Who will be the PET Personality of the Year?

Over 3 000 companies worldwide were canvassed by PET worldwide for their nominations for PET Personality of the Year. The response was staggering: many replies were sent by email, and various personalities in the pet sector were nominated as candidates. These included founder members of prominent companies, pioneers in the pet sector, and also managing directors and marketing managers of smaller firms that have succeeded in establishing themselves permanently in the market through dedication and extensive expert knowledge. Personalities from the retail trade were also cited as nominees for the PET Personality of the Year award. In fact, the nominations covered a varied spectrum, like a kaleidoscope of the pet supplies sector. Replies were received from various European countries, from the USA and even from Australia and Asia. In short, from all over the world. Not everyone had one clear candidate. “This award shouldn’t really go to a single per-son, but to those who show considerable commitment to keeping their ‘independent’ retail outlets going in competition with the chains,” said one speciality retailer. And the managing director of one speciality chain thought that no-one in the sector would really merit such an award. The majority of the submissions contained some very interesting suggestions, however. And after the first 50 to 100 submissions, a trend started to emerge clearly: the names of four or five candidates appeared repeatedly, even transcending national boundaries. Who will be the front runner at the end? That will only be revealed on 9 November, when the winner will be announced and the award presented at the function on the first evening of the International Pet Conference. The suspense will be maintained until the final moment! An agenda packed with variety The conference in Hamburg offers lots more besides. Under the deliberately provocative title “Be different or die”, top speakers from the international pet supplies business will set out the vital criteria for success in trade and industry. Torsten Toeller, CEO of Fressnapf Tiernahrungs GmbH, will outline what he considers to be the key criteria in modern retailing. MUDr. Václav Jirk°u of Penta Investments, the company that owns Gimborn and operates over 200 Pet Center stores in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and the Baltic states, will talk about the pet supplies market in eastern Europe and the company’s plans for expansion. Lars Bergkvist, CEO of Sweden’s leading speciality…