The inaugural Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo exceeded all expectations, much to the excitement of show organizers and attendees. Barkleigh Productions hosted the Expo in Baltimore this November in response to the overwhelmingly positive reception its Pet Boarding & Daycare magazine received during its first year of publication. This is the first event Barkleigh has produced exclusively for the boarding and daycare industries after decades of hosting trade shows and educational conferences for groomers.

Despite coinciding with the 2012 presidential election and the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo welcomed over 450 attendees through its doors, many of whom stayed for all three days of educational seminars. It was evident that the attendees had come for the education, as the classrooms were usually filled to capacity.

One of the most popular classes at the Expo was Chris Murphy’s “Doggie Daycare: Keys to Success,” a four-part seminar presented throughout Wednesday. Murphy spoke to a packed audience with attendees spilling out into the lobby. Other attendee favorites include Eileen Proctor of Top Dog Business Boosters. Attendee Nancy Ward says, “Eileen is very down to earth, and her information is applicable, regardless of the size of your facility.” Dr. Randy Lynn of Merck also received glowing reviews. Jessica Ullian of Raleigh, NC, says Dr. Lynn’s seminar on canine respiratory infections was “so informative and had great info to bring back to [her] staff.”

While the educational component of the Expo was the primary focus for attendees, the trade show floor was also bustling with activity between seminars. Over 30 different vendors were on hand to answer questions, offer demonstrations, and provide attendees with products at special show rates. One such vendor was Pet Appdate, which offers business growth and management services for pet boarding facilities. Yoni Engelberg, founder of Pet Appdate and co-owner of the largest pet boarding kennel in Israel, traveled with his staff from Israel to Baltimore. It was at the Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo where Pet Appdate made its world premiere. “We’ve met so many different and interesting people,” Yoni says, “diverse by many ways but united with one dream: to set up a loving home away from home for dogs and to provide excellent service for their owners.”

Barkleigh Productions is very pleased with the response to the inaugural show and is already in the beginning stages of planning for future Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo events. Feedback from attendees will help Barkleigh make improvements to educational seminars and the show overall. Show organizers are also looking at ways to increase classroom space to accommodate all who are interested in education and to allow for at-the-door registrations, which are normally available at Barkleigh events. Next year’s show will also feature a larger trade show hall and more vendors.

At this inaugural show, educational seminars and vendor booth space were sold out due to the limited capacity of the classrooms and trade show hall. “The last time we sold out of educational seminars,” says Barkleigh president Todd Shelly, “was the very first Groom Expo in 1988.” Groom Expo is now the largest grooming show in the world. If that is any indication of Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo’s future success, then Barkleigh is excited to fulfill the demand for education within the boarding and daycare industries and looks forward to continuing the show in years to come.

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