationship with the consumer. The show will present services, products, innovative design and packaging solutions and machinery for the industry, which complements and completes the production of pet products and accessories.
Innovation, new companies and sustainability are the focus of another new feature of the upcoming show: a dedicated area for startups and initiatives bringing innovation to the sector. ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL will provide exhibition space and networking opportunities for the above, with presentations, demonstrations, meetings and information devoted to the elements that drive the most advanced solutions in the sector.
But the news does not stop here. The forthcoming event boasts a host of other new features devoted to pet well-being, reflecting the increasingly important role that pets play in our daily lives. More and more we are sharing not just our time off with our pets, but spending the whole day in their company, thanks to the growing use of smart working to meet new social needs. ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL will be an opportunity to take a closer look at these more sociological aspects and the way in which pets enhance our quality of life.
Save the date: Monday 10th to Thursday 13th May 2021.
