2023 Pooper Scooper Convention Lineup
Date: 6/23/2023
The 2023 Pooper Scooper Convention may still be a few months away, but we're moving full steam ahead on planning. The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (aPaws) has a full lineup confirmed for your learning. That is, if you own or run a professional pooper scooper service. If you're not registered yet, there are still rooms available with our group rate. Visit the Convention page for more info.
A special thanks to our Great Dane sponsor, Pet Sitters Associates for their generous donation to help support our event.
Our key note speaker is Brian Basilico of the famed Bacon Podcast. You've probably heard: It's not what you know, it's who you know. Well, how do you build those relationships? Brian is here to tell you all about the latest and greatest means for building those relationships thru social media. But, that's just the tip of the ice berg. He'll fill you in on several major aspects of the marketing game as it applies to today's market.
Our Labrador Sponsor - Sweep & Go - The only app designed specifically for the pet waste industry.
Ogy Nikolic of Sweep & Go, the only app designed especially for the professional pooper scooper business, will be spending a few moments with us to fill us in on recent, and up and coming features that are being developed to make our scooping lives even easier. I'm really looking forward to hearing about what's in the pipeline. As any user of the Sweep & Go app knows, Ogy and his team are constantly upgrading and improving their app based on the feedback that scoopers give them. If you're not using the app yet, you should look into it. sweepandgo.com
Our Beagle sponsors: Bark Plus Bags, Muttleys Maid, ScooperDude Pet Waste Removal
Once you learn about building relationships, how about applying that to gaining more commercial accounts! Our next speaker was a team developer of the commercial sales program of a large pooper scooper franchise operation. Dave Jensen will share the 4 keys to winning more commercial business, because we all know we'd rather do that than most residential clients. I'm not knocking our residential clients, they're all great... mostly. However, I think we all know that the margins are higher with the commercial clients.
Our Chihuahua sponsors: Yuckos Pooper Scoop Service, Scoop Masters
Ever thought about diversifying your business model? Any idea what that means? Our next guest is Kandra Witkowski, Manager of Business Development for Pet Butler and has been in the pet waste removal industry for 21 years. As local economies continue to trend toward globalization, and as competition within the pet industry becomes steeper, the need for a diversification strategy is transitioning from a “nice to have” to a necessity. Kandra, a former aPaws board member, brings a skill set uniquely suited to help small business owners understand the benefit of diversification.
I know, it's getting pretty packed, but we have one more presentation. At least once a week we hear all about how difficult it is to find team members to scoop poop. Kathleen Rohwedder and Sarah Jennings will be filling us in on a unique opportunity when it comes to hiring new help. You will learn how hiring a person that may need employment supports within your community that can benefit your company along with making a difference in your community.
AND, don't forget the Turd Herding competition! I've personally tried to forego this crazy event in past years and I sure get a lot of flack for even thinking about not it. So, by popular demand, we will have our bi-annual turd herding contest for speed and accuracy. Think you're the fastest scooper? This is your chance to find out and obtain bragging rights for the next two years, and a nice trophy. I think we'll write an article just about the Turd Herding contest. Keep an eye out!