These figures represent an increase of 84 buying firms (3 percent) from last year’s 2,495, and a decrease of 322 individual buyers (4 percent) from last year’s 8,491, according to Colette Fairchild, CMP, trade show director for H.H. Backer Associates (Chicago).

A total of 718 exhibitors displayed products in 1,136 booths—an increase of 76 exhibitors (12 percent) and 80 booths (8 percent) from last year.

Adding to the ambiance were 147 exhibitors making their first appearances at the Backer show.

”We saw a huge jump in the number of exhibitors showing boutique-oriented items. That segment of the market has just exploded in the last couple of years,” Fairchild said.

Attendance Patterns Shift
Although March may have gone out like a lamb, April did not arrive in similarly docile fashion. Rainstorms pummeled the Northeast during the first weekend of the month, hampering air traffic in Philadelphia (the closest major airport to Atlantic City) and flooding numerous roads. “The stormy weather hurt us a little,” Fairchild said. “I don’t think it stopped the majority of people from coming to the show, but I think it prompted some people to leave early to try to beat the weather on the way home.”

She continued, ”Overall buyer attendance at our show was comparable to 2004, but attendance patterns seem to be shifting. This year, we saw more pet stores with supplies only, more superstores, more department and discount stores, more boutiques and gift stores, and more online pet stores. We saw fewer traditional pet stores, fewer aquarium shops, fewer mail order catalogs and fewer lawn and garden and hardware stores.

”We also saw a drop in the number of distributors in attendance, most likely due to the fact that our show was only two weeks after Global Pet Expo.”

The important factor to consider, Fairchild said, is the total number of buying firms at the show. “When more retail outlets come to a show, exhibitors get more opportunities to broaden their customer base and to build profitable business relationships,” she said.

Retailers Win Big
Backer’s Cash Bonanza contest was a big hit with retailers, who won nearly $9,000 in cash on the spot (see “Cash Bonanza Winners”).

But they weren’t the only winners of the weekend. Mike Gatto, assistant manager of Pet Place (DuBois, Pa.) won two United Airlines tickets in PET AGE Magazine’s Picture Yourself in Paradise contest.

In addition, retailers and distributors had the opportunity to attend several free seminars.

Future Shows
”I think our spring show will continue to grow as the pet industry grows,” Fairchild said. “We plan to work closely with exhibiting distributors and manufacturers to promote show-only specials to give dealers even more incentives to come to our 2006 show in Atlantic City.”

Backer’s next event is the 39th Annual Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show, to be held Oct. 7-9 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont (Chicago), Ill. It will be followed by the 18th Annual Pet Industry Spring Trade Show, to be held April 7-9, 2006, at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, N.J. For more information, call (312) 663-4040, e-mail hhbacker@hhbacker.com, or visit www.hhbacker.com. [June 2005 PET AGE]