Spanish pet care capital

When the first Iberzoo was staged in Zaragoza in autumn 2005 as a rival event to the established Sizoo in Barcelona, many insiders in the Spanish pet supplies business believed it was only a matter of time before those responsible for the two fairs would join forces and merge the shows. Shortly before that they had clashed and AEDPAC, the Spanish Association of Pet Product Distributors (Asociación Española de Distribuidores de Productos de Animales de Compañía), staged its own trade show in Zaragoza. While Iberzoo followed an upward trend and also grew in significance internationally, Sizoo slid increasingly into obscurity. On the other hand, many potential Iberzoo visitors and exhibitors found Zaragoza lacked appeal as a venue and was also difficult to get to. The announcement in January 2011 that Iberzoo would be held in Barcelona met with a sigh of relief from the Spanish pet supplies sector. “Finally Iberzoo is coming to the centre of the Spanish pet sector,” one Spanish wholesaler told PET worldwide jubilantly, having felt right from the start that the trip to Zaragoza was too far. Focus on the international perspective Not only does Iberzoo fulfil all the requirements to become the main event for the Spanish pet sector, but its international appeal will increase too. The number of visitors from abroad grew steadily even when it took place in Zaragoza. Most foreign visitors came from neighbouring states: at Iberzoo 2009, around 35 per cent of all foreign visitors came from Portugal, 15 per cent were from Italy and 7 per cent from France. Other visitors came from Germany, Holland, Belgium and the Nordic countries. This year Iberzoo takes place from 29 September to1 October and is at the heart of International Pet Week. As well as the trade show, the Southern European Veterinary Conference is being held from 29 September to 2 October and then on 1-2 October the consumer fair Salon de la Mascota opens its doors. The last such event attracted 330 exhibitors and 35 000 visitors. “Barcelona will be for a week the city of reference for pet professionals,” declared a press release from Iberzoo organiser AEDPAC. “Iberzoo is the sum of the two previous major fair trades Sizoo and Iberzoo. The union of two events in a large trade show has been judged very positively by the whole industry. We expect more than 10 000 visitors, 30 per cent of them from foreign countries,” a spokesman from AEDPAC concludes. Download: Spanish pet care capital (PDF file)