Marketing/Communications/PR

NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s Early Show, HGTV, Animal Planet and More Turn Out to Cover Global Pet Expo 2006

The 2006 Global Pet Expo (GPE) was an unprecedented event when it came to press coverage – our media attendance doubled over last year’s numbers and the coverage garnered at the event was the best in our trade show history! Highlights included a live shot from the show room floor on CBS’s The Early Show with Veterinarian Correspondent, Debbye Turner. The Today Show on NBC filmed on the show floor and ran a lengthy feature showcasing numerous products from Global Pet Expo exhibitors. To put this kind of coverage in perspective, these morning shows have a combined audience in excess of four million viewers!

For the first time, the network HGTV covered Global Pet Expo, filming all three days of the show, interviewing and taping hundreds of exhibitors and products. A one-hour special on GPE is set to air this summer…stay tuned for additional details. Animal Planet, Good Morning America, Channel 10 San Diego, CNN, USA Today, the San Diego Union Tribune, Tradeshow Week and Prevention magazine were among some of the media that attended and covered the show, resulting in millions of impressions seen across the nation. We were thrilled to have top-notch reporters representing numerous trade, consumer, local and national media outlets.

To read all of the post-show wrap up press releases that were distributed to thousands of media contacts nationwide, visit www.globalpetexpo.org/pressreleases.

Pet Industry Media Honored at Global Pet Expo 2006: Dr. Marty Becker and Steve Dale Recognized for Excellence in Journalism and for Outstanding Contributions to Pet Industry

APPMA and PIDA unveiled a new, annual award at this year’s Show, designed to recognize members of the media for their excellence in journalism and for their outstanding contributions to the pet industry. This year’s recipients were Dr. Marty Becker and Steve Dale.

Dr. Becker is a veterinarian, media personality, author, lecturer and educator and has become known as the “best loved family doctor for pets.” He writes an internationally distributed column and hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, Top Vets Talk Pets, which promote people’s relationships with their animals. Dr. Becker is the popular Veterinary contributor to ABC-TV’s Good Morning America and has also co-authored the fastest selling pet book in history, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers’ Soul, in addition to numerous other pet related books including Fitness Unleashed: a dog and owner’s guide to losing weight and gaining health together (Three Rivers Press, May 06).

Steve Dale's twice weekly newspaper column, My Pet World, is syndicated by
Tribune Media Services and appears in over 100 newspapers. He is also a contributing editor at USA Weekend and serves as a Special Correspondent with Cat Fancy. Steve is the host of Pet Central which airs on WGN Radio in Chicago (www.wgnradio.com) as well as syndicated The Pet Minute and Steve Dale's Pet World. He is a regular speaker at veterinary and humane conferences and is a frequent TV guest on programs ranging from National Geographic Explorer to The Oprah Winfrey Show. Steve is most proud of making a difference and among his many initiatives is raising money for a fund he began in memory of his cat Ricky, to learn more about heart disease in cats to fighting breed specific bans.

“These individuals have the power to influence millions of people and when they use that power positively to promote the joys and benefits of responsible pet ownership, they deserve to be commended,” said Bob Vetere, president of APPMA. “We are proud to have them in the pet industry and appreciate their professional excellence.”

Pet Product Manufacturers Donate “a Ton” to Helen Woodward Animal Center in San Diego Following GPE

In addition to all of the fantastic media coverage that Global Pet Expo received, we must also note that hundreds of manufacturers donated “a ton” of pet products to needy pets following the Show. Thanks to the generosity of GPE exhibitors, more than $140,000 worth of product was donated to the Helen Woodward Animal Center. In fact, there were enough pet products and food to fill two semi trucks for the Helen Woodward Animal Center that will assist in caring for animals up for adoption.

“We’re humbled by the generosity of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association and the businesses that took part in Global Pet Expo,” said HWAC President Mike Arms. “It’s gratifying to see that they not only manufacture products for animals, but that their generosity extends beyond just making sales.”

Ongoing Media Exposure/Opportunities

In addition to the trade show coverage, we are continuously promoting pet ownership, the health of the industry, and our member companies and their products in the news.

Remember to keep an eye on our weekly e-updates as we include promotional opportunities, stories we’re working on, and media requests that can mean great free exposure for your company and its products simply for being a member of APPMA!