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It’s time for AAAP to stand on its own 

Learn the many reasons why an independent meeting will strengthen the organization and benefit its members 

AAAP’s Board of Directors is proposing an exciting change for the organization and its members starting in 2023 as it moves to host its first independent meeting, an event tailored exclusively to the advancement of science-based knowledge, expertise, and education on poultry health, welfare, and food safety.

Why now? For more than 50 years, AAAP has enjoyed a positive and productive relationship with AVMA and will continue to do so. But meeting alongside AVMA has several drawbacks, specifically that AAAP has no say in the cities, hotels, and convention centers where we meet or the dates of the meeting. In addition to control of those logistical decisions, an independent meeting would also have a significant financial impact for both AAAP and for attendees.

Overview 

Standing alone would enable AAAP to enhance its own identity by offering a meeting planned solely around its own needs, including:  

  • Location of our meeting. 

  • Date of our meeting (avoid other poultry meetings). 

  • Flexibility in providing right sized rooms and locations for all sessions (symposia, scientific program, poster rooms, committees, boards, allied groups, etc). 

  • Advanced planning with registration. 

  • New revenue stream for AAAP.

  • Ability to keep cost impacts low for AAAP.

Independence would also mean a number of benefits for members, to include:  

  • A custom focused meeting on poultry health and avian medicine with flexibility in scheduling special events. 

  • Lower registration costs 

  • Lower hotel costs 

  • Simplified registration process 

  • Simplified abstract collection process 

  • Ability for program committee to build a program on timeline that best fits the needs of our members. 

Breaking out the Financial Benefits 

The AAAP Board of Directors previously proposed a specific date and place for AAAP to host an independent 2021 meeting in Jacksonville, Florida. While that meeting is no longer planned, the work going into the proposal did provide hard data about the cost of meeting independently.  

  • Lower room rates. Room rates negotiated for a 2021 independent meeting were 30% lower than the 2019 AVMA meeting. 
  • Lower registration rates. The registration fee estimated for a AAAP 2021 meeting was 35% lower than the AVMA 2019 registration fee. 
  • Opportunity to generate new revenue for AAAP. The proposed budget for an independent meeting in 2021 showed a modest profit for AAAP. Currently, all registration revenue goes to the AVMA. 

What’s next? 

While the Board of Directors agrees that AAAP should pivot to an independent meeting, this change will not proceed until members have a chance to weigh in. The AAAP board has conducted a leadership conversation with all leaders of AAAP from committees to past presidents to AVMA representatives. That conversation resulted in 75% in favor, 11% who were neutral, and 14% who were against an independent meeting. These results demonstrate that there is strong support for an independent meeting.

In the coming months, you’ll receive more detail through email and other channels about why leadership believes this move will be beneficial. You are always encouraged to talk with board members who can share with you the discussions that indicate an independent meeting is in the best interest of AAAP and its members.

Members will also be asked to participate in a survey in order to gauge support of the move to independence. To be clear, the Board will not authorize the independent meeting without support of an overwhelming majority of AAAP membership.

Question/Answers

Q:  Will this affect our relationship with the AVMA?
A:  No, it will not. AAAP will continue to be an allied constituent of the AVMA and our relationship will continue to be important and strong. AAAP is the only food animal group affiliated with the AVMA who meets in conjunction with the AVMA. This will not affect AAAP’s membership in the AVMA House of Delegates or AAAP members serving on AVMA committees. It will be important that AAAP members continue to be members of the AVMA and pay their AVMA dues.

Q: Would I still receive CE credit for the meeting?
A: Yes. AAAP has substantial standing as the leading education organization for professionals involved in poultry health and therefore most state VMAs would recognize CE conferred by AAAP. But in addition, AAAP will have the Scientific Program RACE certified. RACE stands for "Registry of Approved Continuing Education" and is a program offered by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). The purpose of the RACE program is to develop and apply uniform standards related to providers and programs of continuing education (CE) in veterinary medicine.

Q: Will I still get travel support as a speaker?
A: Yes, there will be speaker travel support

Q: Will registration be waived for speakers and poster presenters?
A:  Yes, registration costs will be waived or greatly reduced for speakers and poster presenters.