Superpowers, sessions, and stories: AAHA Con 2024 recap

Last week at AAHA Con 2024, the hallways of the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center teemed with chatter about a topic you might not normally expect at a veterinary conference: Superpowers. 

(Then again, considering Wonder Woman assisted at registration, maybe this shouldn’t have come as such a surprise. Plus, we see what you all do every day. We know many superheroes wear scrubs instead of capes!) 

Lots of these self-selected superpowers were strengths you probably see in your own team—or maybe even yourself: 

“I remember specific details about clients from 10 years ago.” 

“I’m calm in a crisis.” 

“I’m a surgery savant!” 

Other superpowers were a little more unusual, but just as important to the work veterinary professionals do every day: 

“I’m an eminent ambassador of the Cat Distribution System.” 

“I quote Snoop Dogg during pep talks.” 

“I give the best OR song and dance show in town. No charge!” 

Were some of these shared in jest? Perhaps. But does it make a difference to your team when you have someone with a skill like these in your practice? Absolutely. 

Wide-ranging interests 

The variety of superpowers represented was vast, as were the interests of the 800+ attendees (almost 150 more than in 2023). And that was made clear by the well-attended (and highly engaged) sessions, which ranged from clinical topics (Top 5 Anesthetic Complications and How to Avoid Them, Extractions Made Easier) to management and culture topics (Key Concepts and Principles in the Spectrum of Care, Developing Career Ladders).  

Speakers like Lore Haug, DVM, MS, DACVB, CABC, and Bash Halow, CVPM, LVT, had attendees cracking up with their spot-on impressions of animals (Haug: Treating Intercat Aggression) and humans (Halow: 10 Disastrous Leadership Habits and What Happened When I Tried Them).  

In other sessions, like RECOVER: What Everyone Should Know About CPR with Dan Fletcher, PhD, DVM, DACVECC, attendees had their phones out snapping photos of slides they wanted to share with their teams as soon as the presentation ended. 

Extracurricular excitement 

It wasn’t only the educational sessions that had people buzzing (although, understandably, there was a lot of buzz about the bee sessions by Tiffany Ayres, CVPM, Master beekeeper). AAHA’s second annual Express Yourself event celebrated the power of storytelling with the help of Park Howell, founder of the Business of Story platform, along with several veterinary professionals who’d prepared stories to share. (And, for attendees who had not yet made storytelling their superpower, Howell provided a “What’s Your Story” field guide along with the opportunity to sign up for an online storytelling course. After all, is there any better way to connect with colleagues and clients than through a personal story? 

Okay, maybe there’s one better way—coming together to support a good cause. And attendees did just that with the Community Give Back event. Hundreds of hands made quick work of stuffing bags with cat and dog food, as well as other items needed by new pet owners, which we delivered to our local partners, Hero Dogs and Homeward Trails Animal Rescue. Bonus: Those partners gave right back by bringing some adorable puppies to the Cuddle Corner in the Expo Hall. 

Those looking for a little evening CE (and a chance to give their Halloween costumes a test run) were in luck with M is for Murder, P is for Perio, a periodontal disease lecture/murder mystery party/costume contest with Brook Niemiec, DVM, DADVC. (Whodunnit? That peacock sure looked sus, but there was something fishy about that goldfish, too …) 

Coming together  

Of course, conference keynotes are always a draw, but before our opening keynote speaker took the stage, the crowd had a chance to view videos from all four of the Accredited Practice of the Year finalists and celebrate the winner, Canobie Lake Veterinary Hospital. 

Cherice Roth, DVM, the opening keynote speaker (Whiplash, Tail Wags, and Heroic Saves: Superhero Strategies for Veterinary Professionals), taught a full house about the importance of showing up for others, showing up for yourself, and accepting help from others when needed. (Also, drink water and go to the bathroom, folks. Seriously.)  

In the closing keynote, award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien discussed how change is imminent—in every industry—and that means that many of the challenges we face are temporary. So hang in there, vet med! 

From superheroes to sessions to stories to the absolutely rad graphics displayed throughout the conference hall and beyond, this year’s AAHA Con was a hit. AAHA Chief Financial and Operations Officer, James Heard, said the conference exceeded his expectations on many levels: “Seeing the hard work of the AAHA team come to life—and the reaction of the attendees—was phenomenal.” 

Whether or not you were able to attend AAHA Con 2024, we hope you feel empowered to let your superpowers shine in your work—and that you help the others on your team uncover their own superpowers.  

Interested in attending AAHA Con next year? Join us on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago September 11-13, 2025. Registration is now open!  

Got a topic you’d like to present? Submit your abstract today! 

Photo credit: © AAHA marketing  

Disclaimer: The views expressed, and topics discussed, in any NEWStat column or article are intended to inform, educate, or entertain, and do not represent an official position by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or its Board of Directors.