Mary, Alex and Mark had a great conversation about standing out during a trade show. Listen to this episode to discover how to attract media attention, prepare your booth and make the event a success.

If you can’t listen, here is the recap!

Alex: Mary, you’ve been attending the show for five or six years now. I’d love to know, since you’ve seen it so many times, what do you think people need to do to be prepared for a show like this? We’re talking about SuperZoo, but it could also apply to Global Pet Expo and other trade shows. How should people prepare?

Mary: You know, preparation is key. My number one tip is not to be afraid of anything. Don’t be shy. Get out there! If you’re a pet product manufacturer, make sure you’re engaging with people who come to your booth or as they walk by. Talk to them, say, “Hey, would you like to check out this product?” And if you’re a pet store retailer, ask questions! Don’t just ask about the product, ask if the manufacturer offers PR and marketing services to help.

Alex: What you’re saying is spot on. At SuperZoo, don’t wait for people to approach you. Be proactive, go up to them, talk, sell yourself, show off your product or services, and explain what makes you and your product unique.

Mary: Yeah, and Alex, you also went to InterZoo in Germany, which is the European trade show. It’s actually bigger now than the two US trade shows, right?

Alex: It’s the world’s largest pet trade show!

Mary: Exactly. And language skills are so important at an event like that.

Alex: Definitely. InterZoo is very European, with a lot of British, Portuguese, Spanish, and German attendees, as well as many from Asia. We had people from Indonesia and Japan, and knowing how to greet them in their language was a great way to engage them.
I was there helping Lala Home, which sells automatic litter boxes. Before I started working with them, their approach was to wait for people to come to their booth. They’d say, “Oh, hi, this is our product,” but they weren’t out in front, actively engaging. They were just sitting there, waiting. That’s not great. You need to show people you’re open and ready for a conversation, and that you’re passionate about your product. Whenever someone approached, I’d say, “Hi, where are you from?” to start a conversation, even if it wasn’t directly about the litterbox.

Mary: Europe is big on privacy and just protecting your personal data, I guess. Yes, so they’re not allowed to, so InterZoo was not allowed to share who was coming to the show.

Alex: So, InterZoo wasn’t allowed to share the contact details of anyone attending the show. This meant no access to press or influencer emails, which was a big challenge for us. We’re used to getting these lists at SuperZoo and Global Pet Expo, allowing us to prepare by sending out press releases and setting up meetings ahead of time. But at InterZoo, we didn’t have that luxury, which made connecting with press and influencers much harder.
Plus, there were no cat influencers, which made it especially tough when you’re promoting an automatic cat litter box.

Mary: Live animals at your booth can really make a difference, right, Alex?

Alex: Exactly. If you can, and if your pet enjoys the experience, bringing them to the show can definitely attract more attention to your booth.

Mark: One booth at Global was serving margaritas, and their space was packed! That’s another idea for drawing a crowd. Events at your booth always help. I was surprised by how much alcohol was being handed out, it seemed like every booth was having a happy hour. I saw folks getting tipsy before it was even 5 o’clock.

Mary: It’s kind of funny, but it works.

Mark: I’m not much of a drinker, but I do enjoy a good margarita.

Alex: And besides drinks, you can offer samples of your products. People love freebies, even retailers and manufacturers. For example, Boss Nation is holding a raffle, which adds an exciting element for visitors.

Mary: Yeah, they even have a wheel you can spin to win prizes. It’s fun and engaging, and they do it really well. Basel, the founder, also brought this massive, animatronic wolf that roared — it was quite a sight. And in my experience, it’s often the mid-size brands that get the most creative with their booths. The big guys sometimes bring in celebrities, like Katherine Heigl promoting her pet food at SuperZoo.

Alex: After the show ends, what’s important is following up with the connections you made, whether press or retailers. How do you recommend doing that, Mary?

Mary: Follow-up is crucial. Collect business cards, contact info, and touch base with everyone you meet, even if they didn’t show immediate interest. You never know when they might need your product later. Especially with the press, it’s helpful to stay in touch because they often do wrap-ups of shows like SuperZoo, Global Pet, or InterZoo. Networking is also vital. Don’t just stay in your hotel room after the show. Go to the networking events because that’s where the real connections are made. I know it can be tiring, but getting out there and meeting people is how you maximize the value of these shows.

Alex: And I think these shows are really, really great, yet, as Mary said, making great connections will help you at some point. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but maybe next year. So, keep those contacts, definitely follow up, and they will always be useful.

Mary: So Mark, as an attendee of these shows, what are you looking for to put somebody on your shows?

Mark: First, I want to mention networking. Like at Global, at the end of the first night, there’s this big networking event. And of course, people have already been drinking, so they’re really friendly to begin with. We stand at a table, and like I said, we have our PetLife Radio shirts and signs, so people find us right away. We welcome them, they know who we are, and they come straight to us.
What we look for, like I said, are things that are different. To give you a plug, the La La Home products are really cool—their litter box and their water fountain, which we actually have one. So, things like that, we want to talk to them about.

Mary: I mean, I think innovation is always going to get you attention. Wouldn’t you agree?

Mark: Oh, yeah, of course. Like I said, we don’t want to see the same thing over and over. Especially Michelle, for Best Bets for Pets, our pet product show. We get a lot of requests, and she’s looking like, “Oh, we’ve had this already. We’ve had this five times.” Some products she’s had on, well, I don’t know if they ever were successful.

Mary: Yeah, it’s also a great place to meet everyone. Everyone who is critical in the pet industry is there. There are a ton of distributors, sales reps, and that sort of thing. I can’t stress enough: work it. You’ve paid an investment to be there.

Mark: I have a tip for larger companies. I’ve gone to large booths with a million people: salespeople, marketing people. When we go to interview them, they say, “Oh, our marketing person isn’t here right now. Can you come back later?” We’re not coming back later. You need to train all your people to be able to talk to the press. If someone comes and wants an interview, they should be capable of doing that. You can’t wait for someone to come back from lunch because we’re not coming back.

Mary: And one last thing—don’t forget that you can put press releases in the press room. You don’t need a press pass. You’ll see a whole bookcase of press releases. Some companies even leave tchotchkes or samples, but we recommend keeping those at your booth. We give free samples as rewards for attending our booth tours.
When you attend our booth tours, it’ll be the marketing person or founder at each booth giving a 30-second spiel. Keep it short and tight. We only have a limited time with reporters and digital creators, so be prepared with what you’re going to say and what you want out of it. Of course, we help with that too.