As excitement starts to build for this year's show in October, a regular exhibitor reveals why PATS Telford has become a must-visit event for pet retailers and buyers.
Mark Hirschel, Commercial Director and Co-Founder of HOWND.
Mark is pictured with fellow Co-Founder Jo Amit.
Why have you chosen to exhibit at PATS Telford?
PATS Telford is such an important trade event for HOWND. The location of the show allows for customers from North and South to attend easily with good transport links. The size of the show, with its large open plan halls and high ceilings, creates a feeling of something grand and important. Plus the amount of fantastic brands on show helps drive footfall which seems to increase year after year. The show has always been our platform for launching new products. It’s great to take part in the New Product Showcase as well as the PetQuip Awards dinner where we've twice won double gold in previous years.
What makes the exhibition so special?
It’s the one show that everyone wants to be at. When speaking to other companies about trade events, it’s always PATS Telford that gets mentioned. The show’s success comes down to having a central location, large halls, New Product Showcase, PetQip Awards dinner, the amount of brands on show and the footfall that comes through the doors over the two days. The show hours aren't incredibly long which I believe helps keep things busy throughout the day. For shop owners looking for the next big thing, wanting a place to walk through for inspiration, or just want to meet the people behind the brand, this show is the best.
How important is it for suppliers and manufacturers to have a show like PATS?
For any brand, manufacturer or supplier who wants to meet customers old and new, launch new products or just generate a bit of PR activity, then of course this show is important. PATS is literally a one-stop-shop for retailers, where they can come and see everything that makes the pet industry such a great one to be part of, so if you supply products then you need to be at this show.
What are you hoping to achieve at the show?
Our main goal is to launch new products, build a bit of buzz around the brand, drive PR activities, meet both new and existing customers, talk about our products, and generally network and have a bit of fun. We've entered a few award categories so maybe gold is coming our way again, but even if it doesn't we are cool with that. It’s also a great opportunity to get feedback from people on how they are getting on with HOWND, what's really good and what things we could do better. And on a slight tangent, we have just kicked off a new investment round, so could our next investor be at the show?
Will you be unveiling new products there?
Yes! We love launching new products at PATS. We’ve just received our first production of our new wellness treats. You may remember our old ones, which were great but possibly a bit too expensive for some. So, we’ve now updated our recipe, improved palatability, made them semi-moist, changed our packaging and brought down our RRP from £4.50 to £2.95. We’ve been busy testing these with loads of dogs and even we’re surprised how much they love them. My own dog is a total food snob (can get quite embarrassing at times when she turns her head after someone offers up their treats), but she really likes our new ones which is great to see. We’ve also updated our dry food recipe, again making it even more palatable, and added a few more plant-based key ingredients into the mix. Plus our new packaging designs are almost done which we’re really excited about so come check them out on stand and let us know what you think.
What would you say to a retailer thinking about visiting the show?
Although I understand why time away from your store can be a difficult thing to manage, I do think you’re doing yourself a disservice by not getting out for the day, seeing new products, new brands, and generally seeing all there is to see in a one-stop-shop place. You can collect samples and go back home with lots of new reading material to help make more informed buying decisions. Even if you only buy from a wholesaler, they are there too and usually with good show offers. So if you're the person responsible for product innovation and connecting with brands then it would be crazy to miss out on PATS.
Registration for free entry to the show is open for retailers and buyers at www.patshow.co.uk
