2009 conference will continue to offer a host of networking opportunities and outstanding speaker presentations during the three day event. DETAILS

Members Invited to Sponsor Annual Conference

All Affiliate and Associate member companies are invited to contribute as a sponsor to our upcoming conference. The Annual Conference has become a unique industry event where animal health manufacturers and distributors learn together and build and renew relationships.  DETAILS

2009 Annual Conference Speaker Mike Staver Wants to Ask You a Question

Mike Staver will speak at the AVDA 2009 Annual Meeting April 19 – 21 at the Renaissance Vinoy® Resort and Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida. He wants to know how well you understand people.  DETAILS

2009 Conference Location Featured on Ghost Hunters

The location for the AVDA 2009 Annual Meeting is not only a well-known luxury resort; it is a famous haunt for spirits. Built in 1924, the Renaissance Vinoy® Resort and Golf Club has always been a preferred vacation spot for the rich and famous and presently serves as the host hotel for visiting teams playing the Tampa Bay Rays. DETAILS

Call for Nominations: AVDA Lifetime Achievement Award

AVDA will once again recognize individuals at the 2009 Annual Conference for their dedication to the animal health industry. If you would like to nominate someone for this award please review the criteria and submit a completed application by January 9, 2009. DETAILS

AVDA to Cosponsor Brakke Networking Reception During NAVC

AVDA will co-sponsor the Brakke Consulting, Inc. Networking Reception with the KC Animal Health Corridor immediately following the Brakke Consulting US Animal Health Industry Overview at the 2009 North American Veterinary Conference.

Over 200 executives from animal health companies are expected to attend the reception, now in its third year. This is the second year for AVDA to co-sponsor this event. Invitations will be mailed in the next few months to principals and alternates at AVDA member companies.

For more information on KC Animal Health Corridor please visit their website, www.kcanimalhealth.com. 

For more information on Brakke Consulting, Inc. please visit their website, www.brakkeconsulting.com.

AVDA Heads to Napa Valley in 2010

The AVDA 2010 Annual Conference will be held April 18 - 20, 2010 at the Silverado Resort® in Napa, California. Mark your calendar!

The Silverado Resort® is a luxury resort in Napa Valley with exceptional accommodations, dining, championship golf courses and spa. The Wine Country accommodations for our meeting are private cottage suites clustered around hidden courtyards, secluded swimming pools or lining the fairways of Silverado Resort's two golf courses. Each of the resort's cottage suites has its own unique décor, balcony or patio and private entrance. For details visit www.silveradoresort.com.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

AVDA State Monitor Webinar

AVDA will be sponsoring a webinar explaining the benefits of the State Monitor Service on Friday, October 24 at 11:00 am Eastern Time. This webinar will be presented by Gary Glotz of Cegedim Dendrite Compliance Solutions. The seminar will cover new features that have been added to the Drug Distribution and Drug Pedigree surveys and will be helpful for our members who are currently subscribed to the service and for those members who are not subscribed and still have questions about what the State Monitor service can do for them.  DETAILS

California Pedigree Extension Law Signed

Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 1307 (Ridley-Thomas) on September 30 as the 2008 year of legislative session drew to a close.  This law replaces the 2011 implementation date for e-pedigree requirements to a series of staggered implementation dates. DETAILS

MEMBER NEWS

Webster Acquires Columbus Serum Company

Patterson Companies, Inc. (Nasdaq: PDCO) announced the acquisition by its Webster Veterinary Supply unit of Columbus Serum Company, a full service distributor of companion-pet veterinary supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals, with sales of approximately $166 million in 2007. DETAILS

Bayer Names New VP of Marketing for Companion Animal Products

Bayer Animal Health of Shawnee, Kan., recently named Peter Ryan as vice president of marketing for companion animal products. Ryan, who is also a member of the company’s Management Committee, will be responsible for the development and implementation of operational and strategic initiatives for all U.S. companion animal brands, including Advantage Multi, K9 Advantix, Drontal and Baytril. DETAILS

Schering-Plough Names New Chief of Animal Health Business

Schering-Plough named Raul Kohan as president of Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, one of the world's largest businesses for veterinary medicine. Kohan, former deputy chief of the animal health unit and a Schering employee since 1984, will be based in Boxmeer, the Netherlands. DETAILS

AVMA Urges Presidential Candidates to Pledge Leadership on Animal Issues

The American Veterinary Medical Association is challenging presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama to integrate into their platforms positions in support of veterinary medicine, food safety and animal health and well-being. DETAILS

AVDA TRAINING

AVDA Provides Affordable Training for Your Employees

Do you need affordable training for your employees? Are you looking to invest in your employees and strengthen your team? AVDA provides year-round training for our members to utilize at a significant discount via our partnership with the Association Education Alliance (AEA). This partnership allows AVDA to extend our educational offerings beyond the annual conference. In 2008, we offered four webinars and five live training conferences. Each webinar and live conference featured renowned presenters, expertly qualified to address business issues impacting companies today. Click here to view the full 2008 schedule.

The full 2009 schedule will be announced in the AVDA December newsletter.

Getting the Right Attitude - 7 Keys to a Customer Service Culture

Join the last webinar of the year, Getting the Right Attitude – 7 Keys to A Customer Service Culture on Tuesday, December 2 from 1 – 2:00pm (Eastern) presented by Nancy Friedman “The Telephone Doctor.” DETAILS

YDP 2008 Delivers Outstanding Content and Networking Opportunities

The 2008 session of the Young Distribution Professionals Conference (YDP) was held August 3 – 6 at the Eaglewood Resort in Itasca, Illinois. Attendees rated all of the sessions and speakers extremely high. Specifically, attendees were impressed with the cohesively designed program of multiple speakers focusing on the next generation of managers. DETAILS

16th Anniversary of University of Industrial Distribution

AVDA is a proud co-sponsor of the University of Industrial Distribution (UID) celebrating 16 honored years of education in the distribution industry. UID is a concentrated educational program focused on the unique needs of wholesale distributors. AVDA’s co-sponsorship of UID 2009 means that, as an AVDA member, you can register for the program at the Association Member price—a savings of $470 per person. The 2008 course will be held March 8 - 11 at Indiana University/Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana. DETAILS

UID December Course Sold Out

The December 2 – 5, 2008 session for the University of Industrial Distribution (UID) has sold out. To receive early notification on the March 8 – 11, 2009 session registration click here.

FINANCIAL NEWS

Focusing on the Big Two

One of the more interesting aspects of management is the degree to which extremely small changes in key areas of the business result in large changes in overall profitability. In point of fact the differences between the very top firms in AVDA’s annual PROFIT Report and the lower-profit firms is a matter of doing just a little better on a few critical factors. DETAILS

NAW NEWS

Distributor Success Stories: Profiting Despite the Difficult Economy

The 2009 NAW Executive Summit focuses on the most important issue facing you in the coming year: the economy. Unlike some other conferences, however, we won’t waste your valuable time telling you what you already know—that "the economy is challenging.” Instead, we’ll tell you what other wholesaler-distributors are doing—right now—to succeed despite difficult economic conditions. DETAILS

Channel Trends Update - Third Quarter 2008

Click here to review the current Channel Trends Update from Pembroke Consulting.

New Book from NAW: The Distributor Specialist

Specialists are used by a supermajority of top-performing distributors. What is the definition of distributor specialist? This person is the distributor employee who supports the “front-line” sales team and other departments by playing a specific—usually product or technology-related—role in the sales process. The specialist furnishes technical support, sales backup, marketing direction, and product management within a distributor organization. Especially in today's down economy, many distributors consider the specialist role vital for their business. DETAILS