Pet Health – How Going to the Dogs Can Drive Business Success

The nutraceutical pet food and supplement market is expected to double in sales from 2008 to 2017. Gaining a better understanding of how pet products can successfully complement the human dietary nutrition market can help pet food and supplement manufacturers gain a competitive advantage.

In this session, attendees will learn about:

• Unique pet supplement market opportunities
• The market for condition-specific pet food and supplements
• Opportunities for the human dietary supplement market to parallel or provide a platform for pet products
• Regulatory challenges of selling and marketing foods for animals
• Appealing to pet owners who want to take care of their animals as they do their family members

Luncheon: Contract Manufacturing Q&A

Sponsored by:

Custom Pet Food: How to Select—and What to Expect from—a Manufacturing Partner

Many pet food companies, even some of the world's largest, find themselves in need of a quality, custom, pet food manufacturer. There are many considerations in the selection of such a manufacturer, including the development of the products to be produced, packaging selections, logistics, and of course food safety. The entire process will be discussed in this presentation.

Questions that will be addressed include:

• What does the selection process look like?
• How long will it take to develop a diet(s)?
• How much will it cost to develop that diet(s)?
• What are the critical factors to consider?
• What can I expect for an end result?

Work It! Choosing Ingredients for Function and Functionality

This presentation explores ingredients that not only support pet health, but also contribute to a smoother manufacturing process. Pet food companies are continually pushing the envelope when it comes to unique formulations and manufacturing processes, and manufacturers have to try to accommodate the needs of all the customers. Certain ingredients are available that can assist the manufacturing process, allowing for better processing times and methods, as well as offering potential fodder for health-supporting label statements for the pet food brands. These ingredients provide a true win-win for both the pet food brand and the co-manufacturer.

The Importance of Your Choice

When selecting a contract manufacturer, what criteria do you use? This presentation will describe some of the decisions that need to be made:

• What do I need and value in a contract manufacturer?
• How do they bring value and safety to my product?
• Is there a nutritionist on staff I can consult, and are they qualified?
• How are ingredient suppliers selected?
• What aspects of ingredient qualification are important?
• Are there any inherent risks in my ingredients?

Selecting a contract manufacturer can be the hardest part of bringing a unique pet food or treat to the market—are you choosing wisely?

Developing a Brand Identity and Strategy

What makes a brand a brand? Does the consumer recognize your brand? Do they even care? How do you want your brand to be perceived? Do you even need to be a brand? A clear brand position and strategy is the difference between success and failure. This session focuses on essential planning elements behind a successful brand; bridging brand and product, and understanding your target consumer. This session is ideal for new brands and existing brand managers.

Innovation in Companion Animal Nutrition

Traditional and Novel Carbohydrate Sources for Pets

Carbohydrates represent an important macronutrient category in both dog and cat diets. Not only do carbohydrates supply readily available glucose and energy, but also the fermentable substrates and end-products so important to large bowel health. This presentation describes both types of carbohydrates with an emphasis on next-generation carbohydrates and their role in pet animal health and well-being.

Inside Independent Retail

Although many sales channels exist for animal nutrition products, successful independent retailers are capturing a coveted share of the market—loyal repeat customers who are not motivated solely by price. In this session, two successful independent retailers share valuable insight on ingredients and what customers want (and say they want) from a pet nutrition brand. You’ll also gain an understanding of the decision-making process around the products a store chooses to carry, and those it promotes. Additionally, the delicate nature of the retail relationship will be explored, with a candid look at the competitive marketplace from the retailer’s perspective.

Innovation Awards with Hosted Bar

The Petfood & Animal Nutrition 2.0 Innovation Awards with Hosted Bar is a year-long program designed to celebrate companies demonstrating disruptive thinking across the pet nutrition market. Some of the brand holders offer innovative formulations or finished product lines; exhibit a disruptive approach to a traditional category; or champion a specific cause or platform, such as sustainability, unique formats or highly research-driven ingredients. But they are all taking product development to the next level. During this special reception, all attendees are invited to raise a glass as we honor the market leaders that have received the award in the past year.

Squaring Circles – The Cost/Quality Conundrum

To survive, remain competitive and grow in the 21st century, the pet food industry must evolve its approach to quality and quality management. Developing a business-wide organizational culture based on business excellence is key to driving efficiency and innovation in the face of changing economic, environmental and societal pressures. This session examines business excellence through a quality lens. Based on two different models, it will illustrate through examples on raw material selection and process innovation how quality drives profitability and generates customer value—key criteria for future success in the global marketplace.

Luncheon: Regulatory Q&A

Sponsored by:

Regulatory Considerations for Animal Supplements in North America
The key to understanding the regulatory environment in North America is understanding the “Intended Use” of the product and the ingredients. Whether you are selling a product or submitting an ingredient for “approval,” if you don’t understand intended use as established by the labeling claims and supported by the data, you will have trouble marketing an animal supplement. This session will also address the impact of FSMA and responsible supply chain management.

Sustainability: Start Somewhere

One hot topic that has the attention of consumers and brands alike is the environmental and social issues related to providing quality pet food that both nourishes healthy pets and positions the industry to act as responsible stewards of our natural resources. In the face of changing global pressures on our agricultural system and an increase in awareness around the nutritional needs of our companion animals, the pet industry is faced with new challenges that require collaborative problem solving. This session examines the industry-wide challenges in supply chain transparency and steps your company can take to help navigate toward a resilient future.

Fit for the Future – Building Your Brand on Solid Foundations

Sustainability is not a new concept. However, to ensure they are fit for the future and build consumer confidence, world-class businesses must embrace sustainability in a wider context. Parameters that impact business strategy and performance must be considered, including sustainable sourcing, optimizing underutilized resources, business efficiency, transparency, consumer trust and food safety. This session illustrates how pet food manufacturers and raw material suppliers can address sustainability in its wider context by adopting forward-thinking business processes based on the use of key performance indicators. Concepts explored include communication, investment in people and training, third-party food safety and sustainability standards.

Takeaway Panel: The Future of Industry

The final session reviews the top takeaways from the event. A panel of experts with different backgrounds will also field Q&A; and comment on the future of industry.