A host of new ideas
Even old hands in the business expressed surprise at the high innovation potential of many manufacturers. Exhibitors had an opportunity to present their new products in the so-called Interzoo Product Showcase for the first time. The special area in the foyer of the central fair entrance attracted considerable interest on all four days of the show. The plethora of new grain-free and organic pet food products on display shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone, nor was the presentation of treats in all shapes and varieties entirely unexpected. However, interesting innovations in the accessory segment made people sit up and take notice. Take the dog ramp exhibited by the Swiss company 4pets by Brüggli, for instance, or the SureFeed food bowl from the UK company Sure Flap. This has a movement-activated lid that opens when a dog or cat approaches and closes again once the pet has moved away. Another feeding concept that attracted a lot of attention from trade visitors was the Yummynator, a non-slip, self-adhesive feeding unit from the Austrian company of the same name. This combines bowl and place mat into one. The American company Trisen International exhibited interesting accessorised drinking bowls and vessels for dogs, cats and small animals under the Choco Nose brand. Interactive toys such as Nerf Dog and Bomber from Hagen or the Dog Activity Trainer from Trixie show that the accessories sector is changing rapidly at the moment and ever more sophisticated products are coming onto the market. This also applies to the Chinese firm Petkit, which presented a feeding bowl with integral display indicating the quantity of food in the bowl. Computer-aided products for pets are also in growing demand; this was evidenced by the number of suppliers exhibiting tracking systems and outdoor cameras for pets at Interzoo.