News from the American Veterinary Distributors Association

December 2007 Training l Financial News l Member News

Beaulieu, Wendover Head Speaker Line-Up for 2008 Annual Conference

Alan Beaulieu

Bob Wendover

Are you looking for new ways to connect your great ideas and products with the great people in the animal health industry? AVDA can help! Join us in Connecting Great Ideas and Great People at the 2008 AVDA Annual Conference in Tucson, Arizona this April 27-29 at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.

This year’s conference includes a strong line-up of contemporary speakers. Alan Beaulieu from the Institute for Trend Research will return to update attendees on Economic Trends and their impact on the Veterinary Industry. Bob Wendover from the Center on Generational Studies will present “Been There, Done That! Best Practices in Managing Age Diversity.” DETAILS

Sponsors Sought for Annual Conference

Sponsorships for the AVDA 2008 Annual Conference have been steadily arriving at AVDA Headquarters. All affiliate and associate member companies have been invited to sponsor our upcoming conference at The Loews Ventana Canyon Resort and Spa in Tucson, Arizona from April 27 – April 29, 2008. Initial sponsorship forms were sent in October. DETAILS

AVDA Heads to St. Petersburg in 2009

The AVDA 2009 Annual Conference will be held April 19 – 21, 2009 at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida. Mark your calendar! DETAILS

MEMBER NEWS

Manufacturer Advisory Group Forms

The AVDA board recently formed a manufacturer advisory group to identify topics of business interest for both distributors and manufacturers to pursue at upcoming AVDA events. The board met briefly with the group during the April board meeting in Savannah and the group also met independently via conference call on December 14. DETAILS

AVDA to Co-Sponsor Brakke Networking Reception During NAVC

AVDA will co-sponsor the Brakke Consulting, Inc. Networking Reception with the KC Animal Health Corridor on Monday, January 21, 2008 from 4 to 6 pm at Auggie’s Jammin’ Piano Bar in the Gaylord Palms Resort. The reception will immediately follow the Brakke Consulting US Animal Health Industry Overview at the 2008 North American Veterinary Conference. DETAILS

AVDA Welcomes Four New Members in 2007

AVDA welcomed four associate members in 2007. They are: Bracco Diagnostics, Inc., Med Pharmex Animal Health, Summit Vet Pharm and United BioNutrition, LLC.

New Online Services from AVDA

AVDA members may already have noticed an additional button on the AVDA homepage called, AVDA Online. AVDA Online is a web portal which allows members to pay dues, register for events, purchase products, update contact information and search for members on both individual and organizational levels.

To access AVDA Online login with your work e-mail and AVDA preset password. Passwords should be entered in all caps AVDA + the initials of your name. Ex. John Smith = AVDAJS. To add company contacts to AVDA Online, contact the AVDA Association Coordinator, Tina Lavin at 443-640-1065 x114 or tina@ksgroup.org.

AVDA members who have not renewed their dues may pay online. For step by step directions to pay online click here.

Please visit AVDA Online to verify your contact information.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

AVDA Files Comments with California Board of Pharmacy on E-Pedigree Rules

AVDA Executive Director, Jackie King, recently filed comments on behalf of AVDA with the California Board of Pharmacy, E-Pedigree Work Group. In her comments, she requested that veterinary labeled drugs be exempt from definition of dangerous drugs under section 4022 of the California Administrative Code. AVDA seeks an exemption from the pedigree requirements for all veterinary labeled prescription drugs. DETAILS

AVDA TRAINING

University of Industrial Distribution is Sold Out

The University of Industrial Distribution for March 2 – 5, 2008 at Indiana University/Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana has sold out. Online registration is now closed however those interested may fax in registration forms to be placed on a wait list. DETAILS

AVDA, AEA Announce 2008 Training Schedule

AVDA together with the Association Education Alliance (AEA) present a wide variety of educational sessions. The 2008 schedule has just been announced. DETAILS

FINANCIAL NEWS

PROFIT Survey Available to Distributor Members

AVDA will once again offer members the opportunity to participate in the PROFIT Survey. One of the most important benefits AVDA members enjoy is the annual PROFIT Report. Conducted by Dr. Al Bates and the team at Profit Planning Group, the PROFIT Report is the best source for financial benchmarking information in the industry. DETAILS

GMROI: Good Intentions Gone Awry

Gross Margin Return on Inventory is one of the foundations of inventory management for distributors. The enthusiasm for GMROI rests upon the fact that it allows firms to make inventory decisions from a return on investment perspective. The sad truth is that despite the hoopla, GMROI actually produces biased financial results which can lead to counter-productive actions. If anything, using GMROI makes inventory management decisions less accurate. DETAILS

NAW NEWS

NAW Insurance Trust Update

The NAW Insurance Trust is now available to members in 24 additional states—making it available in 34 total states. Members in tier 1 and 2 can request a premium quote today, and are advised to do so approximately 60 days prior to their desired plan effective date. DETAILS

New Publications from NAW

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors has released three new publications of interest to AVDA members. DETAILS

2105 Laurel Bush Rd. • Suite 200 • Bel Air, MD 21015 • 443-640-1040 • 443-640-1086

You are receiving this email as a benefit of your membership with AVDA. You are not receiving this message because you are subscribed to an electronic list. If you have any input you would like to provide about mailings of this type, please e-mail jackie@ksgroup.org. To unsubscribe to this newsletter, click here.

Happy New Year from AVDA