Posted: Thursday, July 3, 2008, 7:22 p.m., EST

The World Wide Pet Industry Assn. has revamped its grooming offerings for this year’s SuperZoo (Sept. 9-11), adding new competitions, seminars and ancillary events for 2008.

“The grooming contests and seminars have grown to become highly anticipated events at SuperZoo,” said Doug Poindexter, president of WWPIA. “This year, we have included a challenging new set of competitions that will continue to showcase the talents of the greatest groomers in the world.”

Now dubbed Groomer SuperShow, the three-day event will include several competitions, including the Oster World Invitational Championship, with total prize money exceeding $28,000.

In addition, WWPIA and sponsor Oster Professional Products will present multiple educational seminars, including the Oster Grooming Theater, which provides basic education on skin, coat and breed grooming.

Other programs include tracks of ideas for groomers to grow their businesses and client bases, and hands-on instruction and critiques with some top stylists.
For the first time, SuperZoo will be a certification test site for the National Dog Groomers Assn. of America Inc.

Featured speakers will include Ann Martin, Judy Hudson, Connie Schauermann, Julie Ostoski, Missi Salzberg, Alan Fisher, Kevin McNutt, Shirlee Kalstone, Christina Pawlosky and, from Brazil, Sergio Murilo Villasanti.

Also new this year is the Rescue Rodeo Competition, in which 25 rescued dogs from local animal shelters will be made over, and ideally made more adoptable, by competing groomers. The contest will showcase a groomer’s ability to handle whatever job comes their way. Prize money will be offered to the winning groomers as well as to the shelters from which the winning dogs come. <HOME>