THIS FALL, Chicago may very well be the coolest place on earth. (At least for pet business owners.)

And we don’t mean shivering-in-thermal-underwear cool. We mean awesome-things-that-will-rock-your-face-off cool.

That’s because, this year, PETS+ is doing something extremely cool. We’re hosting our first-ever education and buying summit, with a laser focus on one of the most exciting, fastest-growing areas of the pet business — wellness.

The PETS+ Wellness Summit will be held Oct. 1-2 in Rosemont, IL, just outside Chicago. We’ll be keeping you up to date with show developments in the coming weeks, but encourage all pet pros to register early to ensure your position at the Summit. (One more thing that’s cool? The Summit is entirely free for pet product retailers and service providers!)

Here are a five key reasons you don’t want to miss the PETS+ Wellness Summit.

1. INSPIRATIONAL LEARNING

The Summit marks the first-ever education and buying conference from PETS+. Pet pros across the U.S. have fallen in love with our magazine and online products. Now you can experience our innovative approach to learning and inspiration in a live setting. A panel of experts and successful retailers (yeah, the people who are doing this stuff in real life) are joining forces to bring you more than a dozen informative sessions. Featuring titles like “Law and Order (CBD),” which focuses on the legal aspects of selling CBD to your customers, and “Old Pets, New Tricks,” which outlines service and product sales opportunities directed at senior pets, it’s a program focused on electrifying your sales and revenues. (Actually, we think it will send a bolt of freaking lightning into your business.)

2. FOCUSED BUYING

Buying at the Summit is designed to complement the education you receive, with a curated show floor that lets you connect with key vendors specializing in wellness products. (Categories include CBD, raw food, behavior and anxiety, digestive support, supplements, flea and tick, skin and coat, and many more.) If you’ve been inspired to expand your product or service sales into a new category by the sessions you’ve attended, you’ll find high-quality vendors ready to work with you. (And if you’re not ready to buy, that’s absolutely fine too. Simply connect with vendors to learn more and buy when you’re ready.)

3. ORIENTED TOWARD ACTION

The entire Wellness Summit, from education to show floor, is designed to help you take action. Our promise is that you’ll return home from our event with tons of actionable ideas, plus supporting educational materials, that will allow you to hit the ground running as you move toward creating an entirely new (or dramatically expanded) profit center for your business.

4. ULTRA-CONVENIENT LOCATION

The Summit will be hosted in Rosemont, IL, just outside of Chicago, at the beautiful Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel. Enjoy the benefits of being located near one of America’s iconic cities, while avoiding the traffic and hassle — ugh, parking! — of that city. It’s a convenient one-day drive from major urban areas across the Midwest. And, for those flying in, the hotel is just minutes away from O’Hare International Airport.

5. PRIME NETWORK-BUILDING

PETS+ is the preferred business-to-business media of some of the country’s most innovative pet pros. At the Summit, you’ll meet top pet pros featured in the magazine, including businesses profiled in America’s Coolest Stores, plus the Brain Squad and the PETS+ Facebook Community. (Not to mention PETS+ editors Ralf Kircher and Pamela Mitchell, who can’t wait to meet you.) In keeping with the magazine’s ethos of sharing freely for the benefit of all pet pros, it’s a perfect chance to connect and build your contact list with some of the smartest people in the business.

OK, PETS+ fans, that’s the pitch.

Remember the when and where: Oct. 1-2 at the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL.

We’d love to see you there.

And remember, you can help us make our inaugural educational event even more successful by registering today. (And if you’re a true believer in what we’re doing, please invite your industry friends and connections to meet you there.)