Anticipation is growing for the forthcoming Interzoo 2022 to be held in Nuremberg from May 24-27: The organizer, WZF GmbH, has confirmed it currently has registrations from about 1,300 exhibitors from more than 60 countries. With a gross exhibition area of around 105,000 square metres, the world’s leading fair for pet supplies will offer trade visitors a unique overview of the global market for the latest products for dogs, cats, fish and other pets.
“Despite the challenges created by Covid-19, the global pet industry has developed positively during the past two years,” comments Norbert Holthenrich, President of the German Pet Trade & Industry Association (ZZF), the honorary sponsor of Interzoo. But since the pandemic began, supply chains have been severely disrupted, with production problems and delivery bottlenecks as a consequence. Holthenrich views Interzoo as an opportunity to change focus and pave the way for new business: “Manufacturers and buyers can meet again in person at the world’s leading fair in Nuremberg in order to establish new business contacts and discover products of interest.”
The strong international make-up of the exhibition will guarantee a global market overview, with more than 80 percent of exhibitors coming from outside Germany. The largest international contingents represent Italy, the UK, US, Netherlands and Spain. There will be a total of eleven national pavilions, some of them larger than previously, from Brazil, the UK, India, Italy, Canada, Singapore, Taiwan, the Czech Republic and the US, with France and South Korea being new additions this year.
WZF has recorded growth in registrations for stand space from a number of countries in Europe, such as Turkey (+114%) and Spain (+15%), with about 60 exhibitors each. There is also stronger demand from outside Europe, such as South Korea (+33 %) and India (+22%) with well over 20 and 40 exhibitors respectively.
Strong international visitor numbers expected
With the lifting of travel restrictions and the proven hygiene strategy in place, Dr Rowena Arzt, director dxhibitions for WZF GmbH, also expects strong international visitor numbers: “At previous Interzoo events, more than a quarter of the visitors came from Germany and three-quarters from other countries-–about 42 percent from other parts of Europe and a little over 30 percent from outside Europe. We expect the structure will be similar at Interzoo 2022, with fewer visitors from some eastern European and Asian countries in view of the situation there. This does not affect the importance of Interzoo as the world’s leading fair in this sector, and it continues to offer many opportunities for international contacts, interaction and business.”
Supporting program provides insights and stimuli
In addition to the wide-ranging products and services on offer from the exhibitors, the accompanying supporting program comes with further benefits for the participants. For example, just the day before the actual fair begins, a whole-day conference is being held on May 23 the form of Petfood Forum Europe, where experts will speak on the latest trends, research and innovations on the pet food market in Europe. The conference, being held in collaboration with WATT Global Media, provides an opportunity for interaction and networking. A separate event page is available for registration: www.petfoodforumevents.com/europe
Further highlights on the supporting program will follow the opening of the exhibition halls on Tuesday, May 24, with five Interzoo Country Sessions discussing trends and market data in western Europe, Brazil, Scandinavia, China and the US. The Interzoo Sustainability Session emphasises the importance of sustainability in the pet industry. Trends and developments will be illustrated and considered in greater depth with the aid of best-practice examples. The session will start with a presentation by the Sustainable Transformation Lab of the Antwerp Management School (AMS), which will share the results of the latest Interzoo sustainability study and provide an overview of the current situation in the pet industry. Examples from the industry will be shown, along with tips as to how businesses can make an even greater commitment to sustainability. Plans are also in progress for a Petfluencer session, contributions on aquarium products and start-up presentations. Each session is followed by an opportunity for participants to interact on the theme in question and expand their own networks.
The world’s leading fair is also the meeting place for international industry organizations. Interzoo will also be the umbrella event for this year’s International Pet Associations (IPAC) Summit and the annual meeting of the European Pet Organization (EPO) and Ornamental Fish International (OFI).
To make it possible to experience every aspect of the world’s leading fair, selected presentations will be made available on demand following the event as part of the Interzoo Academy (www.interzoo-academy.com). Information on the ever-expanding supporting program can be found online at www.interzoo.com/en/events.
