Experts have high expectations

The roles seem to be clearly delineated: retailers are expecting many new and innovative products, while the exhibiting manufacturers are hoping for full order books and an enthusiastic response to their new products, as well as intending to promote personal customer care actively. To ensure that this wishful thinking can be translated into reality, each side is already busy working on its targets in the run-up to the show.
What are your expectations of this year’s Interzoo?
What preparations are you making before going to Interzoo?
How do you assess the development of Interzoo over the last few years?
What the trade says Christophe Tessier, country manager Maxi-Zoo France:
We have two main goals in visiting Interzoo. The first one is to meet all the decision makers and CEOs of suppliers in a very short period and in the same place. The second is to discover new products and concepts as well as major trends in the market.
Our preparation is based on our expectations listed above. First I prepare our meetings with our purchasing manager, and we plan them before visiting Interzoo. We contact our suppliers to schedule appointments beforehand, to avoid having to wait for the availability of our contacts on their booths. Secondly, we list our needs in terms of ranges so as to visit only suppliers who meet our expectations. By doing that we are not obliged to go through the entire fair, but can prepare our visits precisely.
This will be the second Interzoo I have attended, so I don’t have much of an opinion to offer about Interzoo development.
Gertjan Willems, commercial director of the Dutch franchise company Dobey:
New products, new contacts and to talk to people in this sector from around the world about the opportunities. I hope there will be more surprising developments than two years ago.
We take some shop-owners/franchisees with us for a couple of days in order to let them see what is going on in the trade. Our department managers and some people from the back office will also be there. After this visit, we plan a meeting in order to discuss with each other how to work with these new ideas.
Not that easy to say; for me the first time four years ago was impressive, two years later a bit less. But I’m sure that Interzoo is still a very good and well organised fair.
Anna Kucharska, sales director of the Polish speciality chain Kakadu:
We expect to extend our contacts with international suppliers and we would like to meet those we already cooperate with. We…