Since the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of pet industry business has been done online. PETS International wants to know what effect this has had on the industry, so we conducted a survey among our clients.
Big changes
Pet fairs have been replaced with online versions or webinars, pet conferences have been moved to online discussion rooms, and face-to-face meetings have been held using video services and tools. How is it going?
Fairs
Only 30% of the respondents to the survey have attended online fairs. This is an important indication that the majority of people working in the industry do not spend much time or effort on online alternatives.
Those who did join an online event are not very positive about their experience, saying it is harder to find information about new products or the right business contacts. So it is no surprise that – as soon as COVID is under control – the majority would like to have fairs and exhibitions back on the agenda
Conferences
The same applies to conferences. 75% of the respondents did not join any online conferences. Those who did, think that communicating with others this way is much more complicated. As soon as COVID makes travel possible, the majority would like to attend face-to-face conferences again.
Business meetings
Many meetings with clients have been held using online video tools. 85% of the respondents have used alternatives like these, but the majority find it a bit harder to work this way. They particularly have difficulty with maintaining contact with clients by video, and staying concentrated during an online meeting.
63% say that, compared to actual face-to-face meetings, it is harder to do business successfully during online meetings, with 68% saying that it is more difficult to close business deals.
82% say it is harder to bond with the other person online than it would be during an actual face-to-face meeting.
Asked their preference for business meetings after the crisis is over, 66% of the respondents say they would like a combination of online and offline. 32% would prefer actual face-to-face meetings only.
The future
The majority of the people surveyed would like to have all fairs and conferences back to how they were. Some meetings can be held online, especially when there is already a good business relationship.
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