7 hours of interzoo...

I'm exhausted. The convention center is huge and InterZoo takes up 9 of the 12 pavilions, not counting halls 4A and 7a. For those of you who have been to SuperZoo in Las Vegas, it would likely fit in 7 and 7a. If I were interested in more then just aquatics, this show would kill me. As it is you have to travel to every pavilion as they are not arranged in any order that I can figure out. I have mixed feeling about InterZoo. The positives are of course its shear size, being in Germany, seeing companies and products I've never heard of, and seeing the global trends. The downsides? Asking if there is any US distribution and getting a "sorry, no" or the dreaded "not at this time". It's a bit like being 9 years old in the biggest toys store in the world, having a hundred dollar bill to spend, but not being able to buy 90% of what you see. I did get a chance to talk to the rep for Thrive, which was great as I had a local vendor pitch their products to me a week before I left home. I'm now registered to by from EcoTech and will likely bring in their pumps, if not their lights. Kessil lighting was pretty cool and going to be a good item. (There were more vendors with LED lighting systems then even at Aquarama last year!) I stopped by BiOrb and discovered that my former Eheim rep Sasha is now working for them, so I may be hearing from her soon. I'm not interested in their tanks much, but pet smart dropped them in favor of their own brand, so there are a lot of people in our erea who can't get the supplies any more. Might as well have the basics! Tropical is a Polish company that I'd love to bring into the US. They are registered in the US but have no distributor. Yet. 35 year old company that looks to rival Sera and Tetra. I got to see Hagen's new LED lights and was told US availability would be September. Finally, it was great to see the Tropica booth. Many pictures of planted aquariums. I even went back to take more before I left. I suppose over the last few years having been to Aquarama and Global Pet Expo and SuperZoo, Interzoo didn't feel that new and different, just larger. Was it worth it? Of course! Will I be a regular every 2 years? I doubt it. I get more tangible value out of SuperZoo and Global at this point. If I ever take the step into importation, then InterZoo would be of significant value. As it is I'm glad I've seen it. Now to catch a quick nap before Kristin gets back from whatever she is doing. Many stores are open today, so I would guess shopping with a touch of sightseeing and a dash of wine...