While this is The Show That Means Business, we do have some special events that are quite entertaining. Take a look and plan to attend:

The Petworking Receptio
Wednesday, March 22 | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Hall A – Registration Concourse Level One,
Orange County Convention Center 

Business is built by relationships and we want you to have every opportunity to meet everyone at the show.  Our fabulous FREE Networking Reception gives you the time and place to rub elbows with people you might never have another opportunity to meet.  Have a drink, some eats and mix it up with new friends and old.

No registration is required but please wear your badge to the event.

The event is sponsored by Pets Add Life.

Industry Breakfast & Retailer Excellence Awards Ceremony
Thursday, March 23 |8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Valencia Ballroom, 4^th Floor, Orange County Convention Center

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this is no exception. Start the day with a wonderful meal and attend the presentation of Global Pet Expo and Pet Business Media’s Retailer Excellence Awards ceremony.

No registration is required but please wear your badge to the event.

Each year, the Retailer Excellence Awards honor outstanding pet stores in a variety of categories. Awards will be given to one retailer in each of the ten different award categories:

• Best Overall Single-Store Retailer
• Best Overall Multi-Unit Retailer – 2-10 Locations
• Best Over Multi-Unit Retailer – 10+ Locations
• Best Live Animal Specialty Store
• Merchandising Excellence Award
• Multi-Service Excellence Award
• Marketing Excellence Award
• Customer Service Award
• Excellence in Store Design Award

New Products Showcase Awards Ceremony
Thursday, March 23 | 5:00 PM – 6:00 P
Show Floor in the New Products Showcase

If you really want to be up on new trends and hot products for 2017, make a plan to attend the annual New Products Showcase Awards Presentation.

Each year, more and more manufacturers wait to launch their new products in the New Products Showcase so they have a chance to win first place in the Best in Show contest. The media attention our awards get is incredible and long lasting.

Nine winners will receive a Best in Show award in the following categories:

• Aquatics
• Bird
• Boutique
• Cat
• Dog
• Natural Pet
• Small Animal
• Reptile
• Point-of-Purchase Display

APPA Professional Women’s Network Breakfast
Friday, March 24 | 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Room W209

Guest speaker: Dr. Dani McVety

Home is where the heart is: Bringing hospice care into the homes of those that need it the most.

Join the APPA Professional Women’s Network and the APPA Young Professionals for a complimentary breakfast buffet and special presentation by Dr. Dani McVety.

Dr. McVety is Co-Founder and CEO of Lap of Love and co-host of PetCareTV.  She frequently writes and speaks for professional and lay audiences in hopes of empowering both parties to seek the highest standards of care.  Her talks have quickly garnered the reputation of being “fantastically hilarious,” “bringing humor where it’s needed most,” “incredibly inspiring,” and “simply authentic.”  In her talks, Dr. McVety shares her struggles through veterinary school, how she found her passion in the emergency room, why she felt a calling in the toughest moments of medicine, and how her and her business partner have grown a nationally recognized business.  As a certified body language instructor, one of her favorite topics is communication.  “Communication is the heart of all that we do; it is lifeblood of all our interactions.”

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The Show That Means Business is happening March 22-24, 2017 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. For more information, visit the website.