Family reunion in Hardenberg

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Even if the venue, in a thinly populated part of the eastern Netherlands, provoked scepticism on the part of some exhibitors, most were satisfied on the whole with the visitor numbers. On the Sunday in particular, the three halls were constantly thronged with people, and even on the other two days the attendance figures were anything but disappointing. In spite of Hardenberg’s proximity to Germany, the unanimous impression of exhibitors was that only a few German pet product dealers ventured over the border to visit the Dutch show. Belgian visitors, too, were thin on the ground. As in previous years, the exhibition featured the “eat, drink and do business” concept with all-inclusive, free catering for all visitors – an offer that went down well once again on this occasion. Among the exhibitors, numbering just under 90, the big stands belonging to the leading Dutch wholesalers and some international suppliers caught the eye. Exhibitors’ stands featured above all the new products already presented at the world’s leading pet fair Interzoo. The wholesale company Petgear displayed the new brands in its range, “Peto-san”, “Posh” and “Kong” on its stand. In a separate part of its large booth, Van Riel Distripet unveiled the new luxury accessory brand “Designed by Lotte” for the first time. This brand includes high-quality, fashionable beds, cushions and scratching trees among other items. To showcase the products designed in-house to sufficient effect, an attractive presentation appealing to the emotions was conceived. Together with its Dutch distributor, Jaranthana, the firm Aquatic Nature presented the new CO2 Junior kit to visitors. The kit can supply CO2 to even the smallest nano-aquariums. Farm Food introduced a new line of frozen fresh meat comprising four products, with which the company aims to cater for the quickly growing trend among dog owners for BARF (“bones and raw food”). On the Vitakraft stand, the shop-in-shop concept “Pet’s Corner” was highlighted alongside current product lines. The somewhat smaller city version of the concept was on display here. By the end of the year this concept is to be implemented for the first time in the Netherlands in a Discus store in Dieren. Bosch Tiernahrung presented its new organic line, and for the Christmas trade, a box in the shape of a house containing a variety of dog treats.