Seven-up: London showcase event set to sparkle once again

A record number of delegates and exhibitors are expected to attend the seventh London Vet Show (LVS) later this month.

Taking place on November 19 and 20 in the Olympia Grand exhibition hall, more than 5,000 tickets have been sold to vets, vet nurses and practice managers from every corner of the UK and beyond.

And there will be high expectations from an event recently voted Best Trade Show of the Year at the Exhibition News Awards 2015.

Many delegates will come to LVS for the 17 hours of CPD, others to attend BVA Congress or to take in the largest gathering of veterinary suppliers in Europe; most will do all three.

But an increasing number will dedicate much of their time to one of the jewels in the LVS crown – the business stream. Featuring some of the biggest names in the world of veterinary business, from John Sheridan and Brian Faulkner to Alan Robinson and Alison Lambert, the business theatre is the place to be for those with their eye on the bottom line.

LVS event director Rob Chapman from CloserStill Media said: “We are ecstatic with the way the business stream has been received with many sessions running at complete capacity and we have seen that build year on year.

“The business programme and the subject of veterinary business in general is something that’s really gathering a lot of interest. I think we were one of the first congresses to actually build a clinical and a commercial offering into the same event and that is part of the popularity of LVS, delegates can get everything they need from one place.”

The growth of the business stream and the level of interest it now generates has taken a lot of work. The LVS team goes to great lengths, including gathering exhaustive feedback from every session, to ensure lectures and talks are targeted to deliver tangible results for those in attendance.

“It is a very organic process when it comes to selecting speakers and we also use a lot of feedback from delegates,” explained Rob.

“We use a paper and pen system and ask delegates to score every session, not only the content, but the way that content has been delivered.

“There are some speakers who have been doing the show every year since the very start and the reason for that is they have been the best scoring speakers according to our delegates every year. Those scorecards are very important as it is our way of knowing what we are providing is what the audience wants.”

As well as collating the feedback from thousands of scorecards, Rob and his team also uses a panel of independent veterinary-based experts to help guide LVS’ business content.

He added: “On top of the other feedback we gather, we also put out a survey each year that goes to previous delegates of the business stream and the wider veterinary world telling them what we are planning on putting into the stream and what they think about it.

“At the survey stage we always list more sessions than we could accommodate so we can lose the weaker sessions from the survey once we get the feedback.

“What we have learned is that rather than sitting in our office pretending to know what vets, VNs and practice managers want, it is best to just let them decide what they want and then give it to them.”

As well as the business stream, LVS also offers some unique opportunities for those involved in practice management at any level. This year’s BVA Congress features a debate centred on how university’s could better equip graduates for the commercial realities of working in private practice, while BVA Careers covers everything from handling customer complaints to finding a work/life balance.

Rob added: “I feel there really is something for everyone this year, but the business opportunities are not just limited to the lecture theatre.

“It is just a place that so many people go and that means you can meet pretty much anyone – it has become a real meeting place for the whole of the veterinary industry; vets working in practice, industry vets, current and potential new suppliers.

“You only have to look at the kind of success our exhibitors have with meeting new clients and going on to take orders from them as well to see it works.

“It’s all about getting the balance right. We have got some very big exhibitors who are very important to the
show, the likes of IDEXX, Elanco and Fitzpatrick Referrals, but we also have a very good number of small exhibitors that really form part of the unique atmosphere.”