The World Wide Pet Supply Association (Arcadia, Calif.) recently contracted for extra exhibit space at the Las Vegas Convention Center to accommodate companies put on a waiting list after the SuperZoo West show sold out. The trade show is scheduled for Sept. 22-23.

The additional exhibit space is on the convention center's upper floor with easy access from the main exhibit hall.

"We are delighted that so many companies are interested in exhibiting in the first SuperZoo at the Las Vegas Convention Center," said Doug Poindexter, executive vice president of WWPSA. "We hope to accommodate as many additional companies as possible. Our goal is to satisfy everyone who wants to participate in this year's SuperZoo."

In related news, show officials said they will offer a Business Education Day on Sept. 21, combining speakers from the retail, pet and garden industries. Scheduled seminars include "The Customer is King," by green industry expert Mark Mayberry; "The Product is King," by horticultural and pet retailing expert John Stanley; and "Cultivating Incredible Consumer Experience," by entrepreneur and media personality Pete Luckett. All three speakers will join forces for "How to Make It Work in Your Business," a rapid-fire interactive session that will give attendees a new idea every minute for the first 45 minutes and then detail how to implement them. The daylong series, including lunch, is $195.

Retailer seminars throughout the course of the show include "Power Merchandising-Making it Work for You," "How to Make Your Store the One Customers Choose," "Animal Supplements," "Building Ponds for Profit," "Winning at Retail," "Look Ma, No Hands! Save Time Labor & Products With Hands-Free Bathing," "How Superstore-proof is Your Business?" "Do You See What I See?" "Profit-Enhancing Aspects of Garden Gift Areas" and "Pet Retailers Working With Local Schools." Fees vary, depending on the topic.

Oceans Unlimited (Lewes, Del.), an organization dedicated to conservation through recreation, education and research, will present three one-hour training sessions for members of the aquarium trade. The sessions will address the release of non-native species into the nation's coastal waters, and help attendees differentiate legal species of seaweed from illegal ones. The organization offers materials for employee training and for consumers, including information on proper disposal of illegal species and marketable alternative species.

The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington) will offer small-animal and reptile certification seminars. WWPSA will offer a daylong certification program for companion animal hygienists.

Grooming seminars, presented by Barkleigh Productions (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), include "Minding Your Own Business," "Snap-on Combs for Dummies," "Ten Ways to Become a Top Professional Groomer," "Retailing in a Small Place," "Tools and Tricks of the Trade," "Scissorize" and "The Art of Grooming."

For complete seminar details, visit www.superzoo.org.

SuperZoo West will be held in conjunction with the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers Nursery and Garden Expo. For more information, call 800-999-7295 or visit www.wwpsa.com. [September 2004 PET AGE]