A must for the pet supplies sector

Guido Arnold, CEO of Pile Poils, will speak at the International Pet Conference about his plans for expansion in France. Tamás Gorcs, proprietor of the Slovakian speciality chain Ti & To Company, is presenting concepts for successful positioning of the pet product trade in Central and Eastern Europe. Cheng Yang, vice-president of the CIPS organising company China Great Wall International Exhibition, will talk about the potential and opportunities the Chinese market offers for the international pet supplies business. These and many other highlights are in store when the sector meets on 14 and 15 November in Frankfurt for the International Pet Conference. The conference has been organised by Dähne Verlag and the events organiser B + P Management Forum. They have been jointly responsible in the last two years for staging the German Pet Conference, which received an enthusiastic reception from the pet product sector and attracted nearly 200 participants from the top echelons of the sector on each occasion. This year, too, the omens are good for an exciting event and around 100 representatives from the pet supplies business have already signed up to attend. A broad international spectrum is now beginning to emerge, with companies from France, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, South Africa, Austria, Hungary, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK sending delegates so far. What are the effects of globalisation on the pet supplies business? That is the main theme addressed throughout the conference, which will look at various aspects of this issue: How is the retail trade adjusting to internationalisation? What are the challenges facing the industry? How is the Internet - the global market place - changing the pet product sector? The programme includes current areas of interest such as "Key trends and developments in the international pet product market", "International retailing", "International alliances and partnerships between trade and industry", the "Challenge of China" and "Potential in the growth market of Eastern Europe". Interesting workshops also feature on the agenda. The conference will be chaired by Ralf Majer-Abele, managing editor of the two trade magazines PET in Europe and pet. One of the highlights of the International Pet Conference will be the presentation of the PET Retailer of the Year award. The award is given for the most innovative speciality retail concept to have positioned itself successfully in the…