When the Halls Fall Silent: The rise and fall of veterinary conferences (#345)

There was a time, not long ago, when the annual veterinary conference was the heart and soul of the profession.

Names like BSAVA, NAVC, and AVMA conjured images of packed lecture halls, bustling exhibit floors, and long-overdue reunions over warm beer or coffee.

Today, many of these legacy gatherings are being downsized, restructured, or even discontinued altogether.

Meanwhile, in Latin America and other emerging regions, large veterinary congresses are flourishing. What is happening?

The answer lies at the intersection of professional maturity, digital disruption, economic strain, and cultural differences.

The Rise and Fall of the Legacy Conference

In North America, the UK, and parts of Europe, large veterinary conferences have lost their centrality.

Several factors are at play:

• The Digital Age Has Changed Everything

  
  

  • Continuing education, once the cornerstone of conference value, has moved online.

    
    

  • High-quality webinars, virtual summits, podcasts, and on-demand courses now offer flexible, affordable, and targeted learning experiences.

• Why fly across the country and spend thousands when you can earn CE credits from your laptop?

• A Loss of Professional Intimacy

• What once felt like a gathering of colleagues can now feel like a trade show.

• As corporate sponsorship dominates the exhibition halls and speaker lists, some practitioners feel alienated - like passive consumers in a marketplace rather than active members of a profession.

• The soul of the conference has faded.

• Economic Pressures Are Real

• Veterinarians in developed countries face a convergence of financial stressors: stagnant wages, soaring student debt, and corporate-driven practice models that discourage time away.

• Younger vets, especially those in associate roles, simply cannot justify the cost or time away from clinics that are already understaffed.

• A Generational Shift in Values

• Millennial and Gen Z vets tend to seek meaning, authenticity, and intimacy in professional development.

• The appeal of a mega-conference with thousands of attendees pales next to a small, purpose-driven retreat or a focused panel series.

• Large doesn’t always mean better - it often means disconnected.

Why Conferences Are Booming in Latin & South America

At the same time, large veterinary congresses in Latin America are gaining momentum.

Why the contrast?

• Veterinary Medicine Is in a Growth Phase

• In countries like Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina, veterinary education and infrastructure are expanding rapidly.

• Conferences serve as milestones in this development - a way to connect local professionals with global trends, showcase new technologies, and elevate standards.

• Hands-On Learning Still Reigns

• While digital CE is growing, it has not yet replaced the need for in-person learning.

• Large congresses remain critical for practical workshops, equipment demonstrations, and surgical training.

• The physical presence still matters.

• The Power of Cultural Connection

• In Latin cultures, social connection and shared experience are highly valued.

• Conferences are not just educational, they’re celebrations of professional identity, full of warmth, pride, and regional flair.

• Where some Western conferences feel transactional, these feel relational.

Rick’s Commentary

The contrast detailed above may reflect where veterinary medicine stands on its arc of development:

• In mature markets:

• The profession has splintered - fragmented by specialization, corporatization, and digital silos.

• Large conferences struggle to serve diverse, time-poor audiences.

• In emerging markets:

• The profession is coalescing.

• Large congresses play a unifying role, offering a shared vision of the future.

Both are valid.

Both are real.

Each reflects different needs at different stages of development.

There may still be a future for large veterinary conferences, but only if they evolve.

What does that future look like?

• Hybrid formats that blend digital convenience with in-person depth.

• Regional retreats focused on wellbeing, mentorship, or ethics.

• Cross-disciplinary events bridging clinical medicine, conservation, and One Health.

• Smaller, curated gatherings that prioritize storytelling, reflection, and soul.

Because what many veterinarians crave today is:

Not just knowledge but connection.

Not just data but meaning.

Old conference models once offered those things.

New conference models will need to offer them again, but on new terms.

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