Dog trainer and exhibitor Olivia Merrill with Gyms for Dogs shared training pointers with veterinary student Niobe Mims at VMX in Orlando, Fla. last January. Photo courtesy Wendy S. Myers Create an itinerary so you go home from veterinary conferences with more than aching feet and bloodshot eyes from late-night conversations with colleagues. You will invest substantial hours and dollars in your professional growth. When you thoughtfully plan what to do before you return to daily work routines, you guarantee a good return on investment. Here are eight tips to extend your post-conference experiences: 1) Brain dump at the end of each day Sit at the desk in your hotel room and review your notes. Do you understand your scribbled shorthand, or did you leave an incomplete sentence on your laptop? Ensure you downloaded and saved lecture notes because they may be available for a limited time post-conference. Invest 15 minutes daily in filling in the blanks so your notes are clear and can be shared with co-workers when you return. List ideas to implement and people you want to follow up with after the event. 2) Organize business cards and notes Write comments on the back of business cards or attach sticky notes with details of your conversations and follow up as needed. In the haste to get to the next presentation, you may have missed grabbing the business card of a favorite speaker. Find the speaker’s name, organization, and contact info in the lecture notes, conference program, or app. Sort the pile into “needs follow up” and “nice to meet you.” Add high-value connections to your digital contacts and connect with or follow them on social media. 3) Follow up with high-value contacts You are swooning for a new dental unit you saw demonstrated in the exhibit hall. You met a hospital manager with a brilliant solution for reducing staff callouts. You hung on to every word a speaker shared and visualized how the technique would help your patients. Do not let the connections you made fade. Engage with new contacts on LinkedIn, join relevant groups, or attend webinars they may host.1 Do not be shy to email, call, text, or send LinkedIn messages to people who could help you. Comment about how you met so they will connect the dots. Ask for a short follow-up virtual meeting on Zoom or Teams, which allows for a more engaging conversation and screen sharing. Send an email about the virtual meeting’s purpose, proposed dates and times, and offer flexibility to suggest an alternate meeting date. For example, “I enjoyed sitting next to you in the session on . You mentioned how you’ve cut staff callouts at your practice. I’d love the opportunity to have a 15-minute virtual meeting to discuss how we could collaborate. Could we set a 15-minute virtual meeting on <date, time 1>, <date, time 2>, or another choice that better fits your schedule? Thanks for considering my request. Once you confirm, I will email you the meeting link along with my questions so we can make the most of our time together.” Shared interests can grow into friendships or even collaborations. One new relationship could change your career or practice! 4) Pass along knowledge You may have been the only person from your hospital who attended the convention when other team members could have benefited. Upload lecture notes on a shared drive where employees can access the tips and techniques you learned. Email employees a bulleted list of useful takeaways with links to lecture notes and resources. Present your favorite tips at a staff meeting—the sooner, the better, while knowledge is fresh. Invite feedback on which ideas your team wants to help implement. 5) Evaluate products, services, and equipment Walking row after row in the exhibit hall should do more than achieve your daily steps goal. Evaluate how new resources could fit into your practice. Whether it is a client communication app, dental X-ray, or AI veterinary scribe service, follow up with vendors to schedule demos, get quotes, and ask more questions. Note deadlines for show specials on your calendar so you do not miss extra savings. VMX exhibitor Katelyn Hussey with OVIK Health explains self-adhesive and easy-tearbandages to Sharon Kettle-Kemp, RVT, technical instructor of veterinary technology,and Anneke Moreso, DVM, PhD, program director at Colorado Mesa University. Photo courtesy Wendy S. Myers 6) Implement learnings Choose the top three ideas that will have the most significant impact on patient care, team well-being, and practice finances. Write a step-by-step plan to implement at least one goal within the next 30 days. The achievement will give you momentum to keep going and growing. 7) Post on social media Use hashtags for the conference and subject matter to attract readers who may comment on your post and share their ideas and experiences. Professional online communities are interactive forums where you can highlight key takeaways, reconnect with attendees and speakers, thank conference organizers, and keep conversations going. 8) Plan for the next What were your big takeaways from this event? What worked well and what didn’t during this convention? This lets you adjust plans for your next conference and consider repeat attendance. Go home with more than a conference bag—you should be motivated, wiser, and have more friends. Wendy S. Myers, CVJ, knows the right words will lead clients to accept your medical advice, driving patient and practice health. As founder of Communication Solutions for Veterinarians, she teaches practical skills through online courses, conferences, and onsite consulting. Myers’ experience as a partner in a specialty and emergency hospital helped her understand issues that owners and managers face. Learn how she can train your team at csvetscourses.com. Reference Bhatia M. 10 post-conference tips for healthcare professionals. Healthie. Accessed Jan. 9, 2025. https://www.gethealthie.com/blog/post-conference-action-items.
