Interview with Daniel Lizarraga, CEO of Gloria Pets and Manager of Dskuad

Gloria Pets creates and designs products and equipment for pets, especially dogs and cats. The company has been distributing top brands of accessories for 40 years and developing its own product line. It employs 50 people and exports to 24 countries. Sales in international markets account for approximately 20% of its total revenue.

How many years have you been participating as an exhibitor at IberzooPropet and how has your perception of the fair evolved during this time?

We've been participating in Iberzoo Propet since its inception. We were also involved with Iberzoo when it was an independent event organized by AEDPAC, an association we are founding members of. I believe it was first held in Zaragoza, then in Barcelona. We continued to attend as exhibitors after its merger with Propet at IFEMA MADRID.

In your opinion, what unique value does Iberzoo Propet offer compared to other trade fairs in the sector? What motivates you most to continue participating year after year?

Iberzoo Propet is the most important trade fair in Spain, Portugal, and even France, boasting the highest number of visitors and exhibitors. We've recently participated in international trade fairs in Portugal and France, and without a doubt, Iberzoo Propet is the fair that attracts the most manufacturers, distributors, and professionals. Sometimes you have doubts about the return on investment for trade fairs, but at Gloria Pets, we now see it as an essential event on our calendar, another meeting point with clients, suppliers, and other companies in the sector. If you work in this industry, you have to participate.

Participating in a trade fair always involves a significant investment of time, personnel, and resources. How does your company assess the return on investment that Iberzoo Propet provides in terms of visibility, contacts, and business?

It's complex to make an assessment using data. There are many variables that influence each other. We measure the number of visits, new contacts, and then sales—sales during the trade show and sales in the following months. But those sales don't depend solely on the trade show; the success of your new products, how you manage the trade show, and how well you attract people to your booth are all fundamental.

Our assessment is very positive, that's why we repeat it every year, even this year we wanted to cover more ground and we didn't have the option.

From your experience, what would you say is the main benefit of being present as an exhibitor? Is it direct contact with customers, the possibility of attracting new distributors, brand reinforcement, or the opportunity to present new products?

Usually, we are the ones who go to visit or call or contact people by email to offer them our products or services, and at trade fairs it's the other way around; whoever wants to can stop at your stand, come in, ask questions, or interact with you.

For me, that's the big difference. Being able to tell the world what you can do for them, in a personal and intimate way, and seeing so many people in one place in just a few days, whereas if we had to go to each place to see everyone, we would need a lot of time and resources

In your case, have you used Iberzoo Propet to present new product launches, innovations, or services? How do you perceive the response from the professional audience?

At Gloria Pets, we're always bringing in new things. Innovation is key in our industry, and the challenge is that it seems like everything's already been invented, yet there's still so much room for improvement in animal health and welfare. And that's what we're all dedicated to.

Besides the commercial aspect, what is your opinion of the professional workshops and parallel activities of the event? Do they add value for your company?

Yes, they add a lot of value and I find them very interesting, but I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I think the talks and panels are fantastic. Ignasi Solana, as curator of the FORUM organized by AEDPAC, always manages to bring in very interesting speakers, professionals that, in other contexts, people would pay to hear or even get close to. And here we have them for free

On the other hand, I think there are so many talks and so many people to see, in addition to the VetMadrid Congress organized by AMVAC, and people are so preoccupied with their daily lives and so much work that the conferences are somewhat overshadowed by the main event.

I personally try to attend 3 or 4 talks, but I have to choose, and the rest of our team and I divide up to attend them all and then share what's presented. But you have visits to people at the stand, and you have colleagues to meet, and honestly, we're here to work, so I think it's a really powerful experience, but I don't have time to participate in the sessions as much as I'd like. Luckily, in the case of FORUM, you can watch them later on their YouTube channel.

How would you describe the profile of visitors to your stand? Does it correspond to the target audience you are trying to reach, or is there a segment you would like to see better represented?

Yes, they are a perfect match. Everyone who comes to our stand is a professional in our sector, maybe 95%, and then there are a few curious onlookers, journalists, influencers, or people who want to sell us things... and I don't think it's the right place for that, since sometimes it distracts you or takes away time from properly attending to your clients or potential clients.

From your point of view, what aspects of the organization, logistics or exhibitor services would you highlight positively, and which do you think could be improved?

I'd like to lower the cost of catering, improve the opening hours or days, and get a bit more visibility on television.

Do you also participate in other international trade fairs in the sector? If so, what differences do you find compared to Iberzoo Propet in terms of format, audience, or commercial return?

We participate in trade fairs in France, Italy and Germany, and the difference is mainly the audience; here it's national and in France it's national, in Italy it's a bit more international and Germany is the most international and the reference point for export.

Iberzoo Propet is also a meeting point for the sector. What value do networking, contact with other exhibitors, or the opportunity to share experiences with companies in the same field have for you?

I love it, but I would like to have more time to say hello to more people, to get to know other companies, to spend a pleasant time with many friends and acquaintances, and to contact great professionals from whom I have a lot to learn.

Looking to the future, what would you like Iberzoo Propet to enhance or incorporate in future editions to remain an essential event for companies in the sector within the industry trade fair circuit?

I hope it becomes a more international fair. It would be great to take steps to bring people from other countries to exhibit and attract visitors from more nations. I'm saddened that there are national companies that don't come, and they should be. Any company that sells to hairdressers, shops, or veterinarians has to be here. We need to make things easy for everyone who comes, and I hope that one day we'll be able to bring together all the professionals in the sector. It would be wonderful if we were all here.