Distributor Dialogue

Boosting Dealer Attendance at Global Pet Expo

By Steve King, CAE
Executive Vice President, Pet Industry Distributors Association

Steve King

The Global Pet Expo has set booth sales records for pet industry trade shows in the U.S. in its first two years. It is among the largest 200 trade shows held in North America, and it was recently named one of the 50 fastest growing trade shows in the U.S. by Trade Show Weekly magazine.

Attendance at the inaugural show in Orlando in 2005 exceeded everyone’s expectations. More than 4,200 buyers attended, making it the best attended show ever held by APPMA or PIDA. This total included more than 1,500 single unit retailers, an astounding number considering the show was only recently opened to single unit buyers.

We are committed to boosting independent dealer attendance at the 2007 Global Pet Expo in Orlando, surpassing even 2005’s record numbers. We are taking tangible steps to make sure every eligible retailer in North America has the opportunity and incentive to attend. These steps include:

Creation of Pre-qualified Dealer List—Retailers will no longer have to produce two forms of I.D. to qualify to attend. PIDA-member distributors have provided their customer lists to create a master list of pre-qualified retailers. If a retailer purchases product from a distributor anywhere in the country, they will be automatically eligible to attend.
Distributor Sales Spiffs—Distributor sales reps will receive spiffs for every customer that attends the show. PIDA-member distributors have salespeople calling on nearly every pet product outlet in the country. This combined sales force of hundreds of reps will have a direct incentive to promote the show to their customers.
Seminar Program—The number and quality of retailer seminars has been improved, with two of the country’s leading retail consultants and speakers—Rick Segel and Tom Shay--presenting sessions on creating positive cash flow, driving sales with better signage, pricing strategies for bigger profits, and a half-day Retail Boot Camp. PIDA will be subsidizing some of the costs for these seminars to ensure that they are affordable for all attendees.

Regional distributor participation in the show is also strong, helping to drive retail attendance. Five major distributors in the Southeast have already reserved booth space, and several others are expected to participate as well.

The 2007 Global Pet Expo is shaping up as another record-breaking event for the pet products industry. You can count on APPMA and PIDA to pull out all the stops to deliver an audience of qualified pet product buyers that is unrivaled in the industry. We look forward to seeing you in Orlando next February!

Steve King, CAE, is executive vice president of the Pet Industry Distributors Association. PIDA was founded in 1968 to provide support for pet product wholesaler-distributors and to enhance distributors’ value to their suppliers and customers.