A more polished professional show

66 exhibitors and over 4 000 visitors came to the exhibition hall on the periphery of Lodz city centre over the three days of the show. While the Friday is reserved for trade visitors, the fair is also open to consumers on the Saturday and Sunday. If this fair is compared to the event two years ago, the increasingly professional presentations of the exhibitors were striking. The stands were bigger and more attractive, consistently better illuminated than two years ago and thus very close to the ideal specialist presentation. It could be said that the Polish pet supplies sector is better equipped than ever for European competition.The international flavour of the Pet Fair in Lodz has also increased, and the visitors included proprietors of a large number of speciality chains as well as representatives of some foreign manu-facturers, for example Garry Johnson, export manager of the UK manufacturer Cranswick Pet Products. For him, a visit to the fair was one stop on his tour around central Europe. Or also Nigel Woodd, director von ZiwiPeak Ltd of New Zealand. He made the 40-hour journey from home to support his Polish general importer, Piotr Obraniak of Modern Pet in Warsaw, with the market launch. The fact that he also met Cristian Pop, Romanian wholesaler and proprietor of the pet supplies chain Animax, and discussed distribution in Romania with him underlines the necessity of the trip. Major local players Without doubt, however, the strength of a regional trade show like the Pet Fair is the large body of domestic companies appearing:
The company Overzoo from Łask used its first appearance at the Pet Fair to introduce a new range of supplements and care products for pets. Hitherto the company was primarily involved with products for farm animals. Sales manager Lukasz Ogrodowcyk views the pet market as future business for his company and now intends to expand the range in a targeted manner.
Bartex from ´Zaga´n emerged from the anonymity of a private label manufacturer. Customers throughout Europe were supplied hitherto with beds, cushions etc for dogs and cats. Now the company is approaching the European market directly with its own brand “Wiko”. The range comprises around 250 products.
Jarosław Łegowik, proprietor of Germapol, presented his imported range of care products including items from Wahl and Moser. His company also distributes premium food from Swedish manufacturer Lantmännen Bozita, for which an extra show stand was booked.
The fair’s aquatics…