06/14/2023
ZOOMARK 2023 - A HUGE SUCCESS: THE ORGANIZERS ARE ALREADY HARD AT WORK ON THE NEXT CHAPTER
The 20th edition of Zoomark, the international trade show for pet food and pet care, held at BolognaFiere on 15th-17th May, more than lived up to its promise, exceeding all expectations and confirming its role as Europe's leading B2B pet industry event in 2023. The record-breaking event saw a huge leap in visitor and exhibitor numbers, giving a big boost to its international scope.
The 20th Zoomark was an enormous success, confirming its pivotal role in the industry's marketing activities and professional development in the distribution sector. While over the past five editions Zoomark has seen a 70% rise in the number of exhibitors and visitors, the 2023 edition marked a phenomenal leap forward, as Domenico Lunghi, Director of Direct Exhibitions at BolognaFiere, points out:
"The figures speak for themselves. The number of exhibitors at Zoomark 2023 was up 25% compared to the last edition pre-Covid. It was such a big jump that the layout had to be redesigned and new halls added to accommodate all the companies that chose to invest in our show and make it their platform for three packed days of business and meetings."
An incredible 1,060 exhibitors from 57 different countries, occupying more than 68,000 square metres of exhibition area, gave Zoomark their vote of confidence. The most numerous groups were the Italians (261) and Chinese (201), followed by those from Great Britain (62), Germany (58), the US (45) and Turkey (41). For the first time, Zoomark also welcomed companies from Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Romania and Vietnam.
Visitor numbers were also up on the successful 2019 edition (+8.7%), with 27,950 industry professionals flocking to the show: owners and buyers from pet stores and chains (23.6%), wholesalers (20.3%), import-export professionals (19.3%), as well as groomers, buyers from the large-scale retail trade and garden centres, veterinarians, manufacturers and the international press.
Although bad weather severely hampered domestic travel, the percentage of visitors from abroad (62%) was double that of Zoomark 2019. 17,312 professionals from 120 different countries confirmed the strong international appeal of the BolognaFiere event. The show welcomed industry players not just from Europe (with Germany, Spain, Britain, France, Poland and the Netherlands in the lead), but from all the other continents too: Asia, America, Africa and Oceania.
The figures evidenced the show's growth curve in terms of prominence, surface area, participants and special initiatives, such as the Pet Vision area, Zoomark's original showcase for new products, which this year saw the launch of a competition devoted to the most innovative products in the show.
As always, the event hosted a packed programme of conferences and seminars, making it an unmissable international happening for all the major players in the pet market.