The event of the year

Despite the economic crisis and against the general trend in the exhibition landscape, the world trade fair of the pet product industry has expanded even further. Nearly 27,000 visitors used the four days of the show to gain an overview of the current range of pet products on offer.  Even though some exhibitors, especially those in halls 7 and 7a, had expected a better turn-out at this year's show, the majority of exhibiting companies were extremely satisfied with the number and quality of the visitors. In fact, it was very busy in the halls throughout the four days. The growth rate was mainly the result of a distinct increase in visitors from abroad, who now amount to 49 per cent of the total number of visitors. Many visitors came from the new EU member states, and amongst these were many who didn't just seek information but wanted to order products there and then. Compared to two years ago, more visitors came from Turkey, the UK, Scandinavia, Australia, and Central and South American countries, according to the fair organisers. The trend towards a more international spectrum was really evident amongst the exhibitors themselves. Whereas this year's Interzoo attracted 16 per cent more companies from abroad than two years ago, the number of German exhibitors even dwindled slightly. The German companies no longer exhibiting at Nuremberg are mainly those who found that Interzoo had become too international. These companies are now exhibiting at fairs that tend to cater more for a national visitor base, such as Zooevent and/or Dezoofa. And some companies have completely disappeared from the market over the past months.An organizer survey of Interzoo visitors showed that well over 97 per cent were satisfied with the service and the organisation of the fair. The ranges on offer pleased most visitors, too.The visual impact has also improved, and the quality of the stands has risen further in comparison with the last Interzoo. The sign-posting in the exhibition halls and the numerous information points covering Interzoo left nothing to be desired. Just as prominent were the colourful boards suspended from the ceiling, which were visible from afar and provided information on speciality sectors like equestrian sports and food technology.Nearly 27,000 visitors used the show to gain an overview of the current range of pet products on offer.Interzoo in numbersExhibitors: 1,101 (2002: 1,015) from 47 countriesProportion of exhibitors from abroad: 73 per cent (2002: 68 per cent)Leading exhibition countries (apart from Germany): PR China (126 companies), USA (111), Italy (105).Net exhibition area: 40,262  m² (433,220 sq ft). Visitors: 26,876 (FKM new: 31,072*).Leading countries in terms of visitors:Germany (13,697; FKM new: 14,569), Italy (1,503;FKM new: 1,729), France (972; FKM new: 1,089),Czech Republic (759; FKM new: 814), Netherlands (752; FKM new: 857).Countries with the highest increase in visitor numbers: new EU states (2,142; FKM new: 2,456; + 53 per cent), Turkey (+ 74 per cent), Scandinavia, UK and Ireland (+ 58 per cent), South and Central America (+ 28 per cent), Australia/Asia Pacific (+ 32 per cent), Africa (+ 66 per cent).* The new FKM counting method takes the number of visits to the fair into account and not the numbers of visitors, season tickets are thus normally counted twice, as elsewhere in the world.