Springtime Celebrations

Listen to this article

Despite the fact that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day, February 2—which means we’re stuck in winter for a few more weeks—Pet Age has still been floating on air with delight. Food and Treat Festival for Pets was a rousing success on February 6, and we’re already brainstorming what the second F.A.T. Fest will entail so we can continue to educate and entertain pet industry professionals and pet owners.

Of course, we’re also excited about the 2018 Global Pet Expo, which takes place this month in Orlando, Florida. With an enormous exhibit space and an amazing lineup of speakers, it’s expected to be yet another superb trade show that’s presented by the wonderful teams at the American Pet Products Association and the Pet Industry Distributors Association. A day before Global Pet Expo, we will be hosting a special reception to introduce this year’s class of winners for Pet Age’s Women of Influence Awards. Being that it will be our first live event to honor women in the pet industry, we felt it would be an appropriate time to unveil a new award: the Pet Age Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award. And we take great pride in bestowing this honor to Susan Goldstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Earth Animal.

Be sure to view the profiles for this year’s Women of Influence winners, as they are a major reason the pet industry is as strong as it’s ever been. Just like Goldstein, many of them entered the field because of their passion for animals, and we applaud them for their contributions to the industry.

This issue also includes plenty of content that is valuable to those involved in pet retail, as Dan Calabrese tackles the unenviable topic of staff turnover, while Jacinthe Moreau, president of World Pet Association, details how her organization provides many programs and services to help retailers succeed in today’s competitive market.

If that isn’t enough, the red peacock cichlid—which is a beautiful freshwater fish—is our Pet of the Month for March, plus we examine the subjects of flea and tick products, grooming tables and lifts, exotic reptiles, bird treats, small animal enclosures, GloFish and natural products sourced from the sea in our Trends & Products articles. There’s much more awaiting you in this issue, but rather than list them here, I’ll let you discover them for yourself. Enjoy!