We like to be in the know 

There's scarcely any other sector of the economy in which the players know one another as well as in the international pet sector. Long-standing business relationships on the one hand and a lively job merry-go-round on the other mean that people rarely disappear from view. A positive side effect of this is that people are familiar with one another and know exactly who they are doing business with. Over the years they are able to build up an effective information network and to make use of it. In today's jargon it is called networking.
Active networking has now become a top priority. Trade fairs around the globe offer the opportunity for a genuine exchange of information between trade and industry. Who's opening what? Who's doing well and who isn't? What's the lowdown on the rival store in the neighbourhood? This is all information that isn't available via "official channels" or is only to be had in a "socially acceptable form".

The International Pet Conference came around in the Catalan metropolis of Barcelona in mid-October. Nearly 200 trade and industry insiders from around 20 countries engaged in discussion and business small talk. Plenty of snippets that will probably never see the light of day in an online or offline medium were exchanged across the tables, and one had to be there to join in.Please don't get me wrong: naturally people are not all telling one another the same things. After all, rivalry and competition still exist and these are what lend a certain magic to networking. As I only read recently, "Magic moments change your life - but you alone decide how they change it."
Philipp Gardemin
P.S. PET worldwide aims to keep you informed in depth and help you to run your business even more successfully. We also want to become even better at it! Help us in our quest by participating in our reader survey. You'll find it in this issue or online at www.daehne.com/readersurvey-petworldwide.