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NYC Re-tails and Sales Expo Held in Manhattan

Pet Age Staff//April 27, 2016//

NYC Re-tails and Sales Expo Held in Manhattan

Pet Age Staff //April 27, 2016//

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The fourth annual NYC Re-tails and Sales Expo was held on April 19 at Home Studios, Inc., in Manhattan.

NYC Re-tails and Sales Expo is presented by American Pet Professionals, LLC, and Whitegate PR. Pet Age was the presenting media sponsor for the expo.

While the focus for the fourth expo was on pet technology companies, there was something for every pet lover.

“Pet tech is booming right now and we thought it would be a great idea to not only feature these new technologies, but also shine a light on other innovative companies in the industry,” said Nancy Hassel, founder and president of American Pet Professionals. “We are grateful for Pet Age Magazine being our Presenting Media Sponsor again and to Hamptons Pet Magazine for being a media sponsor and being at our event!”

There were more than 250 attendees from the Tri-State Area and beyond to see cutting-edge pet gadgets along with other must-have pet products. Attendees included pet retailers, buyers, bloggers and traditional media.

The afternoon kicked off with a beautiful performance of the “Star Spangled Banner” by Megan Cooper.

Vendors included groundbreaking pet tech startups like Gampets, makers of pet camera and remote treat-delivery system Petzi, and human-grade squeezable pet treats from Hedda’s Squeeze Treats.

Additional participating vendors included: A Pet with Paws, Bling Bone, Buddy Belts, Chews Happiness, Delectables by Hartz, FurrFighters, Optimal Pet Health, Petzi, Sniffery, Puppy Hugger, Whisker+Box and Your Perfect Puppy. This year’s media sponsors included Pet Age Magazine and Hamptons Pet Magazine.

For vendors, the size of the show presented opportunities to meet closely with attendees.

“We expected a small, intimate show with a few selected pet retailers; this is basically how the show transpired,” said Tavor White, chief executive officer at Chews Happiness. “We also met a number of potential new partners who showed interest in potentially co-marketing with us.  This is really what such shows are all about: making contacts and networking to grow your business.”

White also found the input from attendees valuable.

“We received a lot of incredible feedback regarding our social enterprise and our unique, luxurious, handmade apparel for dogs and their moms,” White said.

Michael Garland of Hedda’s Squeeze Treats was impressed with the pet-savviness of the attendees.

“It was a good show,” Garland said. “There was a sophisticated group of people who came and that was useful for us. The quality of the attendees was high. We made some good contacts and were happy with that. We will consider going again.”

Hedda’s had a guest celebrity on hand: legendary New Yorker cartoonist George Booth. Booth has contracted with Hedda’s to be the company’s in-house artist. He drew the cartoon that serves as the backdrop of the Hedda’s booth.

The event space itself earned praise from Elaine Doran, co-founder of the Puppy Hugger.

“The venue was terrific,” Doran said. “It was light and bright and airy, so it put people in a good mood and they stayed around. It was busy nonstop, which I loved. I was quite pleased with the expo. It was well run. The organizers look out for you.”

“Each NYC Re-tails and Sales Pet Expo event is special in its own way,” said Dana Humphrey, founder and president of Whitegate PR. “It’s great to hear the positive feedback from both vendors and attendees, and we are thrilled with the outcome of this April’s show!”