Page 62 - PET worldwide issue 03/2021

Events

Premiere with

mixed results

The premiere of the digital world-leading
trade show Interzoo.digital went better

than many in the pet supplies sector an-
ticipated – but it wasn’t an equivalent
substitute for a live trade show.

The coronavirus pandemic put sion of virtual cafés, networking companies. On the other hand,
the Interzoo organiser WZF un- areas, lead-finder directories, prominent exhibitors from North
der heavy pressure. 2021 had stand areas and accompanying and South America were largely
scarcely got going when it soon programme items. Only those absent from the digital event.
became evident that a physical who had taken a close look at
international trade fair would the digital show in advance Poor retailer showing
not be possible this year either. were able to really benefit from Many exhibitors were unhappy
In the face of huge time pressure, the doubtless interesting offers not to be able to reach more re-
a platform had to be created that that featured. The organisers had tailers and retail groups at Inter-
would offer interesting informa- made adequate time available to zoo.digital, although their disap-
tion and contact opportunities participants for this. pointment was limited on account
to as many participants as pos- Another obstacle was the high of the modest expectations in the
sible. It would also have to be level of mistrust of many poten- run-up to the show. For many, the
easy to use for those with little IT tial exhibitors with regard to joy of being able to communi-
knowledge, despite the technical the show well in advance of the cate once more with other play-
complexities involved in setting it event. It was only in the weeks ers in the sector outweighed the
up – not an easy job, therefore. immediately before the show gloom. And the practical experi-
The WZF undoubtedly mer- opened that the WZF succeeded ence gained at the digital fair was
its huge respect for developing in driving exhibitor numbers up. something most exhibitors didn’t
a digital trade show platform. With 336 exhibitors from 48 want to miss out on.
Much was achieved to drive countries, albeit only 78 from The number of visitors to the
forward digitalisation of the pet Germany, a result that was at platform between 1 and 4 June
supplies sector. Of the digital least numerically satisfactory sounds impressive at 14 537
pet trade fairs offered to date, was achieved. Many leading participants from over 100 coun-
Interzoo was surely also the companies who saw no point in tries. This figure included 9 513
most technically demanding on the digital show spectacle were show visitors, around 30 per
a global scale. At first glance, the sadly missed, however. The cent of these from Germany. The
entire construct of the platform strong international flavour of number of retailers (not just from
appeared rather complicated the digital fair, which could by no Germany) was modest, however,
and a little over-ambitious. In means be taken for granted, was if the reports of exhibitors are to
fact, some retailers soon lost pleasing, with strong representa- be believed. 130 000 chat mes-
their enthusiasm for a digital In- tion from China and South Korea sages and 2 300 video calls
terzoo experience in the confu- in particular alongside European showed that there was nonethe-

62 PET worldwide 3|2021

PWW2021-03_Buch.indb 62 07.07.2021 13:48:24