Russian tradition

“Russia has one of the largest pet populations in the world and the Zoosphere in St Petersburg is the key to this sector of Russian business,” said Svetlana Hansen, director of the Zoosphere exhibition. She expects this year’s show to be bigger than ever. The space in the exhibition halls has been booking up quickly. Last year, 242 exhibitors from 14 countries took part. According to the organisers, the Zoosphere exhibition presents new products and current market trends, and moreover, offers its guests and participants vibrant entertainment, competitions, and prizes. Traditionally, the exhibition is accompanied by veterinary days, during which specialists and pet owners are introduced to new medicines and the latest treatment and prevention methods. This year, lectures, seminars and workshops will be hosted by veterinary oncologists, dentists, surgeons, mycologists, and dermatologists. Rare animals will also be covered, with a visit from Dmitry Vassilyev, a Russian veterinary herpetologist who is one of the few specialists in the world to focus on the treatment of reptile diseases. Grooming and aquatics in vogue One of the main trends in the Russian pet industry is grooming. The introduction of a grooming competition in last year’s exhibition programme confirmed the strong interest groomers and professionals have in specialised grooming techniques. More than 40 groomers participated in the competition last year. This year, another competition is planned. In addition to the expanding dog grooming workshops, the organisers are offering specialists the opportunity to attend master classes on dog manicure and cat grooming for the first time. Suppliers of equipment and products for grooming salons will be sure to find new customers here. The extensive programme will certainly arouse interest among specialists and ordinary visitors. Aquarium husbandry is one of the most rapidly developing popular trends in Russia. Aquatic pet owners will undoubtedly be attracted to JBL’s aquarium habitat competition, which is one of the major highlights of the entire competition programme, bringing together aquarium husbandry enthusiasts from all over Russia. The already traditional terrarium design competition will continue the event’s reptile and exotic animal theme, while the “new products in retail” competition will showcase the best pet products presented at the exhibition. Download: Russian tradition (PDF file)