Interzoo harks back to pre-pandemic times

The first Interzoo since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic was characterised by a happy, positive mood and at times even a touch of exuberance. 1 328 exhibitors from 59 countries and 27 861 trade visitors from 129 countries helped to make the world-leading show in Nuremberg a success.

A decline in visitor numbers of around 11 000 compared with Interzoo 2018 was almost irrelevant. Regardless of business sector, no trade show anywhere in the world this year would have been able to achieve pre-pandemic levels of visitor attendance. A pandemic that is still far from being wholly overcome, travel restrictions in some countries and the war in Ukraine meant that this year’s Interzoo fair took place under incredibly challenging conditions, and so any comparison with 2018 would be frivolous. What was important, as virtually unanimously affirmed by the organisers, exhibitors and visitors, was that the global pet sector managed to reconvene at all in Nuremberg this year.

The anticipation of finally being able to make personal contact once again with existing and new business partners was huge in the run-up to the show. On account of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, however, the number of exhibitors and visitors from China and Russia was considerably fewer than normal. Nevertheless, the fair harked back to the good times before Covid came along, although one unexpected consequence was that many German trade visitors were absent from this year’s Interzoo show.

Notwithstanding the difficulties, the verdict of the Interzoo organising body WZF was extremely positive: “The fact that, despite the continuing uncertainty, so many players in the sector had made Interzoo a firm date in their diaries is for us evidence of a high level of confidence in Interzoo and its organiser WZF,” emphasised WZF managing director Gordon Bonnet. And Norbert Holthenrich, president of Interzoo’s conceptual sponsor ZZF, praised the “staggeringly high” international spread of visitors at 72.5 per cent as compared with 74 per cent in 2018.

7 698 visitors to the show came from Germany. Italy accounted for the most foreign show visitors (1 653), followed by Spain with 1 174, the Netherlands with 1 089 and Great Britain and Northern Ireland with 1 060. 966 visitors came from France, while 958 Polish visitors attended the Nuremberg trade show. Europe was thus the principal continent represented at Interzoo with 22 807 visitors. 1 571 people came from Southeast and Central Asia and a further 1 218 from the Middle East. 1 014 trade visitors travelled from South and Central America, 505 from North America, while Africa accounted for 491 attendees and Australia and Oceania for 255 visitors.

The next Interzoo will be staged in Nuremberg from 7 to 10 May 2024.