Interview with Joan Icart
Joan Icart Clos officially joined Picart in 1983, although he had been involved with the company from an early age, gaining first-hand experience in every area of the business. His degrees in Economics and Business Studies and Law from the University of Barcelona (UB), followed by an MBA at ESADE, gave him a strong business perspective. Together with Susanna Martori, who joined the project and later became his wife, he worked on a strategic vision that would shape the company’s future. In 1993, he took over as Managing Director and led Picart’s transformation into a pet food company, a strategic move based on the potential they had identified during their MBA final project at ESADE. In the early two-thousands, the company took another step forward by beginning to manufacture extruded pet food. Innovative at the time, this activity would become the core of the business and give rise to the Picart Pet Care division.
Since its founding in 1953, Picart has been more than an animal food manufacturer: it is a family legacy built on commitment and dedication to animal welfare. With more than 70 years’ experience, the company has become one of Spain’s leading pet food manufacturers, specialising in nutrition for dogs and cats. Developed by vets and nutrition experts, its recipes combine carefully selected ingredients with a commitment to quality, innovation and animal welfare. Nowadays, Picart operates in more than 20 countries, bringing its responsible and sustainable approach to nutrition to markets around the world.
Questionnaire
- How long has Picart been exhibiting at IBERPET (formerly Iberzoo Propet), and how has its view of the fair evolved over that time?
Answer:
Picart has been exhibiting at Iberpet, formerly Iberzoo Propet, since 2011, with virtually uninterrupted attendance. Over this time, we have witnessed the pet sector evolve and become increasingly professionalised—a process the fair itself has helped to drive. Year after year, we have seen both exhibitor numbers and professional visitor attendance grow. The fair has established itself as one of Spain’s leading meeting points for businesses in the sector and as a strategic platform for generating business, sharing knowledge and identifying new trends.
- What motivates you to exhibit at IBERPET? What role does the fair have in your commercial strategy?
Answer:
For Picart, taking part in Iberpet goes far beyond having a commercial presence. The fair is a key meeting point for professionals in the sector, customers, distributors and potential partners. It allows us to strengthen relationships and create new business opportunities. It is also an ideal setting in which to gain first-hand insight into market trends, exchange experiences and take the pulse of the sector’s development.
Iberpet also plays an important role in our commercial strategy as a platform for presenting new products and raising the profile of our launches, while enabling us to connect directly with the professionals who trust our brands. In an increasingly digital world, we particularly value the opportunity to have personal, face-to-face conversations that help strengthen our relationships with customers and partners.
- Which visitor profiles are most valuable to you: independent pet shops, retail chains, vets, distributors or international buyers? Has this changed in recent years?
Answer:
All visitor profiles are important to Picart’s commercial strategy, as each plays a valuable role in the distribution and recommendation chain. They all help us strengthen our market presence and continue to grow sustainably.
We tailor our approach to the needs and specific circumstances of each contact, always seeking to build long-term relationships and create opportunities to work together. In recent years, we have placed particular emphasis on international expansion, increasing our presence in new markets while continuing to strengthen our position and brand recognition in Spain. In this respect, Iberpet is an excellent opportunity to connect with a wide range of professionals in one place and make progress towards both strategic goals.
- Taking part in a trade fair always represents a significant investment of time, staff and resources. What is your opinion of the return you get from IBERPET in terms of visibility, contacts and business?
Answer:
Measuring the exact return on investment from exhibiting at a trade fair is not always straightforward, as many of its benefits materialise in the mid to long term. For us, Iberpet is a strategic investment that raises brand visibility, strengthens our position in the sector and complements the other activities in our marketing plan.
Beyond the business opportunities that may arise during the fair, its greatest value lies in the chance to strengthen relationships with customers and partners, make new contacts and increase awareness of our brands among industry professionals.
- Business aside, what is your opinion of the professional seminars and activities that accompany the fair? Do they add value to you as a company?
Answer:
Although we do not participate directly in the professional seminars, we consider them a very valuable part of the Iberpet proposal. This type of activities enriches the visitor experience, complementing the visit to the commercial stands with interesting content, training and analysis of the trends that are marking the evolution of the sector.
They also encourage knowledge exchange and networking among professionals, creating a more dynamic and attractive environment for everyone concerned.
- Do you take part in other international sector fairs? If you do, in what way do they differ from IBERPET in terms of format, audience and commercial return?
Answer:
Yes, as well as Iberpet we regularly participate in leading international trade fairs such as Interzoo and Zoomark. These events are considerably larger, with a marked international character and a very relevant presence of distributors, importers and chains from different markets, which makes them very valuable for our export strategy.
Iberpet, meanwhile, is more focused on the domestic market and is a key meeting point for the Spanish sector. However, in recent years we have seen the fair become increasingly international, with more visitors and companies from other countries attending.
Each trade fair plays a different role in our strategy. While international fairs are particularly useful for supporting our overseas expansion, Iberpet enables us to strengthen our presence in the domestic market.
- Do you plan to present any innovations at IBERPET 27? New ranges, formats, snacks, cat foods...
Answer:
One of the main innovations we’ll present at IBERPET 27 will be the comprehensive overhaul of the Select Cat range, a strategic project in which we have invested a lot of effort over the last year, which will launch on the market at the end of 2026. Iberpet will, therefore, we the ideal place for pet professionals to learn about this new proposal.
The new range follows the philosophy and positioning of Select Dog, with Low Grain and Grain Free recipes enriched with nutraceuticals tailored to the different stages of a cat’s life. We have also placed particular emphasis on respecting cats’ species-specific nutritional needs by increasing the meat content, offering food that is more closely aligned with their carnivorous nature.
Alongside this major new development, we will also use the fair to continue promoting some of our latest launches, including the Select Dog Dental Sticks range, with products designed to provide specific benefits, and the Select Dog Grain Free recipes, which have been very positively received by both retailers and consumers.
- Looking ahead, what would you like IBERPET to develop or add in future editions to remain an unmissable event on the industry’s trade fair calendar?
Answer:
Looking ahead, we would like Iberpet to continue strengthening its role as a meeting point for industry professionals, with a particular focus on initiatives that encourage networking and create business opportunities. We believe that activities designed to bring people together can add considerable value for both exhibitors and visitors.