Plenty to see at Anido

Compared with 2014, the attendance figures for Anido were down by 3.5 per cent, with 4 828 visitors from 19 different countries recorded. The edition of the Belgian trade show two years ago, which notched up an 8.6 per cent increase in the number of visitors, was a hard act to follow, however; matching this record turnout or surpassing it would have been difficult to achieve.While 2 931 visitors were counted on the Sunday of the show, Monday started quietly, although 1 897 visitors had passed through by the end of the day. This came as an unexpected jolt to some exhibitors looking forward to a day of successful business and dampened the otherwise good atmosphere a little. 

Anido nonetheless received considerable praise from exhibitors and visitors alike. This was a testimony once more to the favourable location of the show from a transport viewpoint, the perfect organisation and the many new companies presenting themselves to the public. According to the closing report of the fair management, 46 per cent of the exhibitors were newcomers or returnees. French visitors were present in large numbers at the fair, according to many exhibitors, but pet product retailers from the Netherlands were also out in force to learn about the latest trends in the pet sector.

The high value now placed on natural, holistic and organic products in the pet food segment was striking on many stands. It was these products that garnered a particularly high number of votes from the trade visitors in the poll for the most innovative products in the food category. The first prize went to Edgard & Cooper, the pet food line of the Belgian company of the same name. According to Edgard & Cooper, this is the first dry dog food made of 100 per cent fresh meat rather than meat meal. Belgian company Vadigran took second prize for Rizi, a rice-based mixture for dogs large and small, junior and senior. Third place went to the Belgian company Versele Laga for its Lara Little Monsters snacks for cats, a visually strong concept based on humour and familiar feline behaviour.In the care & accessories category, the first prize went to Pawbo by Europepet, a babysitter for pets. Dog Rocks came second with the Torus Bowl, a drinking bowl with a built-in water reservoir & auto-refill system. The third prize went to the Insect Body Guard of Holland Animal Care, the first dog bed, cushion or blanket that kills fleas, ticks and mites, according to…