(PRESS RELEASE) On Tuesday, April 30, the seventh annual NYC Re-tails & Sales Pet Expo took place and had the best event turnout to date. Hosted once again by Nancy Hassel of American Pet Professionals and Dana Humphrey of Whitegate PR, more than 200 attendees from the New York City and surrounding areas joined together at Home Studios Inc. near Union Square Park for this one-day boutique B2B tradeshow.
In previous years, the NYC Retails & Sales Pet Expo was exclusive to media, pet retailers, groomers, veterinarians, social media and pet influencers. However, this year for the first time, the event opened the doors to the public for special pet parent hours. During the last two hours of the show, pet parents were invited to attend the expo to shop for the latest pet products, as well partake in a very interesting panel discussion regarding one of the pet industry’s fastest-growing trends: CBD and holistic pet care.
“Every year has been a success with the NYC Re-tails and Sales Pet Expo. However, this year, there was an energy and excitement that felt much different than ever before,” said Dana Humphrey founder and president of Whitegate PR. “Our vendors and attendees had fantastic feedback about the day, and allowing pet parents to join us gave the expo an added layer of fun!”
CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, has had a surge in popularity over the past couple of years for people and pets which is why the CBD market is expected to hit $22 billion by 2022, according to the Brightfield Group, cannabis industry analysts.
“Pet retailers are jumping on board to this massive trend, which is why Dana and I decided to add a CBD panel at this year’s show,” said Nancy Hassel, founder and president of American Pet Professionals. “Valuable and crucial information was shared at the discussion for both pet industry professionals and pet owners. It was the perfect way to close out the day!”
Attendees gathered around to hear from industry experts, all of which were exhibitors at the show, during two panel sessions CBD 101 and the Business Side of CBD and Hemp. Panels included: Angela Ardolino from CBD Dog Health, Craig Henderson from Fetch/Extract Labs, Matt Terrill from Innovet Pet, Min An from Buzzin and Dee Rivera of LATINISTA Magazine (as moderator). Panel session two consisted of: Dr. Bob Goldstein of Earth Animal; Damian Dalla-Longo of Bona Vida, Steven Cron Benchmark Payment Networks, Rob Kovler of Animal Nutritional Products, and Glenn Polyn from PET AGE Magazine (as moderator). During each panel, attendees learned about hemp regulations and how to carry this exploding new category in their stores. Veterinarians and experts crafting CBD in the USA were available for cautious pet parents and professionals to get their questions answered about this natural product that helps calm pets from anxiety and other ailments, especially prone problems for urban pets!
The vendor lineup included: Animal Nutritional Products, Benchmark Payment Networks, Bona Vida, Brutus Broth, Buzzn, CBD Dog Health, Don’t Forget Pocket Strap, Earth Animal, Emma Ko’s, Extract Labs/Fetch, Fairy Boss, Fluffygram, Green Coast Pet, Innovet Pet, NaturVet, NeVetica, Pet Smoochies, Pets Destiny, Ruffina, TwinCritters, Viachem, Wooftown’s brands: Baked Fresh and Home Cooked pet treats and food.
Mark your calendar for next year’s NYC Re-tails Sales Pet Expo, which is scheduled to take place Tuesday, May 12, 2020.
retailsandsalespetexpo.com