Dog and cat food industry experts who wish to present their latest research at Petfood Forum Europe 2026 are invited to submit an abstract for noncommercial oral presentations and research posters. Speaker submissions are due 17 November, 2025.

The conference is scheduled for May 11 at the Nuremberg Messe in Germany, co-located with Interzoo 2026 (May 12-15). Please do not submit an abstract if you are not sure you will be able to attend Petfood Forum Europe on May 11.

What to submit

Pet food professionals who wish to speak at Petfood Forum Europe are invited to submit noncommercial abstracts on various topics including:

• New research on companion animal nutrition;
• Novel ingredients and their potential applications in pet food or treat formulations;
• Data, trends and predictions for the pet food market, especially in Europe, including opportunities for innovation;
• Macro-economic factors and outlook, specifically what they mean for pet food in Europe;
• Pet food types and categories, including newer formats and technologies;
• New pet retailing information pertinent to the selling or distribution of pet food, including via e-commerce, direct-to-consumer and subscription;
• New information or ideas for marketing pet food, including via social media;
• New information, techniques or processes for product development in pet food;
• Update on regulatory information relevant to pet food in Europe;
• New research, technology or processes for pet food production;
• New research, technology or other information on pet food packaging;
• Other new technologies applicable to pet food, including AI;
• New, specific information on one focused aspect of pet food safety (no general overviews of regulations or pet food safety programs);
• Sustainability in pet food.

Learn more about submitting an abstract.

Europe’s leading pet food focused event

Petfood Forum Europe offers expert pet food manufacturing-focused industry knowledge and valuable networking for European pet food professionals. This unique one-day conference will provide attendees with new information and ideas to innovate and expand their business. Registration will open December 2025. 

WATT Global Media, organizer of Petfood Forum, and Interzoo organizer Pet Industry Services – Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft Zoologischer Fachbetriebe GmbH (WZF) have extended their partnership until 2028, offering the pet food industry numerous opportunities for international networking and business development.

The most significant events of the companies’ cooperation will be the Interzoo Pavilion at Petfood Forum 2025 (April 28-30) and 2027 (April 26-28) in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., as well as the Petfood Forum Europe, which will take place in 2026 and 2028 on the day prior to Interzoo in Nuremberg, Germany.

In the fourth year of their collaboration, WATT and WZF have confirmed they will continue to strengthen the already established cooperation projects, Interzoo Pavilion and Petfood Forum Europe. The Petfood Forum Europe conference, which already attracted hundreds of participants from all over the world to Nuremberg in 2022 and 2024 one day prior to the world’s leading trade fair Interzoo, has also been scheduled for Monday, May 11, 2026, right before Interzoo 2026 and for the day before Interzoo 2028.

“The expanded partnership offers both Interzoo and Petfood Forum participants additional opportunities for networking and professional insight into the industry’s most important trends,” said Dr Rowena Arzt, head of exhibitions at WZF. “The Interzoo Pavilion is an attractive opportunity for pet food and pet food technology companies to join us in tapping into new markets, even in the non-Interzoo years of 2025 and 2027. We are also very pleased that Petfood Forum will be a fixed part of the supporting program at the next two Interzoo events in 2026 and 2028.”

Cooperation promotes networking and boosts synergies

In 2026, Interzoo and Petfood Forum Europe will be at Nuremberg Messe for the third time. The two previous editions of Petfood Forum Europe have seen a steady increase in the number of participants. With around 300 participants from 33 countries attending the event in May 2024, the one-day conference has become one of the most important European platforms for exchanging knowledge and making contacts in the pet food industry.

“Thanks to our cooperation, participant numbers are expected to double since the inception of our partnership,” said Akins. “We anticipate that Petfood Forum Europe 2026 attendance will include 400 pet food professionals from nearly 35 countries around the globe.”

The future-oriented supporting program focuses on challenges and advances in pet food production as well as innovative solutions for ingredients, processing and packaging. The event serves as an important meeting place for industry experts at the upcoming Interzoo events 2026 and 2028 in Nuremberg.

“The combination of Petfood Forum Europe, a leading one-day conference, and the world’s leading trade fair makes Interzoo Week from 11 to 15 May 2026 an indispensable highlight in every petfood professional’s calendar,” said Arzt. “We are more than proud of this partnership and look forward to many event highlights over the next four years.”

Larger in size, more international, more comprehensive and more innovative than ever before: WZF GmbH – Pet Industry Services, the organizer of Interzoo, the world’s leading trade fair for the international pet supplies industry, is delighted with four extremely successful days of the fair from 7 to 10 May 2024. A total of around 37,000 trade visitors from 140 countries came to the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre – a 32 percent increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous event. Around 2,150 exhibitors from 68 countries presented the latest products and services for dogs, cats, fish, small mammals, terrarium animals and many other pets.

“For many exhibitors and trade visitors, Interzoo is the highlight of the business year. We are therefore delighted to have met and often exceeded the high expectations of exhibitors. In addition, the continued extraordinarily high internationality of 85 per cent of exhibitors and over 74 per cent of visitors underlines Interzoo’s status as the world’s number one industry platform,” comments Gordon Bonnet, Managing Director of WZF and ZZF (German Pet Trade & Industry Association and honorary sponsor). “Many exhibitors praise the high quality of the trade visitors and return home with refreshed and new contacts to convert the connections made at Interzoo into future business.”

Norbert Holthenrich, President of the ZZF, added: “Interzoo 2024 was an enormous success for market participants in the international pet supplies industry. As was confirmed to us in numerous discussions, personal contact at the trade fair is the starting point for many long-standing business relationships and partnerships. The exhibiting companies set new standards in terms of product quality and functionality as well as stand design. We were particularly pleased to see how many exhibitors placed the needs of animals at the centre of their new products.”

Interzoo organizer WZF GmbH presented the Interzoo Exhibitor Award 2024 for special loyalty to the trade fair to SCHEGO Elektrogeräte GmbH, Beaphar B.V., PetQuip and Trixie Heimtierbedarf during the atmospheric Opening Ceremony on Monday, 6 May.

Trend topics and innovation at the heart of the supporting programm

“Both the German and the global pet market developed positively last year. Global growth of 6 per cent to more than 182 billion euros in sales last year is impressive proof of the economic strength of the pet industry. This market development was reflected in the form of innovative products at Interzoo 2024,” says Dr Rowena Arzt, Head of Exhibition at Interzoo organizer WZF.

The supporting programme, which was built around current developments and trends in the pet industry with four country sessions and one short conference each on the topics of social media and sustainability, was accordingly very well received. The centrepiece of the latter session was a study conducted by Interzoo organizer WZF and Antwerp Management School (AMS) with over 170 decision-makers from the pet supplies industry.

The solutions of the future were presented and discussed in 36 short presentations on the Fresh Ideas Stage. “The Fresh Ideas Area with its bar area and networking lounge, which was significantly larger than in 2022, was very popular on all days of the trade fair and is firmly established as an ideas hub for the pet industry,” says a delighted Dr Arzt. Next to over 70 innovative companies and start-ups at the community stands “International Start-up Area” and “Young Innovators”, the Fresh Ideas Stage was the venue for the second Interzoo Fresh Ideas Contest on Friday, 10 May, which awards prizes for the best innovative ideas. First place went to Petnow inc from South Korea, which has developed a facial recognition system for pets based on biometric data, second place to Pawr with a purely plant-based dry dog food and third place to Allkokos GmbH, a manufacturer of small mammal litter made from coconut flakes.

Innovative solutions in the pet food and pet food technology segments were also on show at the Petfood Forum Europe, which was collocated with WATT Global Media one day prior to the trade fair opening. The one-day congress and attracted over 300 participants. And the next milestone in the co-operation has already been set: The world’s leading trade fair Interzoo will be part of Petfood Forum with its own joint stand from 28 to 30 April 2025 in Kansas City.

The appeal of the world’s leading trade fair is also reflected in the high level of media interest: 332 journalists and bloggers from 24 countries were on site to report on the innovations and trends in the pet industry to a global audience in radio, television, newspapers, trade magazines and online media. The content of the supporting programme will soon be available on the Interzoo Academy website at: www.interzoo-academy.com

“Interzoo is continuing its success story,” says Dr Rowena Arzt. “This year, we have shown once again that we are able to offer an unrivalled event for the pet industry with a supporting programme tailored to current industry topics, innovative special areas and numerous networking opportunities such as the Interzoo Party. Interzoo thus provides exhibitors and trade visitors with a highly attractive and globally unique platform.” The date for 2026 is already firmly fixed in the calendars of industry participants: the 39th Interzoo will take place in Nuremberg from 12 to 15 May 2026.

Petfood Forum Europe returned to Interzoo in Nuremberg, Germany, on 6 May 2024, welcoming the largest number of attendees in the regional conference’s history. Nearly 300 pet food professionals were in attendance from 33 countries including Belgium, Denmark, France, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States and others.

“In collaboration with our partners at Interzoo, Petfood Forum Europe is now positioned as a critical hub for the European and global pet food industry to share on new ideas, conduct important business deals and make connections,” said Steve Akins, executive vice president, global petfood and events with WATT Global Media. “The shared expertise among speakers and participants will undoubtedly fuel innovation, research and product development that will shape the future of pet food.”

Program highlights

David Molenberghs, co-founder and chief innovation officer, Smoofl, opened the morning sessions with his presentation on the importance of pivoting when developing pet food and treats. He shared the principles and applications of a creative design approach that transcends traditional product development.

Petfood Forum Europe 2024 also covered research on novel proteins such as insects and microbials, as well as other popular ingredients like probiotics, postbiotics, yeast and yeast derivatives. Other sessions addressed mineral bioavailability in vegan and vegetarian dog food, climate change’s impact on the European pet food supply chain, a new thermal pet food process using extrusion and its effects on resistant starch and gut health in dogs.

Additionally, the one-day conference provided an opportunity for pet food professionals from around the world to network, exchange ideas and do business with leading industry suppliers.

Petfood Forum Europe 2024 was co-located with Interzoo, which took place 7-10 May. Interzoo is the world’s largest trade fair for the international pet industry hosting 37,000 trade visitors from 140 countries.

Where the global pet food industry does business

Make plans to attend Petfood Forum 2025 on 28-30 April to be part of the next edition of the global pet food industry’s most valuable and unique conference and exhibition.

Image source: Smoofl Facebook page

Petfood Forum Europe has confirmed David Molenberghs, co-founder and chief innovation officer, Smoofl, as the opening session speaker for the 2024 conference, scheduled for 6 May at Nuremberg Messe in Nuremberg, Germany.

“From consumer perceptions to climate changes’ impact on the supply chain, and gut health to new processing technologies, Petfood Forum Europe’s conference programming offers insights on every stage of pet food production. Numerous speakers are scheduled to discuss a variety of topics that will benefit domestic and global pet food companies,” said Debbie Phillips-Donaldson, editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry.

“Molenberghs will kick off our sessions with his presentation on the importance of pivoting when developing pet food and treats. He shares the principles and applications of a creative design approach that transcends traditional product development, showcasing how this approach can produce not just high-quality pet products but also a more profound brand resonance,” added Phillips-Donaldson.

Agenda and speakers

Other topics will provide the latest research on insect protein, pet probiotics and postbiotics, in vitro mineral accessibility, microbial protein, how climate change impacts the supply chain, new thermal energy extrusion technology, reducing pathogenic pressure with yeast, and the effect of thermomechanical energy on resistant starch.

View the full agenda

Additionally, this one-day conference will provide an opportunity for pet food professionals from around the world to network, exchange ideas and do business with leading industry suppliers.

For the second time in a row, Petfood Forum Europe 2024 is co-located with Interzoo, taking place 7-10 May. Interzoo is the world’s largest trade fair for the international pet industry. Manufacturers, wholesalers and service providers from almost 70 countries present products for pets and innovative pet supplies during each of the four days of the trade fair.

Register today

Don’t miss the opportunity to find inspiration, expand your knowledge and connect with pet food professionals from around the globe. Register today for Petfood Forum Europe and be part of the conversation shaping the future of the pet food industry.

Registration includes a full day of educational presentations, multiple networking coffee breaks, lunch and a networking reception. Registration for Interzoo is included with the fee to attend.

• Early Bird rate (available 6 December – 31 March) – €487 Euros ($525 USD)
• Standard rate (available 31 March – 6 May) – €510 Euros ($550 USD)

Interzoo 2024 has set a new record in terms of exhibitors, exhibition space and countries represented. 13 weeks before the start of the trade fair the number of exhibitors surpassed 2,000 companies – thus also exceeding the previous record of Interzoo 2018, confirms Interzoo-organizer WZF GmbH – Pet Industry Services.

Interzoo 2024 will feature the world’s most comprehensive range of pet supplies in a total of 14 exhibition halls. Over 2,000 companies from 69 countries will be exhibiting their services and products for pets on a gross exhibition area of more than 140,000 square metres at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre.

“We are delighted that Interzoo is acknowledged to be an extraordinarily diverse and professional platform and is consequently in high demand from the global pet industry,” says Gordon Bonnet, Managing Director of WZF and ZZF (German Pet Trade & Industry Association, honorary sponsor of Interzoo).

“Never before in the history of Interzoo did we register more than 2,000 exhibitors from almost 70 countries. This impressive record shows the need for the industry to come together,” adds Dr Rowena Arzt, Exhibition Director of Interzoo organiser WZF GmbH – Pet Industry Services.

Interzoo: Global meeting place for the international pet industry

Throughout the four-day trade fair, Interzoo visitors can profit from an excellent and condensed market overview of the latest trends, products and developments in the global pet supplies industry. The Interzoo experience will be enriched by numerous opportunities to cultivate existing business contacts, get in touch with new clients and initiate post-fair business. In addition to the diverse product range of more than 2,000 exhibitors, Interzoo 2024 offers an attractive supporting programme that addresses key topics and highlights of the pet industry in short conferences, special shows and demonstrations.

One day prior to the opening of Interzoo, Petfood Forum Europe will be co-located for the second time at the Nuremberg fairgrounds. On 6 May 2024 the conference places a special focus on innovations in pet food and pet food technology. View the agenda

During the following four days of the trade fair, the Interzoo Country Sessions on countries and regions will provide exciting insights into important growth markets. Also, the topic of sustainability will be highlighted and discussed in a separate session.

“The high internationality among both visitors and exhibitors of Interzoo underlines the importance of international supply chains and global networking within the pet supplies industry,” says Dr Arzt. “As a meeting place and source of inspiration for the industry, Interzoo is already showcasing and addressing the developments and trends of tomorrow.”

Trends and innovations are the particular focus of the start-up area in Hall 3 with the Fresh Ideas Stage as a major attraction. On the first three days of the trade fair the stage will be home to presentations on innovative products and companies before hosting the Fresh Idea Contest on the final day of the fair. Innovative and special products are further shown at the Product Showcase at Entrance Mitte.

Register for Petfood Forum Europe

Petfood Forum Europe registration includes a full day of educational presentations, multiple networking coffee breaks, lunch and a networking reception. Registration for Interzoo is included with the fee to attend. Register here >>

• Early Bird rate (available 6 December – 31 March) – €487 Euros ($525 USD)
• Standard rate (available 31 March – 6 May) – €510 Euros ($550 USD)