Beyond expectations

Zoo Russia Professional, Moscow’s leading international pet and aquatic industry exhibition, closed after a successful four-day event, with exhibitors saying that it was the best ever in terms of doing business and that prospects for the industry in Russia looked positive. The leading industry suppliers showcased and presented an extensive range of food, grooming products, pet accessories, veterinary products and much more besides. Main growth comes from abroad The main growth of Zoo Russia Professional comes from abroad. The Russian pet industry is very sophisticated and offers growth prospects for the foreign vendors who are always looking to enter new emerging markets. Zoo Russia 2010 showed a clear trend to growing internationality of both exhibitors and visitors, as the 70 per cent share of exhibitors coming from countries outside Russia demonstrated. The international spread of trade visitors also increased. According to research conducted on the last two days of the exhibition, 90 per cent of the exhibitors reached their most important target groups and all of them made new business connections. The show hall was buzz-ing, and exhibitors were impressed with the quality of visitors the organisers attracted this year. These included self-employed business-men, proprietors, general directors and import managers. Almost all visitors were involved in procurement decisions in their establishments. The show is widely regarded as a barometer of the Russian pet industry and many industry players were waiting to see what would happen at this year’s Zoo Russia 2010. They were delighted to see the success of the fair, which was beyond all expectations – it was particularly exceptional given the economic slowdown of the past year. The positive vibe on the exhibition floor was supported by the speakers at ZooForum, a business conference hosted within the framework of exhibition. They concluded that Moscow is still a key region for the Russian pet industry, and is in better shape going forward to reach the rest of the world. The 3rd Annual PractiVet Summit, an event for veterinary clinic owners and private veterinary practitioners conducted within the Zoo Russia exhibition, attracted more than 250 delegates and also hosted a prestigious roster of distinguished speakers from the USA, UK, Italy, France and Israel. A professional grooming contest, master classes and business seminars for cat and dog groomers and an international cat show were strategically co-located…