The talks, produced in association with Pedigree Wholesale, will take place in Hall B of Harrogate International Centre on both days of the show – Sunday and Monday, September 15-16.
The free-to-attend series of seminars will cover topics including strategies for creating customer loyalty, understanding your shoppers, how pet stores can thrive in the internet age, and getting more online visitors.
There will also be another 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. Places for this seminar, delivered by Tanya Leslie, technical manager for Merial’s Frontline Spot On product, need to be booked in advance at www.patshow.co.uk/merial and are on a first-come-first-served basis, while visitors can simply turn up for all the other talks.
On the first day of the show, renowned dog behaviour expert Roger Mugford, from the Company of Animals, will give a talk on the pay offs and penalties in the dog-human relationship, while avian training professional Mike Simmons, of A World of Wings, will tackle the topic of managing parrots (budgies to macaws) in pet shops.
On the second day Claire Hamblion, of Supreme Pet Foods, will look at strategies for creating customer loyalty, and Diana Truman, from PPRA, will explain how her organization can help independent retailers.
Understanding your shoppers is becoming increasingly important in today’s complex marketplace, and it’s a subject that will be tackled during the seminar programme on both days by Claire Rowles, of Mars Petcare UK.
For those retailers interested in specifically developing their store’s opportunities in reptiles and associated products, there will be an enlightening presentation by Chris Newman of REPTA, who has himself kept more than 250 species of reptiles and amphibians.
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. Justin Heaton, from Burgess Petcare, will reveal how retailers can lead the market with their small animal offering.
And for those retailers interested in developing their online presence there will be two talks of interest. Pooch & Mutt’s Guy Blaskey will be debating how pet stores can thrive in the internet age, while David Mackley, of Intelligent Retail, will be discussing ways to get more online visitors by using the latest Google changes to your advantage.
As well as this free programme of seminars there will be so much more to see and talk about at PATS Harrogate with exhibitors packing Halls B, C and M. Visitors are now being urged to register for free show entry by going online at www.patshow.co.uk. Other benefits include a free park-and-ride system, free catalogue, dog grooming demonstrations and many special offers. The PATS hotline is +44 (0)1892 862848.
