3 SuperZoo Takeaways to Help You Grow Your Pet Business
SuperZoo is one of the BIGGEST annual pet industry tradeshows sponsored by the World Pet Association (WPA). In fact, the President of the WPA, Victor Mason, shared some 2022 follow-up stats recently, and they might give you a better idea of just how big we’re talking:
💥 331,503 net square feet
💥 9,503 buyers in attendance
💥 1,023 exhibiting companies
💥 901 debut items in the New Products Showcase
💥 16,175 pet industry professionals in attendance.
💥And one EPIC beach party!
And did we mention… it’s in Las Vegas?! Only Vegas has the energy to match this SuperBowl of pet industry tradeshows!
When walking into SuperZoo, the buzzing energy is undeniable! Before you even hit the tradeshow floor, you enter a lobby where a DJ is spinning the best pump-up jams imaginable, there are fun photo ops abound, and you’re surrounded by other pet industry professionals who are SO eager to explore and mingle!
Whether you attended this year or not, we’re sharing our top THREE takeaways from the festivities this year. Check them out and start planning for next year!
1. Make connections.
SuperZoo is the perfect reminder that our connections in the pet industry are endlessly valuable. Whether making connections to grow your pet business or just to have friends in the industry that can cheer you on, give you advice, and are just always in your corner… those relationships are priceless!
At Pet Boss Nation, our CEO, Candace, loved having the opportunity to meet up with Pet Boss Club members and regroup with many Pet Boss Nation partners. This was the first real chance since the pandemic for Candace to reset with partners in the industry, discuss growth and how everyone’s businesses have pivoted since the pandemic, and just reconnect IN PERSON!
P.S. A huge “thank you” shout-out goes to Boss Nation Brands and Astro Loyalty for hosting some of our Pet Boss Nation meetups!
2. Make it memorable.
One major theme on the tradeshow floor was brands transforming their booth space into an experience for their visitors.
Think about it– what’s one way you can stand out in a crowd? By adding interesting elements to the way you connect with people! People stopping by these experience-themed booths were posting all over social media about them and really just having a blast!
Here are some examples of the most memorable booths. While browsing, ask yourself– how can you make your brick-and-mortar location, events, or even pop-up events more memorable for visitors?!
Dogs hate a sour-tasting deterrent spray, and for the human taste tester, it’s easy to see why! That’s exactly why the “I hate Skout’s Honor” campaign is so clever (and attention-grabbing)!
Their “Wall of Pain – Super Sour Challenge” definitely had a memorable effect! Booth visitors were challenged to hold a stick dipped in Skout’s Honor Super Sour! Anti Chew Spray against their tongue for 10 seconds to win cool prizes and, of course– a spot on their notable Wall of Pain! Check out some of the brave volunteers who earned their photo on the Wall in these SuperZoo story highlights.
I scream, you scream, we all scream… “Happy 13th birthday, Metro Paws! Now, give us ice cream!”
And that’s exactly what they did. Celebrating a business birthday at SuperZoo is the way to go! The Metro Paws booth was packed with visitors wanting a sweet treat, but they were also leaving with business information and a fond memory. Everyone wins!
HappyBond is spreading tail-wagging joy with both their pet supplement line and their high-energy and fun SuperZoo booth! Who doesn’t love a giant disco ball with a surprise DJ inside, keeping the beats flowing and the energy high? We did, and other HappyBond booth attendees felt the same!
Is there anything more satisfying than winning a prize in a claw machine?! PetShop by Fringe Studio, a high-quality pet supply store, knew what they were doing when they added a claw machine to their booth and gave their visitors FREE chances to win! No one could resist!
Okay, one thing that might be as fun as the claw machine is getting a chance to spin a giant Price Is Right-style prize wheel! Earthborn made that dream a reality in their booth, which was a huge success!
3. Make it worth your time.
The excitement while attending SuperZoo is REAL, but it’s the follow-up work that’ll bring the most value to your pet business! What you implement can have a lifelong ripple effect that brings more money into your business and continually helps you grow.
Here are a few things to consider to make the most of your SuperZoo trip:
- The money’s in the follow-up. Enter those new items into your POS, implement those ideas you learned in all the education sessions, and make it all happen by actually scheduling follow-up time into your calendar!
- Help your team learn. Take everything you learned back to your team, and do everything you can to help them learn too! Share photos and videos, make a Trello board to organize all your new items and descriptions, schedule sales rep demos… whatever is most likely to help your team succeed!
- Get your customers excited. Raffle off some of your new items, tease them on your social media channels, and do live unboxings of new arrivals so your customers are eager to stop in and check out the new goodies!
- Leverage new relationships. Send shout-outs to your new contacts on social media, reach out about joint marketing campaigns, and stay in touch! Your connections are currency and vice versa.
And let’s add in one takeaway for good measure…. Make room for SuperZoo 2023!!!
It’s never too early to start planning and dreaming about what you’ll find next year. To register to exhibit or attend SuperZoo 2023, happening August 16th-18th, 2023, go to SuperZoo.org!
Learn more with us!
- Need 1:1 support to make massive action now? Book a discovery call with us to see if working 1:1 with Candace is the right fit for you.
- Get on the waitlist! You’re passionate about pets. It’s time to have a business that supports the life you want, too! Learn the specific techniques to find new customers, to increase sales and to build a better team for ANY kind of pet business by joining the Pet Boss Club! Get on the waitlist here.
Episode 41 | Ask Candace: How Can You Generate Recurring Revenue in Your Pet Business?
