Pampering & How

Madison Love & Park Avenue Line Leash, Atrium Romeo & Julia Black collection, Eau de Chien Fragrances…! All this sure sounds straight out of a fashion show in Paris or Milan. Well yes; this indeed is Couture…Pet Couture from Bellomania that offers quite tasteful and scrupulously made Designer Clothing, Perfumes, Leads and Collars, Crystal Studded Beds and Sofa's among lots more straight out of Europe. And while “Live Life King Size” is the motto of many, it is our pets who without a doubt are getting all possible resources hands on to live their life as the undisputed emperors of the Animal Kingdom…!

Not far away from Milan, Bologna hosted the 14th edition of the Zoomark 2011 from May 12 through May 15, 2011 which is for many, is increasingly becoming the benchmark International Exhibition for products and accessories for Pets.

An Introduction…

Reputed as one of the world's largest and most comprehensive exhibition and trade show covering virtually anything and everything under the sun for pets, animals and alike, the bi–yearly Zoomark ’11 opened to a record attendance of over 20000 visitors which included globally renowned manufacturers and wholesalers from the International Pet Industry. Altogether, 636 companies from over 37 countries had on display for visitors from the Pet Industry & Veterinarians, the most recent technologies, latest accessories, products and essentials on an exhibition area of more than 44000 square meters. Though hosted in Italy, the exhibition apart from Italian manufacturers included many multinational companies as well as well as small and medium enterprises from countries like the Netherlands, Great Britain, the USA, Belgium, China, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Poland, Taiwan, Canada and yes, India as well. As a visitor from India, I was rather joyous to note that our country was really at the centre of attention for most exhibiting companies at the show. Each of them did very much appreciate and value India’s growth curve and their respective current or prospective representation in our country. The product spectrum at the Zoomark ’11 was a reflection of the global pet supplies market where more than 50% of the exhibitors displayed articles for dogs and cats; Aquaria was the second largest product segment covering about 20% per cent. 15% went to articles for small animals and rodents, and 15% combined to cage and aviary birds, animals in the garden and for Terrarium. Amongst the miscellaneous availabilities group, supplementary articles for the pet supplies trade viz. equestrian sports or boutique articles, trade literature, multimedia, animals and plants in the home, pet food technology, shop fittings, packing and various services we included. Though numbers are for accounts, the Zoomark ’11 did confirm the fact that notwithstanding the recent turbulent global economy, Pet Care Industry is one of the very few sectors that experiences a countertrend during the state of global economic turmoil.

Products on display…

The aim of Zoomark ’11 was to combine new products and technologies with actions that promote them thereby spreading awareness by adding great visibility. While it is quite impossible to pen down the entire range that seemed endless to me, the following is a small division of the various products and services that were on display –:

Dog & Cats

Availabilities on display for our Canine and Feline companions was broadly divided into Dog & Cat Food, Accessories for Dogs & Cats, Hygiene and Care Products for Dogs & Cats, Remedies & Supplements for Dogs & Cats and Toys for Dogs & Cats. Trixie Heimtierbedarf from Germany was indeed quite well represented and covered the A to Z of requisites that any pet owner will ever need. While Candioli Farmaceutici, the 130 year old pharmaceutical major hailing from Italy was at the forefront of the Veterinary medicine section, food giant Royal Canin continually attracted large crowds to its magnanimous representation.

Fish & Aquariums

Germany has always had an unchallenged hold on the global Fish products market and this time was no different. The products were broadly categorized as Ornamental Fish, Fish Food, Aquarium & Aquarium Stands, Lighting system for Aquariums, Aquarium Decorations, Aquarium Filters and Pumps, Temperature Control and Measurement Tools, Aeration and Accessories, Remedies and Bio–Conditioners, Breeding, Care & Transport of fish. However, it was the Italian Manufacturer Aquarialand SAS which was the surprise package of the show with a very exquisite yet price competitive range of availabilities.

Terrarium Animals

Yes it is difficult to imagine a Lizard as your pet, but there are keen enthusiasts who adopt Terrarium for pets. Availabilities included Food for Terrarium, Lighting and Heating for Terrarium, Stands for Terrarium, Ornamentals for Terrarium, Accessories for Terrarium, Remedies & Supplements. Companies of the likes of Flamingo, Pet Village among others were kept quite busy by interested visitors.

Birds

Bird Food, Bird Cages and Accessories, Bird Feeding and Breeding, Remedies and Supplements for Birds, Care Products and Calcium formed the range on exhibition for the Birds. Birdgardening Italia, Nestle Italiana SPA and with a few more had put up interesting show for stuff for visitors to see.

Articles for Small Animals & Rodents

It has been Dogs forever, with Dogs it is Cats now and as the time is passing, more and more people are adopting Small Animals and Rodents as Pets. The range for Small Animals & Rodents included Cages, Food, Grooming products, Health & Treatment essentials, Litter & Accessories. Manufacturers like Versele Laga NV, Ferribiella SPA etc. showcased their range of availabilities.

Other Products

Well it was not only and solely an exhibition showcasing products, the focus was also on Shop Equipments, Equipment for Veterinary Surgeries, Veterinary Products, Production and Packaging, Specialized Literature, Mass Media, Gadgets, Global Associations and Organizations and Specialized Marketing. I was quite fascinated to see the IV San Bernard, Italy representation which for almost everyone at the show and likewise for me was work of Art for Dogs & Cats. Their range of Italian made Grooming essentials, shampoos and requisites were unparallel.

Highlights…

Zoomark ’11 was quite successful in showcasing the ever improving quality in the pet supplies industry. Right from a small leash to the Dog Bones to countless number of Pet Food brands to the most beautifully done Aquariums and unique products like the Dog GPS, everything that was on display spoke volumes on the amount of deliberation on convenience, backed by unmatched quality and value for every penny spent. It was quite evident that competition was only bringing the best amongst the innumerable companies striving for their share of the ever growing pet trade and supplies market currently valued at a staggering 80 – 85 Billion €.

Looking back at the show, I feel that the introduction of Ozone Therapy for Veterinary Treatment was the underlining point. In the session that was put together by IV San Bernard, Ozone was pitched as the next generation of medicine and treatment with proven results in treatment of Cancer, Wound Healing etc. This quite informative session drew large crowds of Veterinarians and visitors alike. I’m sure Ozone Therapy as a mode of treatment will soon be introduced amongst the Indian Veterinary fraternity.

As curtains came down on the Zoomark International 2011 with a dog fashion show, I was quite content that the four full days that I was able to spend at the event were worth every minute. Apart from being very informative & interesting, Zoomark International 2011 catered to the needs of a small pet shop owner as much as it accommodated big multinational manufacturers.