Background
Mittens & Moods is a Melbourne-based boutique brand built around cosiness, comfort and emotional honesty. Inspired by the founder’s own pets, the brand blends relatable humour with thoughtfully designed products that reflect the ups and downs of everyday life.
While the business had been operating online for several years, the 18 months leading up to the Cat Lovers Festival included smaller markets and regional events. These experiences helped refine the product range and stall presentation, but the Festival marked the brand’s first step into a large-scale, ticketed expo.
The Step Up to a Major Pet Expo
“As a small maker, it can be intimidating stepping into a space with national brands, so I definitely felt some hesitation around visibility and confidence.”
Aleks. Founder, Mittens & Moods
Exhibiting at the Cat Lovers Festival brought new considerations. Beyond cost, there were questions around presentation, visibility and how a small brand would sit alongside much larger, established businesses.
What helped ease these concerns was the structure and management of the Festival itself. Clear communication, a central exhibitor portal and a detailed onboarding process made it easier to prepare and feel confident heading into the weekend.
Support and Onboarding Experience
“The exhibitor portal was especially helpful, all relevant information collated in one place and I wasn’t searching for emails and attachments.”
Aleks. Founder, Mittens & Moods
For a first-time exhibitor, preparation can be overwhelming. The Festival’s exhibitor portal, checklists and briefing sessions helped ensure nothing was missed.
A dedicated setup day allowed time to refine the stall layout without pressure, which had a noticeable impact on confidence once doors opened to the public.
Customer Conversations and Brand Validation
“It felt safe to assume that you had a common interest with everyone who attended the Festival, which made me more comfortable speaking with customers and inviting them into my booth.”
Aleks. Founder, Mittens & Moods
The niche audience at the Cat Lovers Festival created a natural starting point for conversations. Customers were engaged, curious and happy to ask questions, giving the brand valuable insight into how products were perceived.
Seeing customers interact with the products in person helped validate both quality and messaging, particularly for personalised and custom-made items.
Results Beyond the Weekend
“I was extremely happy with the follow-on sales after the event.”
Aleks. Founder, Mittens & Moods
While on-the-day sales were modest and covered costs, the real impact came after the event. Online orders and custom requests from customers who visited the stand confirmed the value of face-to-face exposure.
Unexpectedly, the Festival also opened new wholesale opportunities through connections made with other exhibitors, something the brand hadn’t previously considered.
Learnings from a First-Time Experience
The Festival provided clarity on what worked well and what could be improved. Observing customer behaviour and receiving direct feedback helped identify opportunities to improve booth presentation, signage and product visibility for future events.
Perhaps most importantly, the experience built confidence. What initially felt intimidating became a positive and motivating step forward.
Considering Your First Expo?
Mittens & Moods’ experience shows that with the right structure and support, exhibiting at a major pet expo can be an achievable and rewarding step for emerging brands.
Events delivered by Pet Projects International are designed to support exhibitors at different stages, helping brands find the right environment to grow with confidence.
If you’re considering exhibiting for the first time, now is the time to explore which environment is the right fit for your brand. Book a consultation today and speak with our team.
