I’ve wanted to attend SuperZoo ever since I heard about it when I started grooming. I began my grooming career in Atlanta, GA. At that time my wife and I had just welcomed our first daughter, Ava, into the world. We really didn’t have a lot of money to work with back then, and I foolishly took an opportunity to start our own grooming business in one of the most expensive shopping centers in the city. No matter how low our finances were though, we always made time to go to the Atlanta Pet Fair each March to continue our education. It also helped us stay current on the innovations being made in the grooming industry. The Atlanta Pet Fair is a great event, but everyone always told me that it really doesn’t compare to SuperZoo in Las Vegas. I would always think to myself, “If only I had the opportunity to go, I would love to attend SuperZoo!”
I’ve been planning on going to SuperZoo after moving to Phoenix, AZ in January, but things don’t always work out they way you plan. 🙂 With the event coming up soon, and very little in our bank account, I had to accept the fact that I won’t be able to attend this year. Maybe next year. Then a thought came to mind. What if I ask if I can attend as a member of the media for my blog? Maybe I can get in for free with a press pass if I blog about it, and write about it in my next issue of the Furrific Times. I emailed Megan O’Neal, the PR Specialist, and explained my situation and asked if she could help me attend as a member of the media. I didn’t think I would get a response, but it figured it doesn’t hurt to ask. Not only did she respond, but her response was so kind and helpful! Wow! Looking at it now, maybe this is God’s way of leading me to a better path than I was on before. If I had the funds available to me to register myself for SuperZoo, I would have done it without hesitation. However, it was because I didn’t have it that I had to get creative if I wanted to go.
We all like to ask ourselves, “What am I getting out of this?” or “What am I getting here?” But according to my mentor, Jim Rohn, the question we should ask is not “What am I getting here?” The question we should be asking ourselves is, “What am I becoming here?” What we become is so much more important than what we get. I understand this so much better now than I did a few years ago when I first heard him say this. Through all the experiences I’ve been through – through all the failures and mistakes – I’ve become a valuable member of the industry. I now have opportunities that I did not have before, and I have new relationships being formed that I never would have imagined possible before. Now, not only do I get to go the the show that I’ve had at the top of my list, but I get to go with a Press Pass. 🙂
SuperZoo is not open to the general public. You must be a dog groomer or a member of the industry to attend.
The following is a Press Release from SuperZoo:
SUPERZOO 2015 WILL BRING OUT THE NERD IN EVERYONE
Helping People Work Smarter Since 1951
MONROVIA, CA (July 7, 2015) — SuperZoo, the most anticipated pet retail event of the year, is two weeks away and tracking to be the most impressive event in show history. Produced by the World Pet Association (WPA), SuperZoo will transform 216,578 square feet of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas into a world of colorful collars, reptile tanks and enough grooming shears to make any pet professional’s dreams a reality. Understanding the concept of “work-life balance,” SuperZoo will offer both professional and personal development opportunities from July 21-23 to keep the 20,000+ forecasted participants energized all three days.
Professionally speaking, SuperZoo has never been stronger. With 84 university sessions taught by 51 of the top leaders in the pet industry, and special Keynote speaker Sergeant Keni Thomas, former Army Ranger of the Black Hawk Down Mission, attendees will be exposed to more robust resources than ever before. WPA will also introduce six additional pre-show seminars on Monday, July 20 and an organized networking reception on the evening of July 21 to help attendees build essential connections and “work smarter” in tandem with the 2015 show theme.
“Retailers have asked us in the past how they can ‘work smarter,’” explains WPA president, Doug Poindexter. “And the answer is different than what many expect. You don’t need to have an extraordinarily large budget to make headway, but instead learn how to use what you have to its full advantage. We designed the entire 2015 show with that in mind.”
SuperZoo attendees will learn ways to “work smarter,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll “play less.” The 2015 event will have creative grooming competitions, celebrity appearances and sponsored events including the Heart Concert hosted by SuperZoo at the Mandalay Bay House of Blues on July 22. Additional excitement will include a new store with SuperZoo apparel, the New Product Showcase, where hundreds of new products will vie for the coveted Best In Show Award, to be announced at the networking reception, and the presentation of the WPA Matsui Award preceding the live concert to honoree Roger Mugford for his lifetime contribution to the pet industry.
Seeing how SuperZoo 2015 has a sold-out floor plan with 983 exhibiting companies filling 2,170 booths, it’s safe to say there has never been a better time to geek-out at SuperZoo. For more information on what else you will find at SuperZoo, visit http://www.superzoo.org.
Jun the Groomer 