2024 AVA Conference wrap up
07 Jun 2024
The call to ‘Live Well’ resonated throughout the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre last week, as delegates from across Australia gathered for the 2024 AVA Conference.
AVA President Dr Sally Colgan summed up the week, saying “AVA Conference is always an incredible opportunity for our diverse profession to come together. Whether it’s sharing our expertise and experience, or catching up with friends and colleagues, the support within our community is inspiring and invigorating. Every year, AVA Conference reinforces my belief in the strength of our profession, and the importance and value of our work to the Australian community.”
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Image: Student volunteers
On Monday, the inaugural Research Day, presented in collaboration with the Australian & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists, provided an opportunity to hear 24 quality research presentations across a broad, diverse range of species and topics.
Congratulations to our Research Day award winners:
Senior Author: Dr Peter Bennett, ‘Canine lymphoma in an Australian population’
Image: Dr Peter Bennett with Prof James Gilkerson (GAZiPHOTO)
Early Career Veterinarian or Researcher: Dr James Crowley, ‘Lateral fenestration of lumbar intervertebral discs in rabbits: Development and characterisation of an in vivo preclinical model with multi-modal endpoint analysis’
Image: Dr James Crowley (supplied)
The AVA Poster Competition also provided an opportunity for veterinarians and researchers to gain recognition for their research or clinical work. Congratulations to our winners:
1st Prize, Ri Scarborough, ‘Are Veterinarians overusing clavulanate in pets?’
2nd Prize, Amy Hii, ‘Impact of free culture and sensitivity testing for urinary track disease on antimicrobial prescribing in companion animal practice’
3rd Prize, Amy Hii, ‘Antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli isolated from canine and feline urinary samples using broth microdilution method’
Image: Dr Ri Scarborough (left), Dr Amy Hii (right), (supplied)
Also on Monday, 110 delegates gathered for the THRIVE Veterinary Wellness Symposium. Please enjoy an overview of the day here.
On Tuesday, the scientific sessions began, with 120 insightful, thought-provoking and innovative sessions dedicated to taking care of patients with chronic conditions and the veterinarians who care for them.
2023 Gilruth Prize winner Associate Professor David Beggs delivered the Gilruth Oration, speaking on animal welfare and ethics and inviting the audience to build on the ‘One Health’ concept and investigate what ‘One Welfare’ might look like.
Image: Assoc Prof David Beggs
Three stimulating plenary sessions set an exciting tone for the week:
- Dr Rebecca Ray, who shared her personal experience as a health professional experiencing burnout and how “boundaries are a vet’s best friend”.
- Dr Robyn Alders, who looked at how can veterinarians help in the event of a viral spillover.
- Vet Board panel session, with representatives from Veterinary Surgeons Boards (VSB) across the country discussed the management and challenges of complaints, responsibilities and opportunities for the practice team, support available and common misconceptions of what the VSB does and doesn’t do.
Image: Dr Rebecca Ray
Image: Dr Robyn Alders (GAZiPHOTO)
Image: Vet Board Panel (GAZiPHOTO)
Dr Meredith Flash, Head of AVA Education and Events is thrilled with the response to the program, saying “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive on multiple aspects of the conference including the topic-based program streams, shorter format, closed captioning and sustainability initiatives with the convention centre. The AVA Conference Program Committee and new Convenor Dr Laura Hardefeldt should be congratulated on an amazing program and we look forward to releasing the video proceedings in the coming days.”
Image: Welcome Reception, Exhibition Hall
The Exhibition Hall was lively with industry representatives showcasing the latest in veterinary technology, equipment, pharmaceuticals and more.
AVA’s Head of Business Development, Shirley Nolan, was delighted with the positive feedback from the over 100 exhibitors on site, saying “There was a buzz on the exhibition floor, with exhibitors and sponsors commenting on great engagement with delegates and good flow through. It was a valuable opportunity to promote their business to all stakeholders in the industry, offering unparalleled access to key decision makers in the veterinary field.”
Image: Welcome Reception
Image: Stand Winner, Delegates Choice - Hills (GAZiPHOTO)
Image: Stand Winner, Judges' Choice - Ausvet Endoscopy (GAZiPHOTO)
The numerous social events were headlined by the celebration that was the AVA Awards Gala Dinner. You can read more about our AVA Award winners here, who were presented with their awards by AVA President Dr Diana Barker.
Image: Australian Veterinary Orchestra
In her address, Dr Barker spoke about the importance of the AVA and encouraged the audience, saying “For the AVA to have power in its voice we need you. We need you to be members, we need you to join our committees, interest groups, branches and divisions. We want you in the conversation, we need to know what you think and what your priorities are. We want you to contribute to helping us find the big picture solutions. We need you to amplify our voice.”
Two other exciting annoucements followed, with Dr Barker annoucing the new AVA President, Dr Sally Colgan and launching the 2025 AVA Conference.
For the first time in more than 20 years, the 2025 AVA Conference will be in Sydney! A lineup of international and local experts in surgery, cutting-edge veterinary medicine, and AI will help bring this topical theme to life. We’ve already locked in our international speakers and are seeking expressions of interest for speakers from Australia.
Image: Dr Diana Barker and Dr Sally Colgan (GAZiPHOTO)
The celebrations continued well into the evening, as the appreciative crowd rocked out to a fabulous playlist of 80s hits!
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