BSAVA Congress continues to be the place to launch new companies, brands, products, services and systems, as hundreds of exhibitors enjoyed thousands of face-to-face conversations. The ‘exhibitor village’ in the stunning new Barclaycard Arena saw some innovative ways for the industry to engage with the vet profession and continues to be a vital resource for all involved, including the BSAVA itself. Below is a summary of just some of those innovations

Vetsolutions

Vets can improve patient care, practice image and profitability with “the best and most advanced customer communications tool in the world” launched by Vetsolutions. Rapport is a suite of tools, including advanced marketing, with a single interface for vets that enables different software to talk to each other. It has been developed globally by Henry Schein and was built so that all vets can use it around the world.

“Two of the most pressing challenges that vets face today are managing the efficiency of their staff and increasing patient visits. Rapport helps vets address both challenges by making client communication efforts more efficient and effective,” said general manager Alan Moody.

Johnnie Ingram, product manager, said: “It’s pretty exciting, our research showed the biggest challenge by far facing vets was client communication and client retention, so we set out to solve that problem and I believe we have.

“There is nothing like this in the world, it is the best and most advanced customer communications tool in the world.”

He added: “The BSAVA Congress is so important because it’s big and it’s established – it is the place people rely on to go for the latest industry information.

“Secondly Congress is the home of small animal veterinary science and practices will get the most benefits from using this suite of tools.”

Burtons Veterinary Equipment

Three generations of the Burton family gathered at the Burtons Veterinary Equipment stand to exhibit the company’s wide range of products, from anaesthetic tables to animal cages and laboratory equipment to monitoring tools.

Between them they have a staggering 70 years’ worth of experience in the industry.

Founder Fred Burton said: “We started out as a servicing company fixing equipment in the Maidstone area and quickly realised that we needed to manufacture bespoke parts in order to fix them effectively.

“One day we turned round and realised that we had made enough parts to build a whole piece of equipment, which is when we started to manufacture anaesthetic tables.”

The company now has Fred’s son David as chairman and grandchildren Matthew and Eve as regular members of staff, alongside 100 other team members spread between sales and servicing.

David Burton said: “We’ve been coming to BSAVA for 25 years, over that time it has changed considerably and has obviously got a lot bigger.

“The reason that we have made sure we come every year is because it has always been the premier event and so it’s important that we’re seen at it.”

He added: “It’s such a wonderful industry to work in and vets are generally very nice people to work with, so it’s also good to catch-up with old and new customers every year.”

And the secret to such a long-standing, established business, according to Fred, is great customer service: “Vets have bought into the aftersales support that we provide. We still have every single customer that has come to us since day one. I’m extremely proud of Burtons.”

Vetoquinol

Osteo-arthritic experts Vetoquinol launched Tractive Motion using a ‘smash the lights’ game. Their flagship activity monitor attaches to dogs’ collars and feeds clinically relevant information to an app.

Product manager Robert Simpson said: “Ongoing monitoring is the biggest challenge faced by vets in managing this chronic, degenerative disease and the graphs and data also engage owners in the management process which helps improve a dog’s quality of life.

“We’ve seen a really strong reaction to this and we’ve had some great conversations.”

He added: “Congress is the place where you get to see lots of people that you haven’t seen in a long time and it’s nice to talk to people face to face about what they really think.”

BCF Technology – photo available

Climber Dan Spry was one of hundreds who saw the exhibition from a different perspective on the BCF Technology-sponsored climbing wall.

Organisers launched the fourth annual Vet Charity Challenge by scaling the wall and encouraged vets to register to join them at Staffordshire’s Cannock Chase in September. BCF also launched CT and MRI scanners

BCF’s marketing manager Jason Rogers revealed more than £100,000 has been raised by the annual event and said the climbing wall was proving very popular.

“We always want to do something different at Congress and this is a bit interesting and fun, it’s really an opportunity to talk and have fun with customers, our whole company is based on having strong relationships with customers and providing the best equipment.”

He added: “Congress continues to bring us a larger volume of people and they seem to be spending a lot more time in the exhibition, they are not so rushed, which is great.”

Purina

Balloon artist David Crofts showed off his skills as delegates were asked to guess how many balloons were used to create Purina’s giant yellow dog.

The team launched Fortiflora, a probiotic that is clinically proven to reduce flatulence which can be an issue for concerned pet owners.

Owen Greechan, Purina’s vet team manager, said Congress is the best place to launch new products.

“We plan to have more conversations than there are balloons in the dog – we’re here to showcase our products and we’re here to talk,” he said.

“Getting to meet customers face to face is really important and Congress is a massive opportunity because it is a massive event within the industry, not just in this country but the rest of the world.”

Bayer

Bayer launched an easy to apply wound spray gel, adding to its existing Remend range.

With cocktails flowing that are named after their medicines, Bayer also scooped the Best Overall Stand award at Congress.

Vicky McAlister, senior product manager at Bayer, said they were thrilled because it was absolutely brand new and unveiled at Congress.

“We based it on the science of Bayer, focusing on innovation and the futuristic elements, keeping it very open and bringing in our brands by naming our cocktails after them,” she said.

“We probably started thinking about it six months ago and we’re really pleased to win this award.”

She added: “Congress is a great time to talk to vets about our products, we do get so much interest from face-to-face conversations at the BSAVA event, it’s a great opportunity to talk and it’s the best place to launch a new product, we have increased brand awareness and had a really good reaction.”

Ceva Animal Health

Ceva Animal Health launched Douxo, its brand new range of topical dermatology products for cats and dogs.

The Douxo product range is available in four different formulas that target specific skin types including unbalanced, itchy and sensitive, oily and flaky and skin prone to problems. With a focus on ease-of-use, each range also comes in a shampoo, mousse and pads enabling vets to quickly and effectively treat animal’s dermatological problems.

Product manager Adelaide Ellerington said: “A lot of vets and pet owners struggle to treat their pets with skin problems because it’s difficult to bath them so regularly. The good news is that this product range is now available in a mousse, as well as pads and a serum, which means it is so much more convenient and easier to apply.

She added: “The BSAVA Congress is a great place to be for product and brand awareness.”

Mark Cokayen, regional sales manager said: “Our stand has been crazily busy and the hook-a-duck has definitely attracted a lot of people. We have had over a thousand people who have entered our competition and there has been a massive uptake on our show offer, so we’re really pleased.”

Ceva also won the Best Space Only stand award at Congress.

IM3

IM3, suppliers of high quality veterinary dental equipment, exhibited its CR7 Imaging System and its recently launched large image dental plates for bigger animals.

Ian Smith, UK sales manager said: “Our new size dental plates allow vets to easily and quickly carry out a full mouth exam in just six x-rays. A comprehensive mouth examination for large animals will now only take 5-10 minutes.”

The high-res images clearly identify any dental issues and allow vets and veterinary nurses to explore the whole area.

IM3 were also delighted to win Best Large Stand at the conference.

Ian Smith said: “This is our second year at BSAVA and we always have a high level of interest from attendees. It’s so nice for the team to receive recognition for their hard work. We’re chuffed to bits.”

Dog Rocks

Delighted Carina Evans crammed a lot into her Dog Rocks stand, including the chance to win a large cuddly toy dog which was proving very popular.

On winning Best Small Stand she said: “I think it’s because it’s informative, colourful without being crowded and there’s a competition. It’s also about the interaction with customers and because it is my business I care so much, it’s great to meet people face to face here at Congress.

“It’s a great honour, it was really exciting to be recognised.”

Dog Rocks helps stop dog urine burn patches on lawns, but Carina also unveiled Pet proBio, a 100% natural food additive with organic herbs for health and vitality.

“Vet practices realise that diversifying is important, so why not give a wall of the waiting room to retail space. I think there is demand for it, especially those receptive to the natural ethos.”

Summit

Such is the power of the Congress exhibition that Summit Veterinary Pharmaceuticals wanted to be there even though it cannot advertise any products to vets.

Despite strict VMD regulations and the Cascade system, Summit is seeing significant growth in demand for its products.

Director Owain Hughes said: “There is an increasing demand, a lot has been assisting with dose issues when a vet uses Cascade, we fill that gap between human generics and specials and we’re still educating people but now many more know this option exists.”

He added: “Congress has been a huge help, it is pretty pivotal to everything we do. We have spoken with a lot of vets at the show and have a clear idea about what is required from their suggestions and there’s been a nice, constant flow of people which you don’t get at other shows.”

Braemer Finance

The light at the end of the tunnel – that’s what the Braemer Finance logo represents and the company embodies that too, as financial specialists in the medical world who often support vets where banks would not dare to go.

Area manager Steve Forsyth said: “From a vet’s point of view that is music to their ears, because often banks won’t support the kind of equipment and refurbishment purchases that we will.

The company held a prize draw for £200 of John Lewis vouchers.

On the BSAVA Congress, Steve Forsyth said: “It’s a high profile show and it’s great to have a presence here, it’s been good from a networking point of view and to catch up with some of our clients.”

Elanco

Elanco chose to re-launch the brand following its recent acquisition of Novartis. The first public event for the expanded company was an ideal opportunity to find out exactly what vet profession thinks, so the team made sure to ask lots of questions.

Sales manager Kathryn Mecklenburgh said: “Elanco has been around in the vet industry but was very small. We are a lot bigger now and we wanted to re-launch the company with a mantra of added value and finding out what is important to vets, which is why we’ve been asking questions and capturing vets’ opinions on our interactive stand – the response has been really good.”

Elanco has also invested in R&D and said there are lots of interesting products on the way.

Celtic SMR Ltd

Celtic’s class 4 therapeutic laser has had “exceptional interest” with half of all stand visits focusing on that one product.

It offers for pain relief and regenerative action for vet diagnosed, nurse driven situations, with one vet claiming to have seen a tenfold return on investment in just one month.

Account manager John Rushby said: “It’s had exceptional interest and now we have brought it to the UK it will form the foundation of our business moving forward.

He added: “Meeting vets face to face at Congress is so important.”

AniLog

AniLog says its cloud-based practice management software has generated good conversations with vets, but the biggest innovation of recent times is a new app which integrates with the existing tools.

Ben Ashcroft said: “Vets have been interested in the full range of software solutions we provide and our cloud-based practice management software is unique.”

Complete Veterinary Care

For the first time vets can send samples to be analysed by the CVC Group, when using its VacciCheck antibody test kit.

The company kept things simple to create an eye-catching display of just three key products from their range in three display units – ‘Spot’ allergy service, VetGold and VacciCheck antibody test kit.

Deborah Grayson said: “Delegates have found it easy to quickly understand why they should talk to the team and a lot of people like the good news about being able to send in samples for the first time.”

Hills

More than 1,200 delegates made use of Hills’ coffee lounge, wifi hotspot and ‘selfie’ booth on the concourse, with word spreading fast thanks to a live Twitter feed appearing on their exhibition stand.

Visitors were asked the question: ‘what would be your veterinary superpower?’ and answers included wishing for time travel, x-ray vision and more time to talk to patients.

Veterinary affairs manager Tim Dobbins said it was a huge success and that there had been a new buzz about Congress this year.

“We are absolutely ecstatic about that, our brand is all about supporting the profession and we have engaged with more young vets than ever before,” said

“The whole ethos behind the coffee lounge has been to acknowledge some of the challenges faced by vets coming to Congress – they need to sit down, get a good cup of coffee, check their emails and gather their thoughts, so it’s nice to have that space available to them.

“For us it’s all about engagement, it’s less about selling stuff and doing deals. We wanted to meet with past friends and colleagues that we see every year but most importantly engage with the new generation of vets that we haven’t seen before.”

Orthomed

Orthomed always brings a new product and this year decided to launch its catalogue to showcase the entire range available. It also ran a series of free practical workshops with attendees performing a procedure on sawbones.

Simon Porter said: “It’s a good PR exercise, we have seen some of our existing customers and every time we come we have always got something new.

“We are known for a few core products and for our innovation, but customers might not be aware of other things we do so this is a good place to get feedback too.”

Vetmedin

For the first time pre-clinical use of VetMedin has been authorised in the treatment of DCM.

Boehringer Ingelheim says the new indication means vets can treat prior to the onset of symptoms through screening tests, leading to longer and healthier lives.

A spokesman said: “We need to tell this exciting news to vets and the response has been good because they already use it, but now they can use it earlier.

“Face to face contact is much better for having more honest conversations to show them this information.”

MDC

Making a debut was MDC’s Smart Oxygen, a simple, instant and economical way to provide oxygen or nebulising therapy in a sealed unit.

No frame assembly is required and full visibility allows vet professionals to administer oxygen single-handed.

Miranda Luck said: “MDC has been going about 50 years and started out with the founder developing a range of animal welfare products. That ethos has continued and this is the first time Smart Oxygen has been seen at the BSAVA.

“It’s a simple idea and it’s proving popular with vets.”

Abaxis UK

Launching a new company name was a challenge for QCR, which has been coming to Congress or decades but for the first time appeared as Abaxis UK.

Sales manager Linda Justice said: “The manufacturer of the products that we have been distributing bought us, so we did a champagne reception which was a free-for-all, it was really popular and we ran out of glasses!

“The best thing about Congress for us has been the prize draw for a cuddly toy, we’re known for always having something to give away on our stand.”

Lily’s Kitchen

Lily’s Kitchen, the British producer of nourishing food for pets, unveiled its new senior dog recipe range at its small but pretty and perfectly-formed stand.

Created by vets and animal nutritionists, the Senior Range is made from freshly prepared butcher-quality ingredients and has a specific blend of ingredients to meet the needs of older dogs.

The Senior Recipe range of food is made with the finest, human-grade produce providing an alternative to mass produced tins of normal pet food.

James Lacy from Lily’s Kitchen said: “The BSAVA is a really good opportunity to talk to vets about the food that we make for cats and dogs and to discuss the wide range benefits it offers.

“Vets come to our stand to hear about the science behind what we do and always end up excited about our products by the time they leave.”

MSD Animal Health

With a mission to build a better understanding of tick distribution and the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens, MSD Animal Health has collaborated with the University of Bristol to promote the Big Tick Project.

The team’s target for BSAVA was to recruit 250 willing vets to the research project who will collect ticks from the dogs they treat and send them to the University for testing.

Michelle Townley, veterinary adviser at MSD Animal Health said: “BSAVA has been extremely busy and we have had a lot of people visiting our stand. Our interactive zone encourages attendees to play our new ‘Whack a tick game’ which is doing a great job of raising awareness of the project.”

MSD Animal Health manufactures Bravecto, a leading treatment that rapidly kills fleas and ticks to minimise the opportunity for transmission of tick-borne disease.

Animal Friends

One of the country’s leading pet insurers launched its new Pawtal claims service that provides same day payments to improve cash flow for veterinary practices.

Tara Hughes from Animal Friends said: “The Congress has been fantastic! We have registered over 150 people and will be going back to the office with over 900 leads. Everyone has been really friendly and we’ll definitely be back next year but with more staff.”

Vetplus

At the exclusive cinema-themed stand, VetPlus launched Vetigel, a unique solution that effectively controls haemostasis within seconds.

Creator Joe Landolina, who flew over from New York to be at BSAVA, said: “I wanted to develop a product that can be used quickly and easily by vets and vet nurses as well as a solution that is made from totally natural ingredients. I’m pleased to say that I’ve achieved that with Vetigel.”

Delivered to veterinary practices in ready-to-use syringes that can be reached for quickly in an emergency, it is a convenient solution that can be used during animal surgery as well as to control bleeding following biopsies and dental extractions.

Animalcare

Animalcare launched two new pharmaceutical products at BSAVA, synthadon and anaestamine which they claim were very well received by the delegates attending the stand. Uniquely anaestamine has been licensed for use on rabbits.

Sam Williamson said: “We’ve been excited to launch these products at Congress and we have not been disappointed at the reaction to them.

“The majority of people coming to our stand have been interested to find out more, we have taken over 200 orders as well as a large number leads.”

IDEXX

With a significant presence at Congress, including a lecture stream, IDEXX exhibited its new Catalyst One Chemistry Analyzer and Animana Practice Management System.

Enabling veterinary nurses to quickly and easily run blood samples to obtain electrolyte and chemistry results, the Catalyst One delivers results in just 15 minutes.

While the cloud-based Animana software allows vets and practice managers to easily access patient data anytime and anywhere.

Simon Wootton, marketing manager for the provider of diagnostic solutions, said: “BSAVA is a really important event for us. This year for the first time we’ve been running a lecture stream which has been very well received.

“We have stepped up our social media activity as well and have enjoyed a lot of interaction and engagement with attendees and other exhibitors which is great.”

He added: “Congress continues to improve through the years and definitely evolves with the times. Kudos to the organising team for doing such an excellent job. For IDEXX this has been the most successful BSAVA in a long time – despite the good weather enticing people outside.”

Avacta Animal Healthcare

Avacta Animal Healthcare launched Pet Allergy Week (PAW) at BSAVA to promote the awareness of allergies in small animals.

Offering vet practices the chance to sign up for their own Paw Pack the diagnostics specialists have had a lot of interest.

Helen MacDonald, territory manager at Activa said: “Our PAW packs have been extremely well received. Vets who sign up receive free materials to create an informative waiting room display on allergies in pets ready for PAW week in June and they’ve been really popular.”

Avacta Animal Healthcare was also exhibiting the responsive and innovative diagnostic tests that the company develops and delivers to market.

 

DogEase Animal Wound Protection

The brand new wearable suit for pets, called DogEase, made its first ever appearance at BSAVA. Made from a totally natural, biodegradable fabric, DogEase stops pets from interfering with a wound post-surgery and is an alternative to cone collars.

 

Founder Lisa McCausland, who has been developing the product for over two years, said: “We decided to launch our product at BSAVA because it is such a reputable show and has a huge proportion of our target market attending.

 

“We have had a great time at Congress, we’ve met a lot of people and got a lot of leads. There’s been such a good vibe.”

 

The DogEase suit is comfortable for pets, made from washable fabric originated from bamboo fibre and doesn’t need to be removed for toileting.

 

Medivet

On the ‘family kitchen’ themed stand, that included some delicious cupcakes, were Medivet, the growing network of over 100 veterinary practices from London to Liverpool.

 

Spreading the word about the benefits of becoming part of the Medivet community was branch partner Andy Buchan, who said: “Medivet has a very strong family ethos that is committed to providing a gold standard level service of care and we want to tell as many people about it as possible.

 

“BSAVA has been really good for us and has provided a lot of networking opportunities.”

 

Norbrook 

Chris Geddes and Jennifer Hamilton enjoyed a cupcake with Norbrook, which launched the new dog and cat Fiproclear spray and Clearspot for rabbits and ferrets.

 

Chris Geddes said: “The BSAVA Congress is always extremely busy for us. This year we are running two competitions from our stand which are proving to be very popular. We expect to do a good deal of business again this year and our show-offers always get snapped up.”