ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL 2021 EARNS FULL MARKS FOR ATTENDANCE AND QUALITY

More than fifteen thousand visitors arrived in person at the Bologna Exhibition Centre, more than 30% of them arrived from abroad from 82 different countries underlining the success of ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL 2021: an extraordinary edition of the event that was widely acclaimed by the business community.

Exhibitors were notably appreciative of the successful networking opportunities at the Fair, the quality and expertise of the Italian and international operators in attendance and the outcome of the business negotiations that enlivened the days of the event. The great efforts to organise this first ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL following the interruption of exhibition activities due to the pandemic emergency (until 15 June 2021) were rewarded with a result that exceeded even the best expectations concerning the decision to bring forward to November 2021 the event initially repositioned to May 2022.

This success assumes an even greater importance due to the continuing health emergency in some geographical areas, which has prevented incoming visitors from Asia and the United States and also limited the influx of visitors from European target countries, such as Germany and Eastern Europe.

From 10 to 12 November ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL with 450 exhibitors – 60% of them from abroad, from 44 countries – and an exhibition layout involving pavilions 25, 26, 29, 30 and the Mall of the latter, filled a two-year hiatus in international exhibitions for the sector of pet products and equipment.

The Exhibition – organised by BolognaFiere with the support of Assalco (the Italian Association of Pet Food and Pet Care Businesses), ANMVI (the National Association of Italian Veterinary Doctors), the Emilia-Romagna Regional Administration and with the operational secretariat of Promopet – responded to the market’s need for an international event for this sector that is continuing to grow. Pet ownership is a phenomenon that in Italy now numbers 62 million animals in Italian homes: more than 16 million are dogs and cats, a notable increase during the period of the pandemic.

“Less than a year ago we took the difficult decision,” explains Antonio Bruzzone, General Manager of BolognaFiere, “to reschedule the event to an unprecedented date, bringing it forward to autumn 2021, with only a few months to organise and keep alive the goal of offering the market a quality international event. The response from exhibitors and operators has rewarded this decision, reaffirming the importance of the Fair in defining the sector's development strategies. The success of ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL was proof of the operators’ need for direct discussions in order to do business as successfully as possible. We are already looking forward to the next edition of the Fair, which will be held in May 2023 and will take advantage of the input gathered from the direct encounters with the leading players in the market.”

Every moment of the fair was well received and attended, from the innovation area in the new Pet Vision format, to the demonstrations and events that accompanied the exhibition, confirming it once again as a top international showcase.

The next edition of ZOOMARK INTERNATIONAL is scheduled to take place at the Bologna Exhibition Centre in May 2023