PTertacks
IT'S CHICAGO THEN IT MUST BE FALL
with Jan Jaeger
One of these years, I want to visit Chicago. You know, the Windy City with the Magnificent Mile, Wrigley Field, Lincoln Park Zoo and the Sears Tower. After ten years of traveling to the Chicago area for an annual trade show, it has yet to be. For me and Manager Pam Rohdenburg, shows are always working trips with no time for sightseeing.

At least this year, by virtue of our room's location, we had a panoramic vista, including Chicago's skyline, quite visible in the beautifully clear weather during our visit. Lacking that, we could be anywhere, because we never leave the airport vicinity. Upon arrival, we travel by hotel shuttle bus to our nearby hotel. The commodious convention center is across the street and several restaurants are nearby.

In the contrived city of Rosemont, home to 4,000 but host to millions, businesses and the business visitor are thoroughly catered to. In a brilliant use of space surrounding one of the world's busiest airports, Rosemont offers several major hotels, fine restaurants and a lushly landscaped office park. The noise from the jet traffic is a non-issue for the transient convention goer or for the office workers in highly soundproofed buildings.

When we mention we are going to a trade show, we get those knowing looks, the conspiratorial lift of the eyebrow and sly smirk, as though we are about to play hooky for four days. Would that were the case. Rather, the only time we have unplanned is the night of arrival, when we typically check into our hotel room just in time for happy hour.

Then it's two days of intensive scrutiny through two floors of vendor booths offering everything from pet memorials to snore suppressors. It's two days of physical abuse, sore shoulders and tired feet, as we trudge through aisle after aisle, accumulating paperwork and samples that must be lugged along, to be later sorted through during our evening work sessions when decisions to purchase new products must be made quickly.

It's impossible to register everything at one of these industry shows; there just isn't enough time. Afirst goal is to at least walk the entire show. Our strategy used to be to walk the show one direction, then start out in the opposite direction. This has become almost impossible the longer we are in business. First, we know many more vendors, so we stop to talk, and, the shows are getting bigger and bigger. This year's 40th annual Christmas show offered 950 exhibitors in over 1,500 booths. That's a lot to look at.

Also this year, in addition to the ubiquitous grooming competition, there was a different action event, the Ultimate Air Dog demonstration. A large above-ground pool was set up at one end of the convention center and dogs of all types showed off their form by hurling themselves into the pool after a toy, or jumping up to catch a suspended training bumper.

We saw the world record holder for height, Kobe, a rescued Doberman/Labrador mix, a 4-yearold American Pit Bull therapy dog that holds the distance record for that breed, a German Shorthair Pointer, German Shepherd, Border Collie and several Labs and Lab mixes. Created by Milt Wilcox, a former Detroit Tiger pitcher, dock diving has been growing in popularity across the country as an alternative to agility competition.

Every show has categories that stand out just because of sheer abundance. This show the dog biscuit was available in every shape and variety, including several fancy, bake shop-type renderings. Once again, apparel had a very strong presence as the small dog continues to be a growing force in the pet industry market. But the apparel and accessories are becoming more elaborate and bejeweled. Offerings sparkled and glamorized the booths and adorned the many pets that also walked the aisles with their owners. Doggie wedding gowns vied for attention with decorated tee shirts.

Strangely, several picks for my annual Leg Lifter awards seemed to focus on that back end of the dog. Touted as the ultimate pet bowl by its manufacturer, this toilet-shaped dispenser could be used either wet or dry by changing the tank from Toilet Treats to Royal Flush. The Poop Tent is an easily assembled waterproof pup tent with no floor so the dog can go outside in inclement weather and not get wet.

And, for the person who has everything, from Watch Your Step Productions, guess what? Conicalshaped brown piles in several renderings: DooLites, an unscented candle, YuleDoos, glitter enhanced piles with a plaid ribbon to hang on your Christmas tree, or the Monthly Doo, a scenic calendar parody. I guess I don't watch enough television, because apparently these products have been reported on CNN and "Good Morning America," as well as the "Today" and "Tonight" shows.

You won't be seeing Doo-anything at Geronimo's, but we did find plenty of interesting and fun stuff to offer for the upcoming holiday

season. I

Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop and is a member of Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America (DWAA and CWA).. Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and three cats. At the shop are the cats, Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower Bunny, Millie guinea pig and two budgies. Send e-mail to jan@geronimos.com.