STAMFORD, CONN. — The American Pet Products Association (APPA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) released the Global Learning Series schedule on Jan. 19. The learning series is set to take place during the 2022 Global Pet Expo from Mar. 23 to 25 in Orlando, Fla.

All sessions in the learning series will be free to attendees.

“Education and organizational growth are more important than ever,” said Celeste Powers, president of PIDA. “Our goal in 2022 is to create a dedicated area for all attendees to learn and take advantage of as many free educational opportunities as they would like. From workshops to presentations, the Global Learning Series consists of real-world learnings that make a real difference for businesses. Plus, there is a type of format for every kind of learner.”

The learning sessions will be held by the industry’s best, offering exclusive access on industry trends, business strategies and leadership development. The expo features four different series, including the Market Data/Insights series which will focus on the latest industry data and includes:

  • U.S. Pet Market Outlook and Trends on Mar. 23 at 1:30 p.m.: Packaged Facts will cover key market issues from the COVD-19 pandemic, including market growth, e-commerce/channel shifts, retail-ization and digitalization of health care for pets, and more.
  • Measuring the Pet Industry in 2022: What’s Now? What’s Next? on Mar. 23 at 3:00 p.m.: NielsenIQ pet industry experts will discuss what’s new and notable in the pet industry and specific pet and pet-owners needs that are increasing sales.
  • APPA National Pet Owners Survey on Mar. 24 at 11:30 a.m.: APPA will release its generational report, focused on what spending attitudes and purchasing behaviors look like for different generations of pet parents. APPA will also share the latest data from its 2021-2022 National Pet Owners Survey.
  • Global Pet Care: Retaining Momentum Beyond the Pandemic on Mar. 24 at 1:30 p.m.: Pet Care Research will cover growth opportunities, including pet health care and sustainability, and strategies to overcome challenges COVID-19 has brought to the industry.

Other learning series include the Retailer Success Series, the Retail Market Tour and Paws2Lean Mini-Sessions. The Retailer Success Series features discussions on all aspects of business, including customer experience, human resources, leadership, public relations and marketing, and profit and growth. The Retail Market Tour will offer a look at storefronts in the Orlando area and the Paws2Learn Mini-Sessions will offer on-the-go learning opportunities.

Overall, Global Pet Expo will offer more than 40 learning sessions for retailers, distributors and exhibitors in the industry.

As well as its Global Learning Series, the 2022 Global Pet Expo will feature more than 1,000 companies world-wide, more than 3,000 product launches and 300 first-time exhibiting companies.

While COVID-19 forced last year’s Global Pet Expo to go virtual, this year’s expo will remain in-person and will include enhanced safety measures. All attendees will be required to wear a mask while indoors. More updates and safety measures will follow as the event draws closer.

“After months of anticipation, we are looking forward to safely bringing together the pet care community for three days of discovering the newest, most innovative pet products on the market today, learning from the experts about what it takes to succeed in the thriving national pet industry and networking with peers,” said Andrew Darmohraj, executive vice president, chief operating officer and interim chief executive officer of APPA.

Read more of our Global Pet Expo coverage.