PATS Harrogate has secured a strong line-up of speakers for two days of seminars designed to give pet retailers ahead-of-the-game ideas on new lines, new approaches and new profit potential.
The talks, produced in association with Pedigree Wholesale, will take place in the Seminar Theatre in Hall B of Harrogate International Centre on both days of the show – Sunday and Monday, September 14-15.
The free-to-attend series of seminars will cover topics including: an insight into the life-saving abilities of medical detection dogs; pay-offs and penalties in the dog-human relationship; retailing RAW pet foods; driving sales in the small animal category; 30 ways to improve your business in 30 minutes; and what customers are saying about your pet business online.
There will also be a chance to earn Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points for those people attending a special seminar by animal healthcare specialists Merial. The CPD points will go towards the ongoing development of Suitably Qualified People (SQP) working in the pet industry.
Guy Blaskey (right), from Pooch and Mutt, has given talks at PATS for the past three years and he says: “At every show the audience seems to be full of people who are really interested in pushing their businesses forward and learning about modern marketing techniques.
“I always get some very interesting questions at the end of the talk and people often follow up with queries via email, twitter or facebook.”
At PATS Harrogate, Guy will be giving an introduction to condition-appropriate feeding for dogs.
“One of the easiest ways to discover new ideas that could help boost your business is to attend the free seminars at PATS,” said organiser Annie Foord.
“If there’s a subject that catches your eye then make a mental note of the time or write it down in your diary so you don’t miss it.
“Most seminars last half-an-hour so there’s no time to become bored. In fact, because of the time limit, there’s a lot of information packed into such a short session and often it’s a good idea to take notes or write down bullet points. Usually, the speaker will take questions at the end of the talk.”
PATS is delighted that Dr Roger Mugford from the Company of Animals has agreed to give a seminar at Harrogate. Well respected in the industry, Dr Mugford is a psychologist and farmer who introduced the concept of behavioural therapy to the veterinary profession by founding The Animal Behaviour Centre in 1979.
Alice Halstead, who suffers from a rare form of diabetes, will give a brief insight into the life-saving abilities of medical detection dogs in both chronic disease and cancer detection.
Natures Menu’s Craig Taylor will be offering advice on retailing RAW pet foods, while Oliver Humi, of the British Independent Retailers’ Association, will reveal 30 ways to improve your business in 30 minutes.
With 1.7million rabbits now owned across the UK, the small animal category represents a great opportunity to drive incremental sales across a range of products. Richard Rockett, from Burgess Petcare, will deliver a talk entitled ‘the long and the short of small furries’.
As well as this free programme of seminars there will be so much more to see on the exhibitor stands packing three halls at Harrogate. Visitors are now being urged to register for free show entry by going online at www.patshow.co.uk.
