Expo to spotlight pets
Although she's hosted seven child-themed expos, Caroline O'Connell, publisher of Family Time Magazine in Frankfort, did extensive homework on pet expos before deciding to launch her first one on May 10.
"I did a bit of traveling to other pet expos, spoke to a lot of people in the industry and called a lot of clients. It was a learning process," O'Connell said. "There was nothing in the (south suburbs) for the public to be able to come and check out anything there is to have for pets at one time, under one roof, and I saw a need for it. It took about a year and a half to plan it. The nice thing about expos is that you can meet people face to face. I don't know any better way to learn about their businesses."
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., about 80 vendors will gather at the Tinley Park Convention Center to offer nearly every kind of service and product a pet owner can imagine.
These include obedience services, veterinarians, care items, bakeries, retail stores, accessories, shelters, pet-sitting, kennels, rescue societies, grooming, walkers, food and photographers.
"You name it, it's going to be there," O'Connell said. "You will be able to buy just about anything you might need for your pet. Somebody will be there selling little outfits with Chicago White Sox and Bears and Cubs on them, and personalized collars for your pet that you can have made right then and there. If you are having problems with your pet, there will be vets there who can answer your questions."
The first 3,000 people to walk through the door will receive a free "doggie" bag, and O'Connell promises a ton of other giveaways, too. But the event is not just about the hard sell. A number of pet-related educational, fun and interactive events also will be featured.
There will be pet contests, pony rides, a petting zoo, agility and obedience demonstrations, parrot demonstrations and performing cold-blooded creatures.
"We wanted to have a fun aspect to it, too, to make it entertaining for the kids and for the family," O'Connell said. "Because it is also the day before Mother's Day, we'll have some little things for moms, too, but 90 percent of it is going to be for pet lovers."
Visitors cannot bring pets, but vendors will have pets with them. Don't yet have a pet? You can get one there. A number of rescue societies will try to match their animals with just the right owner, depending on the personality types of both.
"They don't just hand over a pet," O'Connell said. "The really good thing I've learned about these rescues is that you don't have to go to a pet store if you want to get some of these pets. There are rescues in every area of a breed, no matter what kind of pet you want."