The future of the pet industry

Around 160 participants from 20 countries travelled to Copenhagen for the International Pet Conference. The two-day conference, held in mid-October, was held under the theme “Pets, people, progress – Developing the pet industry together”. Discussions centred on new approaches to collectively prepare the industry for the future. The organiser of this highly regarded gathering of the international pet industry is Dähne Verlag from Germany, with its trade journals PET worldwide and “pet-Fachmagazin” (for the DACH region).

The topics covered in the 19 presentations, talks and panel discussions ranged from international market developments and new business models, through animal welfare and responsibility, to innovations and AI.

The event began by focusing on the retail sector, the trend towards premiumisation and developments in the European pet market. Marco Hierling, CEO of Alpha Pet, kicked off the proceedings. He addressed the question of how healthy, premium pet food is increasingly evolving from a niche product into the market standard. Pavel Bouška, Chairman of the Board of the Vafo Group, then shed light on the future of pet wellbeing and the opportunities that go beyond traditional pet nutrition. He noted: “We are currently living in the ‘functional area’, which is defined by topics such as nutrition, functionality and scientific findings”.

One focus of the conference was on the Nordic pet markets. In his keynote speech, Per Lausen, CEO of the Danish company Eldorado A/S, addressed consumer behaviour, current market trends and growth prospects in Scandinavia. The differences between the individual Nordic markets were also a key focus. What they all have in common, however, is the maxim ‘quality comes before price’. He urged companies to invest in logistics, as relationships are paramount today.

Ellinor Persdotter Nilsson from the Musti Group then presented the company’s growth story, detailing how it has evolved from a leading Nordic pet retailer into a retail enterprise with an increasingly Europe-wide presence. In conversation with Oliver Mengedoht, Editor-in-Chief of PET worldwide and pet-Fachmagazin, Anthony Gallagher, Managing Director of the Irish pet retail chain Petstop, spoke about his entrepreneurial career and the development of his retail business. He highlighted the following as a key lesson he had learnt: “Always look after your staff. If you look after them, they’ll look after you – and be willing to go the extra mile.”

The role of AI, as well as challenges and future issues facing the pet industry, were also in the spotlight. These included, amongst other things, mental health in veterinary medicine and practical applications of artificial intelligence. A short presentation followed by a discussion, in which representatives from the European Pet Organisation took part, addressed the responsible sourcing of animals.

The first day of the conference concluded with a panel discussion on the future of international pet trade fairs. Dr Rowena Arzt, Head of Trade Fairs at WZF/Interzoo, Pascale Sonvico, Exhibition Manager at Zoomark, and Chris Li, Global Marketing Director of the China International Pet Show (CIPS), discussed the future direction of the industry as representatives of three major international trade fairs.

A highlight of the International Pet Conference was the evening event at the end of the first day, featuring the presentation of two industry awards. Anthony Gallagher was named ‘Personality of the Year’. ‘There are so many awards; some you can even buy. Not this one. It comes from the heart,’ said Oliver Mengedoht in his laudatory speech. The award is intended to serve as a reminder that the pet industry is driven not only by money, technology or financial investors, but by the spirit and ideas of individual people. Gallagher is the tenth recipient since 2006; previous winners include Torsten Toeller (Fressnapf), Pavel Bouška (Vafo) and Polina Kosharna (Suziria).

The “PET worldwide Best Newcomer Award 2026” was won by the Polish company Wildove with its Joy&Toy brand. Both the online vote by readers of pet and PET worldwide and the vote by visitors – each accounting for half of the total – resulted in a close race, reported editor Sarah Daubert during the announcement. Founder and CSO Europe Ewa Żurkiewicz, who had presented Joy&Toy that morning in a five-minute pitch, accepted the award.

The event took place as part of the evening function titled ‘Wow Night’, organised by the Viennese company PetCo under its ‘Wow’ brand. The organisers also expressed their gratitude to the conference’s two main sponsors, Purina and Vafo.

On the second day of the conference, the international perspective broadened. Topics included growth strategies in South-Eastern Europe, developments in South Africa and business opportunities in South-East Asia. Other topics covered the use of artificial intelligence, alternative protein sources and cultured meat for pet nutrition.

As part of the long-standing tradition of alternating between international and national congresses for the German-speaking industry, next year’s Pet Congress will take place in Bonn. Dates: 5 and 6 October 2027.