Rockford, IL – April 13, 2017 – Representatives from Petfood Industry have announced that Petfood Forum 2017 attracted approximately 3,000 pet food professionals from 38 different countries, and close to 280 exhibitors, surpassing the 2016 attendance and exhibitor figures.
The 25th anniversary edition of the three-day conference and exhibition took place on April 3-5, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
Industry professionals in attendance included representatives from Affinity Pet Care S.A., The J.M. Smucker Co., Blue Buffalo, Cargill, Champion Pet Foods, Diamond Pet Foods, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Mars Petcare, Merrick Pet Care, Nestlé Purina, Nippon Pet Foods, BrightPet, Perfect Companion Group, Royal Canin, Unicharm, and others.
Attendees were provided with numerous opportunities to network and conduct business during nightly receptions, time on the sold-out Exhibit Hall floor and through a new Connect feature on the Petfood Forum app. Attending and exhibiting companies made connections with students to discuss job or internship openings during two Petfood Forum Student receptions. This year’s Student Program showed significant growth compared to previous years, with nearly twenty universities represented.
In addition to three days of networking, Petfood Forum 2017 featured a lineup of 40 globally recognized presenters to share new research and insights on a variety of topics. Sessions included tips to marketing to millennials, questions to ask novel ingredient suppliers, protecting your company against legal costs and financial losses, and much more. Included in the list of presenters were keynote speakers, Randi Zuckerberg and Temple Grandin, PhD. Zuckerberg opened Petfood Forum on April 4, with a presentation on the significant role social media has on a company’s success. Grandin closed the show with her keynote on animal behavior at the end of the day on April 5.
Prior to the 30+ technical sessions, an interactive educational format was available through Petfood Innovation Workshop, held on April 3. Nearly 200 attendees signed up to participate in the six stations led by top pet food industry researchers and suppliers. Each activity focused on sensory analysis, palatability or consumer insights and were designed to spur high engagement through activities such as a consumer insights panel experience in the form of a “Pet Family Feud” competition.
Event organizers have announced that Petfood Forum 2018 will once again be held in the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri on April 23-25, 2018. Kansas City is at the heart of the Animal Health Corridor, which is home to more than 300 animal health companies. For details on the 2018 conference and exhibition, as well as other Petfood Forum events, go to www.PetfoodForumEvents.com.
About Petfood Forum & Petfood Industry
Petfood Forum is organized and hosted by Petfood Industry (www.petfoodindustry.com). Both are owned by WATT Global Media, a content company founded in 1917 that provides exceptional business content and solutions to the agribusiness industry. As an industry innovator, WATT Global Media has connected buyers and sellers in the poultry, pig, animal feed and pet food industries through its media channels for 100 years (www.WATTGlobalMedia.com).
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Contact:
Kristen de la Torriente, Forum Marketing Coordinator
o. +1.815.966.5514 | e. kdelatorriente@wattglobal.com