Setting the Tone

The AVDA 2010 Annual Conference

The setting for the AVDA 2010 Annual Conference, which was held on April 18-20 at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif., could not have been any better. The property is a stunningly beautiful place in the springtime, as the flowers bloom and the grapes begin to grow. The setting, along with first class content and ample opportunities for networking, made for a very special and productive three days for those in attendance.

Ben Coe from Butler Schein Animal Health, AVDA’s President-Elect, welcomed everyone on a Monday morning with a tribute to the longevity of attendees who have contributed to the business in unique ways over a period of many years. “It’s people like you who have made this industry a great place to be and are a testament to your talents and passion for this business,” said Coe. Earning special recognition was attendee Bud Dorris from PRN Pharmacal, who has been in the animal health business for over 50 years.

The conference was very well attended. “With 223 attendees, from 15 different distributors and 44 different manufacturers, we have set a new record for attendance,” said Coe. He noted that perhaps the thirst for knowledge coming off a tough year was one of the reasons for the large turnout. “We have seen a lot of things change over this past year, and we suffered through a very tough economy that challenged every one of us. But we have shown that we are a recession resilient industry, and things look very positive for the future.”

The board and vendors put together the agenda for the meeting with an eye on the future. “We need to position ourselves and improve our business practices to prosper in the future,” said Coe. The theme of positioning your company for the future and being innovative and different was common with each speaker. And the often repeated phrase (attributed to speaker Peter Sheahan) summed it up well. “If you don’t take any risk, nothing changes.”

The speakers were all nationally recognized and did an outstanding job. Mark Scharenbroich kicked things off with a hilarious presentation on leadership. Much of his talk centered on listening. “Be interested, not interesting,” said Scharenbroich. He peppered his speech with examples of effective leaders who are ready to “stop, drop and listen.” He was followed by David Nour, who provided expert advice on using social media to improve business relationships. “The next generation is savvy with social media, and you can use it to build relationships on a multitude of levels,” according to Nour.
Peter Sheahan, a noted expert who has built businesses in different industries, spoke on how to get better at the basics and sustain your advantage with a combination of speed, price and quality. And wrapping things up was industry expert and well known veteran Ron Brakke of Brakke Consulting, Inc. Brakke gave a review of 2009 activity and provided his thoughts on where we are headed in 2010.

The activities wrapped up at a special event at the Markham Vineyards and Winery. It started in the main tasting area, which also featured a display of Rolling Stone Magazine covers, along with the original photos. A dinner and wine reception followed in their famous stone barrel room, featuring Markham wines paired with the different courses.

AVDA Board of Directors
Bobby Mimms, Immediate Past Chairman
George Henriques, Chairman
Mary Pat Thompson, President
Ben Coe, President-Elect
Tim O’Neill, Director
Robert Zeide, Director
Roberta Brudget, Director
Mark Ziller, Director
Brad Butler, Associate Member Director
Amy Harlacher, Alternate
Neil Kuenn, Legal Counsel
Jackie King, Executive Director
Kaymie Thompson Owen, Meeting and Membership Services
Amy Chetalat, Director of Finance
Casey Joseph, Association Coordinator
Kathy DeMarco, Meeting Planner

Sponsors
Platinum: Nestle Purina PetCare, Novartis Animal Health U.S.

Grand: Intervet/Schering-Plough, Pfizer Animal Health

Five Star: Abbott Animal Health, Lilly/Elanco Animal Health

Four Star: Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.,
Merial Limited

Two Star: AgriLabs, Bank of America, Clipper Distributing, Covidien, Mai/Genesis, Neogen Corporation, TEVA Animal Health, Vedco, Inc., VPL, Vetoquinol, Virbac Animal Health

One Star: Addison Biological Laboratory, Inc., CEVA Animal Health, Colorado Serum, Dechra Veterinary Products,
Dermapet, Med-Pharmex Animal Health, Miltex, Norbrook, PRN Pharmacal, Putney, Summit VetPharm, Synbiotics,
Vet-Advantage Magazine, Vet Brands International, VSSI, Welch Allyn, World Gen, LLC

For more information about these events or to join AVDA, call (443) 640-1040, e-mail at AVDA@ksgroup.org, or visit www.AVDA.net.