The Pet Industry Federation’s Business of Pets Conference 2026 got underway at the Cranfield Management Development Centre on Wednesday with a packed programme of insight, discussion and innovation focused around this year’s theme of 'Building Resilience'.

Delegates heard an engaging opening discussion around ‘The 2026 Cost Crunch and How to Survive It’, tackling the realities facing SMEs across the pet sector, from rising National Insurance costs and business overheads to maintaining profitability in an increasingly price-sensitive market.

The programme also featured Emma Jones, the UK Small Business Commissioner, who provided practical guidance on late payments, cash flow and the new regulations designed to support smaller businesses, while Martin Spiller delivered an inspiring and often humorous session on ‘The Unfair Advantage of SMEs’, highlighting how speed, AI and story-telling can help smaller businesses outperform larger competitors.

The first seven finalists in the PIF Innovation Award braved stage to pitch their ideas and products to delegates, showcasing the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit continuing to drive the sector forward.

Day two included exclusive consumer and market insight sessions from NielsenIQ and PwC, discussions around investment readiness, recruitment and brand reputation, cyber security for SMEs as well as the final round of Innovation Award finalist pitches, before the overall winner was announced at the end of the conference.

Images: Pet Industry Federation / Kerry Jordan, Fur & Fables