European fair rally

In the light of the current economic crisis in Europe, the signs were anything but good for the spring shows this year. The observation that the pet sector has evidently not been hit quite as badly by the economic lull as other sectors is therefore all the more welcome. The figures for exhibitors and visitors at all four fairs were there to be seen, and the mood was better than could be expected in the economic situation.
Visitors to Expozoo making their way to the exhibition ground at Villepinte, north of Paris, were greeted by radiant sunshine on all three days of the show. A good omen: visitor figures for Expozoo increased by 10 per cent to 19,756 compared with the previous show two years ago. Marked progress was achieved on the international front, too. 2,182 foreign visitors from 44 countries were recorded, accounting for 11 per cent of the total number of visitors. One outstanding event at Expozoo was the launch by Mars of its new “Aquarian” ornamental fish food range on the stand of its subsidiary, Rena. Well-known companies in the international market such as Tetra, Royal Canin, Hagen, JBL and Juwel Ladenbau also had large stands at the exhibition.
In spite of this, the number of exhibitors this year was down from almost 300 two years ago to 248. American companies were poorly represented in Paris, not least owing to the start of the war in Iraq shortly before the fair, while there was virtually a complete absence of Chinese exhibitors.
From the surroundings and service viewpoint, the professional quality of Expozoo was further enhanced. The entire exhibition area was carpeted, as it was two years ago. This fact and the good level of networking at the fair should have contributed substantially towards ensuring that most exhibitors were highly satisfied with the way the fair went.
Bologna, the new exhibition venue, has met with instant acceptance by exhibitors and visitors alike. The exhibition ground there is large and clearly laid out with ample parking space, unlike the situation in the previous venue Milan, where poor parking facilities, confused signposting and too little space for loading and unloading the lorries made stand construction a nightmare for many firms. Another advantage Bologna boasts is that the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region is approx. 200 km further south than Milan and seems to have been accepted by more specialist dealers from central and southern Italy. The new venue also offers a host of advantages for foreign visitors…