NZVA and NZVNA Conference: notice of cancellation
We regret to advise that the NZVA and NZVNA Conference scheduled for 18-20 November 2021 in Wellington has been cancelled.
Why has the conference been cancelled?
For the conference to be a successful, safe and enjoyable experience for all delegates, speakers, exhibitors and staff, New Zealand would need to be at Alert Level 1. In light of recent events, this is unlikely to be the case by mid-November. Running the conference at an elevated alert level carries unnecessary risks for members of the veterinary profession, from both health and reputation perspectives.
Sadly, due to the proximity of the conference and the requirement to pay non-refundable deposits to service providers for the conference (venue, caterers etc) there is no capacity to delay cancellation any longer. Cancelling now is the best decision for NZVA members and takes into account that attendees are also understandably being more cautious about registering and attending in person events. We are hopeful that we can return to national conferencing again in 2022.
What about refunds?
All delegates will be receiving 100% refunds on the cost of their conference registration. Delegates have been contacted by our events team with instructions on how to receive their refund and many have already been processed.
If you have not yet been contacted, please get in touch with Leanne Fecser on events@vets.org.nz and we will work with you to process your refund.
Why not run an online conference?
This year, the NZVA conference will not be substituted by an online conference. Advice received from the technical advisory groups of the NZVA Special Interest Branches has indicated that there is a low appetite for online conferences at this time. The NZVA Education Hub has plenty of options for online CPD for those members who are interested.
What about the programme?
The November 2021 conference had a fantastic programme prepared, and we are just as sad as you that this will not be realised this year. However, the programme will not be going to waste! The NZVA conference team is working with speakers and SIBs to transfer as much of the programme as possible to the June 2022 conference. The programme and details for the June 2022 conference will be released in early 2022.
SIB AGMs
A number of notifications have been sent out recently about Special Interest Branch Annual General Meetings due to be held at the November conference. Updated information about these AGMs will be sent out to SIB members in due course.
June 2022 Conference
We understand how disappointing this news is for delegates, speakers and exhibitors and look forward to reconnecting with you all next year at the June 2022 Conference, scheduled for 20-22 June in Hamilton!
