Stand and deliver

Trade exhibitions are an ideal showcase for pet industry manufacturers and wholesalers — and a perfect opportunity for retailers to identify new brands and products. Alison Gallagher-Hughes looks at how to get the most out of your visit.

Alison Gallagher-Hughes Journalist and PR expert who owns Tillymint Communications, a marketing communications agency which specialises in a range of B2B and B2C industries, including the pet sector. Visit www.tillymint.co.uk or email info@tillymint.co.uk

They can be hard on the feet but

immensely rewarding. From Interzoo, PATS, and Aqua, to Glee and Groomfest, a visit to a trade show is a hot ticket to springboard your business planning. They’re a great opportunity to see a wide range of brands under one roof, including additions to existing product ranges and innovative new entrants to the market. But let’s face it, they are tiring, potentially costly (sometimes requiring travel and overnight accommodation), and require a day away from the shop. Like any other business opportunity, they require an investment of time, money, and energy, so it’s important to make it pay, and here’s how:

Consult the Programme

Book Your Tickets

Pre-registration is useful – if there is an admission charge it’s more likely to be cheaper in advance than DID YOU KNOW? on the day. It’s also likely to help you enter the venue PATS Telford is free to more quickly and give you visit and has lots of access to advance news and free parking too.promotions. Some events have become interactive with event apps that help you plan your visit, network with others, and link into any live itinerary. Committing yourself to going early also means that you can benefi t from discounted travel and hotel rates. Plan Your Day View the event website and check out the fl oorplan. If you’ve been to the venue before you will appreciate its size and how long it might take you to walk around. I like to print off the map and tuck it into the plastic wallet usually issued with the entry pass — it’s far easier to view than juggling a programme when you are probably carrying bags with samples and purchases.

Consider colour coding the stands that you need or want to visit — the essential and the ‘nice to’ businesses that you hope to see. If you can do this en-route, you can avoid backtracking through the halls and minimise time and energy. Most shows will have an exhibitors list on its website — scrutinise this in advance to see who is exhibiting, not forgetting that their trading names may not be as familiar as their consumer brands. Some events are hosted with retailers in mind — starting on Sundays when shops are closed or can be managed with minimal staffi ng. Trade shows are a place to do business but also provide an opportunity to learn. Check out the live events – talks, demonstrations, and interactive sessions – which can provide you with some free learning, expert knowledge and views, advice, and skills. Identify which you would like to attend and where they are taking place. Some shows locate these near to refreshment areas, allowing you to recharge your batteries while fi ring up the grey cells. Arrange Key Meetings A show is an ideal opportunity for face-toface meetings. Major suppliers/large brands may have various members of their team — sales directors and account managers — in attendance on different days. So, if you’re keen to see a particular individual, arrange meetings in advance. Other suppliers may share a stand with wholesalers/distributors or attend the event without taking a stand. If they are not on the exhibitors list, drop them a line to see if they are ‘on foot’ and able to meet up. Visit Suppliers You may be regularly placing orders online or on the phone but there is nothing

Make the most of networking opportunities.

like being able to put a face to a name to reinforce working relationships. Drop by your key brands — as an existing customer, they’ll be keen to tell you what’s new, including product launches, company developments, and promotional/seasonal offers. You may also come away with a goody bag!

Check Out the Winners

Many trade shows combine award ceremonies or product showcases. Check out the best in show which may feature new or innovative developments, brand/range extensions, and products that have a bit of buzz around them of which you should be aware for possible introduction into stock.

Small is Beautiful

Don’t forget the little guys. Trade shows are a sensory feast of high-impact stands and a cacophony of noise. It’s no wonder that we are drawn to big stands that put on a show! But check out the small shell stands which are usually tucked away at the back or in a far hall. Some of these will be new and innovative businesses beginning their journey and could really offer you something new and exciting to put on your shelves.

Get Social

Most events have their own social media hashtag. Follow this along with the event promotors offi cial channels. They will help you fi nd out what’s new and who’s there. Also, remember to add some content for your own business. Your customers don’t get to experience this for themselves — add some photos, video content, or even a live feed and share the excitement of the event.

Be Kind to Yourself

Wear sensible shoes and remember to eat and drink! It sounds obvious but we are often so intent on ticking off our to do list that we forget to take a break, rest our feet, and refuel. Try to give yourself enough time to accommodate unscheduled conversations as well as planned meetings. Venues are often sizeable, warm and by the end of the day, you’ll by carrying lots of bags. So, remember to take a break!

TOP TIP!

PATS runs the New Product Showcase — an awards for the best new products on the market. It is a must-visit to fi nd the next best-seller.

Follow-up

Taking time out of your work schedule will often mean that when you return to your workplace you try to make up for lost time. Of course, you’ll need to get back into the swing of things, but don’t just dump the bags and the business cards and forget about them. Maximise the benefi t of your networking and new contacts, review offers in the cold light of day, and take the next steps. No business benefi ts from standing still. As retailers, it’s vital to think ahead, to balance stock staples with the next big thing but ensure that you get a return on investment — seize opportunities that have arisen from your attendance.

Plan your visit.

Dates for your Diary

Groomfest, Kenilworth, Warwickshire — 10-11 September 2022 www.groomfest.co.uk BETA International, Stoneleigh Warwickshire — 10-13 September 2022 www.beta-int.com PATS Telford, Telford — 25-26 September 2022 www.patshow.co.uk Horse of the Year Show, Birmingham – 5-9 October 2022 www.hoys.co.uk Glee, Birmingham — 27-29 June 2023 www.gleebirmingham.com Crufts, Birmingham — 9-12 March 2023 www.crufts.org.uk PATS Sandown, Sandown — 26-27 March 2023 www.patshow.co.uk Aqua Telford, Telford — 11-12 Oct 2023 www.aquatelford.co.uk Interzoo, Nuremberg, Germany – 7-10 May 2024 www.interzoo.com

Dr Guen Bradbury, MA, VetMB, MRCVS

Guen Bradbury is a vet who runs a teleconsultancy service to help rabbit owners, vets, and vet nurses with behavioural problems in rabbits. Her textbook on the subject, ‘Behavioural problems in rabbits: a clinical approach,’ explores the different aspects of rabbit behaviour, discusses communication behaviours, describes how rabbits learn to change behaviour, and has detailed, specifi c guidelines on approaches to common clinical behaviour problems. She is the veterinary adviser for RWAF’s Rabbiting On magazine, an innovation consultant at Innovia Technology, and she lectures on the Cambridge vet course.

Rabbits need to live in groups.

What retailers need to know about rabbit behaviour

Retailers are uniquely well placed to improve rabbit welfare. They are the source of information at the very point when the new pet is acquired. People usually feel excited and motivated when they purchase a new pet — and this means that they are usually very receptive to information and advice. To make sure we can give the best advice, we need to know what rabbits need. In this article, I’ll briefl y touch on some of the most important things that new rabbit owners need to know. To do that, we’ll consider what owners want from their rabbits and what they need to provide to ensure that they enjoy their rabbit-owning experience.

Pet rabbits are descended from the European wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculi. O. cuniculi is a herbivorous prey species. Wild rabbits have a range of between 4,000 and 20,000 square metres in grassland. They live in complex social groups, typically spend 11 —13 hours per day underground in a large warren, and when they are above ground, they spend 30% —70% of the time grazing. Owners clearly can’t replicate the wild environment for their new pets! However, there are certain things that owners need to do to ensure that they have long-lived, happy, and healthy pets. They need to keep them with other rabbits, provide an interesting and stimulating environment, avoid picking them up, and interact with them in the right way. What do owners want from their pet rabbits? And what do rabbits want from their owners?

Owners buy pets for many reasons: for companionship, for affection, for entertainment, and for educational experiences for their children. Some of their expectations may be met by a rabbit pet, but some may not. Retailers are very well placed to guide owners towards a pet that is right for them, but to do that, you need to have a conversation.

Rabbits make great pets for owners who enjoy watching them and occasionally stroking them while they are on the fl oor. In the right environment, rabbits are great to watch. They enjoy exploring new spaces, interacting with new objects, making new pathways, and spending time strengthening their relationship with their companion rabbit. Rabbits are very social animals. They interact with other familiar rabbits by lowering their head and being licked on their face. This means that the best way for owners to stroke their rabbits is to replicate this behaviour: stroking the rabbit on the head and ears. Although we often stroke animals on the back, rabbits don’t like this. Usually, they are only touched on the back when they are mating or being caught.

Rabbits do not make good pets for owners who want to pick them up. In their natural habitat, rabbits form more than 50 per cent of the diet of over thirty different predators. This alarming statistic explains a lot of the rabbit’s behaviour in captivity. The primary motivation of a rabbit is to avoid being eaten. Humans are a predator species, so rabbits feel very stressed when they are picked up by people. Rabbits that are frequently picked up like the owners less (are more likely to run away or not engage with people), are more likely to show aggressive behaviours to the owner, and feel more stressed, which increases the risk of health problems.

So, rabbits make good pets when owners don’t pick them up, stroke them on the head, keep them with other rabbits, and provide an interesting, stimulating environment for them to explore.

“Rabbits are ground-loving prey animals, who become friendly and responsive when properly treated. But rabbits are vulnerable to injury if handled badly and rarely appreciate being cuddled. Therefore, rabbits do not make good children’s pets, but can make successful family pets if parents respect the needs of the rabbit and the limitations of the children. Adults must accept all the responsibility of caring for the rabbit.” Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund policy statement

“Rabbits should be kept with at least one other compatible rabbit. To facilitate harmonious living with other rabbits, all rabbits should be neutered. A good combination is a neutered male and a neutered female.” APGAW Good Practice Code for the Welfare of Rabbits “Whether you keep your rabbits indoors or outside they should be provided with a suitably sized enclosure that allows permanent access to both a secure shelter to rest in and a safe exercise area. Recommended minimum dimensions for housing are 3 x 2 x 1 m (L x W x H) for a compatible pair of small to medium sized rabbits. It may be diffi cult to buy an enclosure of these dimensions currently, but we expect the market to respond and work towards providing these in the near future. Many people already choose to build their own enclosures using garden sheds connected to aviaries and/or runs. Larger rabbits or larger groups of rabbits will need more space. These dimensions include both a shelter and living area.” APGAW Good Practice Code for the Welfare of Rabbits

Keeping rabbits with other rabbits

Rabbits need to live with other rabbits. You’ll know that rabbits are highly social animals that live in large communities. When kept alone, they show health and behavioural problems. Rabbits will work as hard to see another rabbit (even if it’s one they don’t know) as they will for food.

Many new rabbit owners will not realise that rabbits need to be kept with other rabbits and so retailers are in a great position to educate them. Rabbits need companionship but they are also territorial so will fi ght with unfamiliar rabbits if they are in their own environment. These fi ghts can cause severe injury or even death. This means that if an owner acquires a second rabbit, they must do a process called ‘bonding’. The bonding process introduces a new rabbit to an established rabbit in a way that hopefully avoids the risk of fi ghting. The bonding process can be diffi cult so the easiest way for an owner to end up with a stable pair of rabbits is to acquire a pair of rabbits at the same time.

In practice, this means that retailers should advise everyone who wants to buy a rabbit to buy a pair of rabbits. However, there is a challenge. When rabbits go through puberty, their bond can destabilise, and a previously happy pair of rabbits can fi ght. We know that male–female pairs of rabbits are most likely to be stable and not break down – but the owners need to neuter the rabbits before they become fertile, otherwise the rabbits will breed. Male rabbits should be neutered as soon as the testicles descend at 10–12 weeks. Female rabbits should be neutered by 20 weeks of age.

It is very unlikely that retailers will be able to only sell male–female pairs. Rabbit breeders will typically keep some young female rabbits back for breeding, meaning that there will typically be more male than female rabbits on the shop fl oor. Some male–male pairs can be stable, but you should advise owners to get the rabbits neutered as soon as possible. If they wait until the rabbits reach puberty, they are very likely to fi ght.

Providing the right environment

As we mentioned previously, rabbits are healthier, happier, and make better pets when they are kept in an environment that meets their needs. Rabbits need to perform certain behaviours, including running, hiding, jumping, standing on their hind legs without their ears touching the roof and lying down stretched out without touching the sides of their enclosure. They should also have space to choose to be apart from each other as well as together.

Some owners choose to keep their rabbits inside as house rabbits, and some choose to keep their rabbits in large enclosures outside. Wherever they are kept, they need to have permanent access to an enclosure that is at least 3m by 2m fl oor area, and 1m in height. Rabbits need permanent access because they suffer when owners pick them up (so relying on owners to move them between spaces causes poor welfare) and because they are most active at dawn and dusk (so need to be able to choose when they move around).

The size of the environment is very important. Rabbits with insuffi cient space move less, show fewer normal behaviours, and have an increased risk of health problems. Rabbit owners also need to think about what the environment contains. Rabbits are intelligent animals and can suffer from boredom. Rabbits that don’t have enough stimulation suffer and may show unwanted behaviours, such as chewing the enclosure.

We often advise on diet and environment separately, but for rabbits, their diet does take up a reasonable area of their environment. Rabbits need to have a diet that is about 85% hay or grass – that means a bundle of hay that is about the same size as the rabbit, every day. Rabbits like to eat where they toilet, so litter trays should contain hay. Rabbits like to graze, so hay should be scattered on the fl oor. And rabbits move around when fi nding food, so hay should be placed in different parts of the enclosure to drive this behaviour. Owners can improve their rabbits’ environment by thinking about how and where they offer hay.

Where possible, rabbits should have access to the outdoors, even if that’s just for supervised play sessions. When rabbits are outdoors, the environment is more stimulating, they move around more, and they are exposed to natural light — all these factors improve the rabbits’ health and welfare. Outdoors, there is constant mild variation in light levels, temperature, sights, and sounds, and there is often access to grass, which is the food that rabbits have evolved to eat.

Owners can provide more stimulation for rabbits in other ways too. They can provide platforms so rabbits can rest at different heights. The outdoor environment is much more interesting to rabbits. They can provide areas for the rabbit to dig — hay-fi lled litter trays are good. Rabbits usually only interact with toys that contain food so owners can hide concentrate food in puzzle-feeding toys or scatter it in the hay to encourage the rabbits to forage.

In conclusion, retailers are very well placed to guide the decisions of prospective rabbit owners on whether to get rabbits, how many rabbits to get, and how to keep their rabbits. They can explain why rabbits need to be kept with other rabbits, what they need from their environment, and how owners should interact with their rabbits. This advice at this critical point maximises the chance that owners will have happy, healthy, longlived rabbits and will enjoy their rabbit-owning experience. xplain why rabbits need to be with e at mises