PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2016

imprint EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Alexander Büchler, Managing Director HEAD OFFICE heidelberg business media GmbH Bunsenstr. 14 69115 Heidelberg, Germany phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 info@hbmedia.net EDITORIAL Kay Barton Heike Fischer Gabriele Kosmehl Michael Maruschke Ruari McCallion Waldemar Schmitke Wolfgang von Schröter Anthony Withers WikiPETia.info Doris Fischer doris.f ischer@hbmedia.net MEDIA CONSULTANTS Martina Hirschmann hirschmann@hbmedia.net Johann Lange-Brock lange-brock@hbmedia.net phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 FRANCE, ITALY, UK Elisabeth Maria Köpke phone: +49 6201-878925 fax: +49 6201-878926 koepke@hbmedia.net LAYOUT AND PREPRESS EXPRIM Werbeagentur Matthias Gaumann | www.exprim.de READER SERVICES Till Kretner reader@hbmedia.net PRINT Chroma Druck & Verlag GmbH Werkstr. 25 67354 Römerberg Germany WWW www.hbmedia.net | w ww.petpla.net PETplanet insider ISSN 1438-9459 is published 10 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (1-year subscription 149 EUR, 2-year subscription 289 EUR, Young professionals’ sub- scription 99 EUR. Magazines will be dispatched to you by airmail). Not to be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. Note: The fact that product names may not be identified as trademarks is not an indication that such names are not registered trademarks. 3 PET planet insider Vol. 17 No. 05/16 www.petpla.net Dear friends of PETplanet insider, Sometimes, the world of terrorism encroaches on events in the otherwise tranquil drinks industry. The attacks of 9/11 and the subsequent paralysis of flight traffic remain fresh in the memory. Shortly after these attacks, drinktec with PETpoint took place in Munich. With few visitors coming from overseas, the event was sombre indeed. Terrorism casts a long shadow and can strike even closer to home. On the night of November 26, 2008, terrorists ranged through luxury hotels in Mumbai seeking out and killing foreigners. It was a tense situation, and the Indian authorities were unable to cope as the terror raged. No-one knew what was happening. No reliable information was forthcoming. After three days it was still unclear whether any of the attackers were still active. And throughout this time, we were holding our dti Conference in the Grand Hyatt, together with our colleagues at the Munich Trade Fair. We count ourselves lucky to have escaped unscathed. This year it was the turn of the PETcore Europe Conference. Initially, the event in Brussels was postponed following the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015 and the subsequent terror warning for Brussels. However the event passed off peacefully and successfully on 23 February (see report p.8-9). The threat of a terrorist attack had not in any way diminished and the situation in Brussels was still critical, a fact that became tragic reality almost exactly a month later in the attacks of 22 March 2016. Our sympathies go out to all the victims and their loved ones affected by these acts of inhuman violence. It is a sad fact but true that terrorism has now become almost a constant in our society and, despite everything being done to prevent it, there continue to be victims. Which makes it even more important that, despite the latent threat, we continue to meet, to exchange knowledge and not be cowed by the criminals. I therefore have the highest respect for the many who attended the PETcore Europe Conference – especially Eva Schneider and Patrik Peuch – for the fact that, despite the circumstances, the event ran safely. Yours, Alexander Büchler