Pet Engine Marketing Goes To SuperZoo
Well, SuperZoo has come and gone!
A big thank you to the World Pet Association for putting it on!
As a first-time attendee and having only been to Global Pet Expo once (2019, pre-Covid) and one other pet industry tradeshow event, I was not quite as blown away as I had been by the sheer scale of the event. Nonetheless, I had a good time, met up with some people, and all in all feel like I have a few learnings worth sharing!
networking
Educational Seminars
There were a few pros and cons of the networking opportunities at SuperZoo. Compared to Global Pet Expo, one of the big detractors I noticed was that SuperZoo’s educational seminars are behind a paywall. At Global Pet Expo, they’re free for all attendees, and in my experience, that provided a good opportunity to learn, meet likeminded people, and pick up on the latest strategies, methods, and techniques that are working, or aren’t working, for pet store marketing teams across the country.
I did get a chance to speak with Debra, who is the head of these Educational Seminars, and I am hoping to be a speaker at the next SuperZoo! We’ll see if we can get Pet Engine Marketing up on stage there to help out more independent pet retailers with their marketing efforts.
The Keynote Speech
For the most part, I enjoyed Jon Taffer’s keynote speech. Here are a few things he touched on in case you missed it:
Don’t get bogged down by excuses or fears. They are all in your head and are the limiting beliefs that prevent you, and solely you, from acceleration toward your business and life goals.
Reaction Management! The product of your business isn’t your products, it’s the experience customers have when they interact with your business. It’s the “wow” factor when they step in the door. It’s how you make them feel. It’s all about the connection, and less about the transaction. The best way to defeat eCommerce giants and continue to grow your business is to ensure that the in-store experience is memorable, engaging, and sticky. This all sounds awfully familiar to us! Check out our Pet Store Marketing Strategy to get an idea of what I mean.
What can you do to make people want to stop in or want to come back? Build relationships.
Other Networking Opportunities
The Networking/Happy Hour put on by SuperZoo was pretty cool, other than the COVID concerns. There were a lot of people there, drinks and food were free, and awards were announced to Hall of Famers. The music was a little loud, and I felt like it was overpopulated with exhibitors, and some true “networking” type of round-robin activities would have been appreciated, but all in all, it was a nice couple of hours to blow off steam after a busy few days. One day… one day.
Attendance
Guests
According to people who had been to SuperZoo in the past, they thought it felt like attendance was light. Chances are this was, understandably, due to COVID concerns. I spent a lot of my time meeting clients that I’d been working with virtually/digitally over the past several months for the first time in person, connecting with other people in the industry like Debra at WPA, Steve King at APPA, Lynn at Pet Retail Helper, and Barry at NexPet.
A quick word about NexPet - these independent retailer co-ops seem to be growing in popularity (IndiePet is another one) and if you haven’t checked into some of those for cost-saving efficiencies in products, services, software, or otherwise, they seem like a good opportunity for independent pet retailers.
Exhibitors
In other news (not really news), almost all of the industry’s big hitters were in attendance. In particular, I had great experiences at the following booths:
I was constantly on the lookout for new opportunities to help our pet store marketing clients in any form. I was primarily looking at POS systems, other marketing methods, co-ops and cost-saving measures, and manufacturers that wanted to assist in promoting, sponsoring, or supplying for pet store events. With many of our clients wanting to throw a Customer Appreciation Day (or similar) event every year, having those connections with manufacturers is important in making those events special.
Keep an eye out for the Pet Engine Marketing booth in the future! I would love to do some giveaways like free marketing assessments, $1,000 in free marketing, giveaways for an iPad mini, and so on. Sounds like a lot of fun!
Pet Store Marketing
I’m seeing a few new names in the pet store marketing space, but there continues to be a big opportunity here to help pet stores manage their marketing in better ways. Less waste on spend, better skill and talent in operation and execution, and more growth areas. Looking at the exhibitor list, I found one pet store marketing agency and made my way to their booth on Day 2 only to find that they weren’t there! As in, there was nothing there, no table or logos or anything at all.
Location
Las Vegas vs. Orlando
Last point here: having a show in Las Vegas was a lot cooler than Orlando, I have to say! Sorry to any Florida readers here. I’m not much of a gambler, but having the tram able to take me to and from the show was great (it was 100 degrees). Being able to take my clients out to a nice dinner in the Bellagio was also a great experience. Vegas is a city that offers a lot and with SuperZoo being located in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, you’re basically on The Strip and there are countless attractions to take advantage of after long days of talking, walking, and experiencing SuperZoo.
Conclusion
Thank you again to WPA for putting this on. I’ll definitely be looking to come back in the future, hopefully in the role of an exhibitor! I can’t tell you how excited I am by the thought of having a booth and getting the opportunity to speak in front of an audience and share some insights, strategies, and ideas around pet store marketing strategies!
