Inside SuperZoo: Navigating North America's Largest Pet Retail Event with Mike Karsting

In this episode, Clayton sits down with Mike Karsting, Senior Vice President at the World Pet Association (WPA), to dive deep into the world of SuperZoo. Mike shares the rich 76-year history of the event, explaining how it evolved from its humble beginnings in 1950 into the premier pet retail trade show in North America.  KEY TAKEAWAYS A Mission-Driven Event: SuperZoo is organized by the World Pet Association (WPA), a not-for-profit organization.  Strategic Scheduling: Hosting SuperZoo in Las Vegas in August isn't an accident. It is perfectly timed for the sweet spot of holiday season purchasing, occurs right after kids return to school. Quality Over Quantity: Following the COVID-19 pandemic, WPA reset their entire database and instituted stricter vetting processes for attendees. Exhibitors Need a Game Plan: Simply paying for a booth isn't enough to succeed. Exhibitors must engage in pre-show marketing and submit items to the highly trafficked New Product Showcase. Education is a Major Pillar: SuperZoo is not just about buying and selling; it's a massive educational hub. With over 60 sessions starting the day before the show floor opens. BEST MOMENTS "WPA is a not-for-profit, which means all the proceeds that come from the trade shows go back into the industry." "You should not be outside in the middle of the day unless you're at the pool and you have a cocktail in hand." "We essentially started over on our database. We took everybody out, we made everybody reapply for our first year back in 2021... all we're trying to do is exactly what you said, making sure the right people are on the show floor." "Putting something in New Product Showcase... that's the number one destination on all of our research. It's the busiest spot of the show for retailers." "If you just show up at SuperZoo and think you're gonna wing it, you're gonna end up seeing a million things and not remember any of it." HOST BIO Clayton Payne is an industry veteran of three decades of working in the pet industry. Brought up working in his parents' pet store, Clayton has seen the industry evolve over five different decades and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since the nineties. Building pet businesses from scratch, establishing multi-national distribution chains and having worked in every aspect of the industry, Clayton has a rare insight into the Pet Industry that is rivalled by few. Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica). As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals. https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/ https://www.tiktok.com/@petbusinessdisruptors https://www.youtube.com/@PetBusinessDisruptors   This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/