Doug recently did a podcast interview with Gene Sower, President of SamsonMedia.net and Publisher of Pet-business-opportunity.com (also a speaker at SuperZoo University). If you have attended SuperZoo in the past or are thinking of attending SuperZoo in the future, we highly recommend listening to it!

Podcast Interview with Doug Poindexter of the World Pet Association

Doug Poindexter, President of the World Pet Association, started in the pet industry in 1969 working for a local independent retailer. The small independent store grew to a four store chain located in major malls in Southern California. Doug left to open his own store in 1980 named Doug’s Animal House which Doug sold in 1992 after coming to work at the World Pet Association in 1990.

Doug has left his mark on Super Zoo, the flagship show of the WPA, by moving SuperZoo to Las Vegas, and developing SuperZoo University, expanding America’s Family Pet Expo to two locations and branding all entities of World Pet Association. With a strong background as an independent retailer in the pet industry, Doug will share his insights and speak about the following topics in the podcast:

• What are some things that would be considered a “tipping point” to help a company decide to exhibit at a show like Super Zoo?
• What was the number one takeaway message from the 2011 Super Zoo Show?
• What are you seeing as some growth areas in the pet industry for next year?
• What are some troubling new laws or regulations that you see impacting the pet industry in 2012?
• Because of the down economy a lot of people are looking to start new careers or go into business for themselves. Is the pet industry a good place to look?
• How is the strength of the services sector of the pet business? Is this a growing area?
• And lot’s more!

To listen to the podcast with Doug Pointdexter, Click here!

As you may have heard, Google Plus is now available for businesses.  While adding another site to your social media list may sound daunting, businesses who want to continue competing in the internet marketing world should not think twice about setting up an account.

Having a Google Plus page has many advantages.  People go to Google to search for things billions of times a day, and if implemented properly, a Google Plus page can increase your exposure as well as your website’s search engine ranking.

Like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media sites, Google Plus offers you the benefit of interacting with your customer on a different level.  It allows you to engage with your customers and get to know their preferences.  It also allows your customers to give a personal endorsement to their friends and followers.  Google Plus’s “+1” button is taking this endorsement to a new level.  Consider this…Google Plus is not just a social media site but is also tied to a search engine and an email system (Gmail).  Google Plus melds all of these together so your business gets exposure, not only through your followers, but also through your email contacts AND anyone who sees your website come up in a Google search. If your website is properly encoded for SEO purposes and someone does a Google search using your keywords, your website could pop up and that person could see your Google Plus page and “+1” it, endorsing it to all of their followers and friends as well as Google itself! Google states, “+1 helps people discover relevant content—a website, a Google search result, or an ad—from the people they already know and trust.”

Google also states, “+1′s from friends and contacts can be a useful signal to Google when determining the relevance of your page to a user’s query. This is just one of many signals Google may use to determine a page’s relevance and ranking.”

This means that having a Google Plus page will also help increase your ranking on search engines. SEO is changing and is including more and more of the social media postings in the algorithms.  The more keyword rich (yet still relevant and conversational) your Google Plus page and posts are, the quicker you will be picked up by the search engines.

Yes, creating a Google Plus page will take some time and patience, but if implemented properly, it can really help your business grow.  And once you get started, be sure to follow SuperZoo’s Google Plus page and “+1” us!

This week’s edition of Pet Inustry Briefs features an article published by Pet Product News.  Check it out below, and be sure to sign up to recieve your weekly information source!

New Humane Organization Launches with ‘Give Local’ Campaign

AZUSA, Calif. – The best and the brightest of the competitive dog grooming industry recently gathered at the SuperZoo pet retailer trade show at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the annual presentation of the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards, the industry’s version of the Oscars. This year’s awards saw Brazil’s Clayton Muniz win his second International Groomer of the Year award.

A resident of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Muniz has been a professional groomer for 15 years and is a regular participant in international grooming competitions and events. He is the current Brazilian champion for Groom Brasil and was named the Best International Groomer at Intergroom in 2009 and 2010. At Intergroom 2011 Muniz became the first Brazilian to win the title of World’s Best Groomer in the Poodle category.

“Clayton has shown his passion for dog grooming over the years, and we are thrilled to honor him again with the International Groomer of the Year Award,” said Tony de Vos, President of Cardinal Pet Care. “Clayton’s unique grooming style, impeccable skill and unmatched attention to detail have all made him one of the top groomers in the world today, and we congratulate him on this award.”

The Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards were founded in 1988 by Cardinal President Tony de Vos and Shirlee Kalstone, then owner of the International Intergroom trade show for competitive grooming, for the purpose of establishing standards of grooming excellence and recognizing professional skills in the competitive grooming industry. Since the beginning, the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards have been considered one of the highest honors in the pet grooming industry, annually presenting awards for outstanding achievement in different categories.

New categories to this year’s Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards include the Retail Grooming Salon of the Year Awards, which are split into two categories – More than 5 Salons, and Fewer than 5 Salons. Also new to this year’s Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards is the Mobile Groomer of the Year Award. For a list of the other winners, as well as more information about the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards, visit  http://www.cardinalcrystalAwards.com/card_AwardDesc.htm.

Cardinal Laboratories is a solar powered company “Devoted to Pets, People and the Planet.” In addition to providing pets with the highest quality products, Cardinal is dedicated to the environmental directive of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Pre-cycle whenever possible.

Demonstrating its commitment to the environment, Cardinal has solar-powered corporate offices, warehouses and manufacturing facilities in Azusa, CA.

For more information, visit the Cardinal Pet Care website at www.CardinalPet.com or call 1-800-433-7387. More information is also available on the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/cardinalcrystalAwards.

The Orange County Register’s Samantha Gowen put together a great slide show of the top pet gadgets at SuperZoo.  Check it out!

Top pet gadgets from Super Zoo

The annual trade show in Las Vegas is a mecca of new supplies, toys and treats for our companion pets.

Each year hopeful entrepreneurs gather up their best new pet products and head to Las Vegas.

The ultimate trade show for pet vendors, Super Zoo, features thousands of new toys, treats and accessories for every companion animal imaginable.

This year’s event was Sept. 13-15 during which visitors voted for their favorite new things, and we’ve got the results in this slide show. Consider this an early look at potential gifts for the holiday season.

Keep in mind, these products are new, so in some instances retail prices are not available.

To view the slide show with all of the top pet gadgets, Click Here!

Text by Samantha Gowen, the Orange County Register, Photo Courtesy of Claire Naliboff of Aliso Viejo.

Deemed the organization’s highest honor, the Matsui Award is named after former board president Jiro Matsui, and is presented to honor lifetime contributions to the pet industry.

“Gwen has demonstrated an exemplary dedication to the pet industry through her time with WPA and through the different roles she’s served in other capacities over the years,” said Doug Poindexter, WPA president. “We’re excited to bestow our organization’s highest award upon her to recognize her outstanding work in the industry and her commitment to improving the lives of companion animals and those who work with them.”

Prior to joining WPA, Powell was owner of Long Beach Seed & Pet and served as vice-president of the former retailer trade group, California Association of Pet Professionals; and also as a manufacturer representative, working for Penn-Plax.

The Matsui Award has been presented 30 times since its inception in 1969, and was last given in 2008, when WPA honored Liz Baronowski of the Pasadena Humane Society.

ABOUT THE WORLD PET ASSOCIATION

The World Pet Association (WPA) is the oldest industry organization promoting responsible growth and development of the companion pet and related products and services. As society’s “humanization” of pets grows stronger, WPA knows it is important to inform and educate the general public to ensure safe and healthy lifestyles for our animal friends. WPA plays host to America’s Family Pet Expo, the world’s largest pet and pet products expo, hosted annually in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Puyallup, Washington. The organization also holds SuperZoo (www.superzoo.org), an annual pet industry trade show that showcases a comprehensive collection of exhibits and offers a variety of informative educational seminars known as SuperZoo University.  WPA also offers Pet Industry Briefs, a free weekly e-newsletter providing vital industry information at your fingertips. For more information on WPA or to sign up for Pet Industry Briefs, please visit www.worldpetassociation.org.

Jackie Boulton won the Groomer Super Jack Pot and took home the top prize of $10,000. Top honors were also given to Veronica Frosch who won $2,000 for “Best Pet Stylist in Show” and $1,500 to Olga Zabelinskaya who won “Best All-Around Pet Stylist in Show.”

In addition to testing the skills of the industry’s top groomers, SuperZoo supports the local community in Las Vegas by hosting Rescue Rodeo, a competition that challenges groomers to makeover rescue dogs from local shelters. Prize money is awarded to the top three groomers and the shelters that house the winning dogs receive a cash donation.

“Grooming is such an important part of the pet industry and we look forward each year to giving the industry’s top professionals a chance to showcase their talent,” said Doug Pointdexter, WPA president.

2011 Grooming Winners Include:

Toy/Miniature Poodle (Open):

1^st Place –  Michell Evans

2^nd Place – Veronica Frosch

3^rd Place – Akira Hayashida

Toy/Miniature Poodle (Intermediate):

1^st Place –  Tammy Ellis

2^nd Place – Keiko Furukawa

3^rd Place – Noriko Hollis

Toy/Miniature Poodle (Entry):

1^st Place –  Sayaka Shimmei

2^nd Place – Crystal Campos

3^rd Place – Sayako Matsuyama

Toy/Miniature Poodle (Group):

1^st Place –  Tammy Ellis

2^nd Place – Michell Evans

3^rd Place – Sayaka Shimmei

Standard Poodle (Open):

1^st Place –  Veronica Frosch

2^nd Place – Julie Pantages

3^rd Place – Michell Evans

Standard Poodle (Intermediate):

1^st Place –  Margaret Batten

2^nd Place – Renee Boom

3^rd Place- Kim Kwankwi

Standard Poodle (Entry):

1^st Place –  Suzanne Marchetti

2^nd Place – Amy Peck

3^rd Place – David Estrada

Standard Poodle (Group):

1^st Place –  Veronica Frosch

2^nd Place – Julie Pantages

3^rd Place – Michell Evans

Sporting (Open):

1^st Place –  Jennifer Lee

2^nd Place – Sharon Hall

Sporting (Intermediate):

1^st Place –  Kim Shields

2^nd Place – Tammy Ellis

3^rd Place – Carol Hoover

Sporting (Entry):

1^st Place –  Crystal Campos

2^nd Place – Shuji Yamanaka

3^rd Place – Lisa Lewis

Sporting (Group):

1^st Place –  Jennifer Lee

2^nd Place – Crystal Campos

3^rd Place – Kim Shields

Terrier (Open):

1^st Place –  Tammy Colbert

2^nd Place – Jennifer Lee

3^rd Place – Olga Zabelinskaya

Terrier (Intermediate):

1^st Place –  Tiffaney R. Taverner

2^nd Place – Tamara Anderson

3^rd Place – Amber Lewin

Terrier (Entry):

1^st Place –  Patricia Sugihara

2^nd Place – Cameron Adkins

3^rd Place – Lisa Lewis

Terrier (Group):

1^st Place –  Tammy Colbert

2^nd Place – Jennifer Lee

3^rd Place – Olga Zabelinskaya

Potpourri (Open):

1^st Place –  Olga Zabelinskaya

2^nd Place – Veronica Frosch

3^rd Place – Michell Evans

Potpourri (Intermediate):

1^st Place –  Jessica Cave

2^nd Place – Tamara Anderson

3^rd Place – Margaret Batten

Potpourri (Entry):

1^st Place –  Hiromi Masuzaw

2^nd Place – Crystal O’Connor

3^rd Place – Deena Holeman

Potpourri (Group):

1^st Place –  Olga Zabelinskaya

2^nd Place – Veronica Frosch

3^rd Place -Michell Evans

AOP (Open):

1^st Place –  Olga Zabelinskaya

2^nd Place – Shannon Moore

3^rd Place – Sharon Hall

AOP (Intermediate):

1^st Place –  Yumiko Nakamura

2^nd Place – Sharon Helgeson

3^rd Place – Casi Mountour

AOP (Entry):

1^st Place –  Moises Rapio

2^nd Place – Laura Kathman

3^rd Place – Deena Holeman

AOP (Group):

1^st Place –  Olga Zabelinskaya

2^nd Place – Shannon Moore

3^rd Place – Yumiko Nakmura

Best Pet Stylist in Show:

1^st Place –  Veronica Frosch

Best All Around Pet Stylist in Show:

1^st Place –  Olga Zabelinskaya

Rescue Rodeo:

1^st Place –  Amy Peck

2^nd Place – Randae Bither

3^rd Place – Michelle Grenkow

Rescue Rodeo (winning shelters):

1^st Place –  Las Vegas Valley Humane Society

2^nd Place – Adopt A Rescue Pet

3^rd Place – Adopt a Rescue Pet

Creative Grooming:

1^st Place –  Sandra Hartness

2^nd Place – Cat Opson

3^rd Place – Nicole Peeples

4^th Place – Amber Lewin

5^th Place – Deanise Stoops

6^th Place – Margaret Batten

Groomer Super Jackpot:

1^st Place – Jackie Boulton

2^nd Place – Jessica Cave

3^rd Place – Clayton Muniz

4^th Place – Tammy Colbert

5^th Place – Karen Tucker

6^th Place – Akira Hayashida

7^th Place – Shannon Moore

8^th Place – Yumiko Nakamura

9^th Place – Carol Hoover

10^th Place – Veronica Frosch

First Time Competitor:

1^st Place –  Amy Peck

SuperZoo 2012 will be hosted at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Sept. 11-13.

For more information about SuperZoo, visit www.SuperZoo.org or call (800) 999-7295.

About the World Pet Association:

The World Pet Association (WPA) is the oldest industry organization promoting responsible growth and development of the companion pet and related products and services. As society’s “humanization” of pets grows stronger, WPA knows it is important to inform and educate the general public to ensure safe and healthy lifestyles for our animal friends. WPA plays host to America’s Family Pet Expo, the world’s largest pet and pet products expo, hosted annually in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Puyallup, Washington. The organization also holds SuperZoo (www.superzoo.org), an annual pet industry trade show that showcases a comprehensive collection of exhibits and offers a variety of informative educational seminars known as SuperZoo University.  WPA also offers Pet Industry Briefs, a free weekly e-newsletter providing vital industry information at your fingertips. For more information on WPA or to sign up for Pet Industry Briefs, please visit www.worldpetassociation.org.

“SuperZoo is truly a national destination for members of the pet industry, and we are thrilled to continue to see SuperZoo grow in both the amount of exhibitors and attendees year after year,” said Doug Poindexter, president of the World Pet Association. “Our exhibitors bring the best and brightest products in the pet industry to the show floor, and we look forward to continuing to provide this valuable experience for event attendees in years to come.”

Managed by the WPA, SuperZoo attracts exhibitors and attendees from around the world from 50 states and 58 countries, with unique trade show features such as SuperZoo University, a pet industry education program which offers seminars covering important topics within the industry that educate exhibitors on ways to improve their businesses. Other unique features include The Club at SuperZoo and the Groomer’s SuperShow, which awards more than $45,000 in prizing through the Groomer Super Jackpot contest, Creative Styling competitions and other contests.

In addition to hosting thousands of pet industry professionals, SuperZoo also supports the local community by hosting Rescue Rodeo, which challenges the world’s greatest groomers to makeover rescue dogs from Las Vegas-area shelters. In addition to the prize money awarded to the winning groomers, shelters that housed the winning dogs received a cash donation.

SuperZoo also awarded annual “New Product” awards at the show in eight categories. The award process allows buyers the opportunity to vote on their favorite items from the New Product Showcase during the first day of the show. The following winners were announced at SuperZoo:

“New Product” Awards Winners

Overall Best in Show:

1. Dogtek – Eyenimal Pet Cam
2. United Pet Group – Tetra Betta Bubble
3. Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. – Quiko Edible Treats

Aquatic:

1. United Pet Group – Tetra Betta Bubble
2. Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp. – Fluval Sea
3. United Pet Group – Tetra Glofish Kits

Bird:

1. Fetch-it Pets – Ultimate Polly Wanna Piñata Bird Toys
2. Kaylor of Colorado – Kaylor Quick n Read
3. Kaylor of Colorado – Kaylor Sunny Yellow

Cat:

1. Dogtek – Eyenimal Pet Cam
2. Brilliant Pet – Frolicat TWITCH
3. TheCatitude LLC – Purrtreesort

Dog:

1. R2P Pet Ltd. – Sprong!
2. Advantek – The Pet Gazebo
3. The Paw Wash LLC – The Paw Wash

Grooming:

1. Natures Specialties Mfg – Plum Crazy
2. Jarden Animal Solutions – Li-ion Clipper Collection
3. Espree Animal Products, Inc – Espree Counter Display

Miscellaneous:

1. Lixit Corporation – Chicken Toy
2. Signature DNA – Unique Genetic Portraits
3. Central Garden & Pet Company – Kaytee Hummingbird ElectroNectar

Reptile:

1. United Pet Group – Tetrafauna Deluxe Reptohabitat
2. Timberline Live Pet Foods – Live Food Refrigerator Deal

Small Animals:

1. Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. – Quiko Edible Treats
2. A&E Cage Company LLC –  Hamster Javarium
3. Central Garden & Pet Company -Super Pet Natural Accessories

Also announced at SuperZoo during the association’s annual meeting was the appointment of Ruth Jeffers of Jeffers as the new chairman of WPA. Jeffers succeeds Michael Lasky, who will continue on the board as intermediate past chairman. Two new board members also were announced, retailers Greg Forquer of PetSense and Pete Risano of Pet Life. Other newly installed officers included first vice chair Michael Twain of Amazing Pet Products; second vice chair Jim Boschee of Chuck Latham Associates; CFO Lewis Sutton of Pet-Ag; and secretary Brooke Berg of Jarden Animal Solutions.

The next SuperZoo will be hosted at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Sept. 11 – 13, 2012.

For more information about SuperZoo, visit www.SuperZoo.org or call 800- 999-7295.

ABOUT THE WORLD PET ASSOCIATION

The World Pet Association (WPA) is the oldest industry organization promoting responsible growth and development of the companion pet and related products and services. As society’s “humanization” of pets grows stronger, WPA knows it is important to inform and educate the general public to ensure safe and healthy lifestyles for our animal friends. WPA plays host to America’s Family Pet Expo, the world’s largest pet and pet products expo, hosted annually in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Puyallup, Washington. The organization also holds SuperZoo (www.superzoo.org), an annual pet industry trade show that showcases a comprehensive collection of exhibits and offers a variety of informative educational seminars known as SuperZoo University.  WPA also offers Pet Industry Briefs, a free weekly e-newsletter providing vital industry information at your fingertips. For more information on WPA or to sign up for Pet Industry Briefs, please visit www.worldpetassociation.org.