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BVRA Congress

Join us at BVRA Congress, 30th September – 1st October 2022, the only congress that is specifically for the veterinary receptionist community.

Not sure what to expect? Take a look at the video on the right hand side from our 2021 congress.

Each year we put together an exciting programme of speakers tailored to provide useful insight and professional development for veterinary receptionists. This years sessions will cover insurance, triage, nutrition, pet poisons, workplace fitness, and many more (see below for a full programme). We are also pleased to welcome Jade Statt from StreetVet as our keynote speaker!

BVRA Congress is a valuable opportunity to meet and network with other members of our vet receptionist community, share experiences, and learn together. The exhibition hall provides further networking opportunities and of course the chance to bag some freebies (eek, pens!!).

Our 2021 Congress saw the addition of an evening social event on the Friday night, where we held an awards ceremony for the Veterinary Receptionist of the Year. We’re pleased to announce this will be a regular fixture at BVRA Congress and by popular demand, DJ Dan O’Dwyer will be heading up the party.

BVRA Congress takes place at Jurys Inn Hinckley Island Hotel. Accommodation is the delegates responsibility and will need to be booked separately. For a discounted room rate please contact the hotel reservations team on 01617 743179 and quote code BVRAAL300922.

Tickets available now, with discounted early-bird rates until the end of April, so be quick and book your place below! 

Before purchasing your ticket, please read the BVRA Congress Terms and Conditions.

Friday Programme

Friday 30th September

08.30 – 09.30Registration
09.30 – 09.45Welcome to BVRA Congress
09.45 – 10.45To Get Under Their Skin, Start from Within! (Royal Canin)
10.45 – 11.15Morning Break
11.15 – 12.15Poisoned pets: front of house actions (TVM)
12.15 – 13.00Achieve and succeed with your mental and physical health (Vetfit & VetYogi)
13.00 – 14.00Lunch
14.00 – 15.00Street Vet
15.00 – 15.30Afternoon Break
15.30 – 16.30Receptionists Saving Lives! Your role in the Pet Insurance journey. (Petplan)
16.30 – 17.30Telephone Triage (Colourful CPD)
Saturday Programme

Saturday 1st October

08.30 – 09.30Registration
09.30 – 10.30BVRA Survey Results 2022 (BVRA Council Members)
10.30 – 11.15Making our clinics greener: The role of veterinary receptionists (Vet Sustain)
11.15 – 11.45Morning Break
11.45 – 12.45Dogs Trust – Dog Friendly Clinic
12.45 – 13.30Lunch
13.30 – 14.30Taking Quality Improvement forward in your practice – why the receptionist’s role is vital (RCVS Knowledge)
14.30 – 15.30Dealing with Aggressive Clients (Colourful CPD)
Goodbyes
Congress Speakers
Brian Faulkner - Colourful CPD
Brian graduated from Edinburgh Vet School in 1995 and has worked in 250 veterinary practices across the UK before, during and after setting up, developing and exiting 4 veterinary practices of his own in Suffolk. Brian was SPVS President in 2017. He is the Honorary Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Nottingham University and well as the founder of the Colourful Consultation©, The Vet Whisperer©, The British Veterinary Receptionist Association and The Colourful Certificate in Veterinary Nurse Consulting. In 2017 Brian raised £120,000 for Brooke Animal Hospital in by running 10 marathons in 10 days all across UK and Ireland.
Steph Writer-Davies - Colourful CPD
Steph has developed the Colourful Nurse Consulting Skills Training Course alongside Brian Faulkner. Steph is a veterinary surgeon with 35-years’ experience of first opinion practice including owning her own business which was a VN training practice. She was SPVS Hon President in 2016 and was the SPVS VN liaison for 9 years. With an interest in how people think, behave and communicate, Steph enrolled on an approved training programme and qualified as an accredited NLP Practitioner in April 2019. She is also DISC accredited and uses this and her NLP skills to help veterinary teams or individuals to communicate with and understand one another and their clients more effectively.
Clare Hemmings - Royal Canin
Clare Hemmings qualified as a Veterinary Nurse in 1995 and although she is no longer on the register, she likes to keep up to date. She won Pet Health Counsellor of the Year for her work with arthritic patients in 2001 and joined Royal Canin in 2004. She passed her Certificate in Canine and Feline Veterinary Nutrition in 2014 with distinction and has worked as Scientific Communications Manager since 2015. She’s had many articles published in the veterinary and consumer press and is on the ‘Ask the Expert’ panel of Your Cat magazine. She has two teenage boys and a curly crossbreed called Chess. In her spare time, she loves gardening and playing the piano.
Kayleigh Walker RVR - BVRA Vice President
I started working at Drove Vets in Swindon in 2015 as a Veterinary Receptionist covering 7 different branch surgeries, as well as our main hospital site, this is where my passion for the industry began. I progressed in my role and became a lead receptionist in 2018. I thrive off being able to support our team and love that I get to work alongside an incredibly talented group of people. No two days are the same as a veterinary receptionist and I enjoy the challenges that are thrown our way. I completed my Accredited Veterinary Receptionist Award course and became an RVR in April 2020. I’m passionate about creating a voice for Veterinary Receptionists and look to gain a wider understanding of the work that we do within practice amongst colleagues and members of the public. I aim to do this through my role as BVRA council Vice President. I am married, and have two cats called Chip & Coco, who like to keep me on my toes!
Danielle Bowers RVR - BVRA Council Member
I joined veterinary practice at the start of July 2017 working as a 'float' receptionist working in all 5 branches and our main hospital at Drove Vets in Swindon. After a year I found my feet at one of our branches and never looked back. Working as a part of a small team can be challenging but great as no two days are the same. My passion for coaching and supporting our team has led me to land the role as staff trainer within our client care team, alongside my busy role as a veterinary receptionist. It's rewarding being able spend time with my colleagues and see them grow within their role. I completed my Bronze, Silver and Gold BVRA awards and became a registered veterinary receptionist in September 2020 which is a title I am very proud of. I am currently completing a level 3 NVQ in customer service which I'm due to finish by Autumn 2022. BVRA asked me to join them as an ambassador early 2021 and I've been lucky enough to now be on the council where my passion to raise the status of veterinary receptionists is shared by all. The BVRA play a critical part of supporting us in the profession and my main goal on the council is to scream, shout and raise awareness about the importance of our role and how it should be established as a career option. I like to spend time with my pets when I'm not working as well as my friends and family. I have a particular passion for dancing and although I no longer attend any dance schools, I am the best at performing alone in the shower.
Jade Statt - StreetVet
Jade qualified from Glasgow Vet School in 2002 and then crossed the border to work in small animal practice. She co-founded StreetVet in 2016 and now works in the role of Clinical Director and Brand Ambassador for StreetVet. StreetVet is a registered charity that offers free accessible vet care to pets belonging to those experiencing homelessness in multiple locations across the U.K. and is fuelled by over 400 likeminded veterinary volunteers.
Chloe Hannigan - VetYogi
Chloe is a locum small animal vet and registered Yoga Alliance Professionals yoga/meditation teacher, and founded VetYogi in 2017 to improve the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of the veterinary profession. Through VetYogi Chloe provides tailored yoga and meditation classes, workshops and conference speaker sessions for veterinary individuals, practices and groups. She is passionate about providing wellness tools for the whole veterinary team, and teaches various styles of yoga, including Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin and Yoga Nidra. VetYogi also offers a selection of yoga props, clothing and accessories, and VY home fragrance gifts all designed to help busy working professionals create a sanctuary of calm in their own space.
Linds Raven Emrich - VetYogi
Linds is a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) and qualified British Wheel of Yoga teacher, with many years of experience in both the veterinary and yoga worlds. As a busy working Mum she knows just how hard it can be to find time to practice self-care, so in alignment with the VetYogi ethos she delivers her teaching in ways that are realistic and achievable for all! She primarily teaches Hatha yoga and also regularly teaches “Chair Yoga”, making yoga accessible for everyone. Her focus is enabling her students to better understand their own bodies, and appreciate what is “normal” for them. Linds shares the VetYogi mission to encourage all veterinary colleagues to embrace yoga for better holistic health, and joined the team as a VY Associate Yoga Teacher in 2021.
Holly Sutton - Vetfit
Holly is a 2020 Surrey graduate on a mission to improve veterinary workplace culture. After her first stint at a new graduate during the Covid-19 pandemic, Holly set herself on a mission to develop the Vetfit Practice Wellbeing Programme, being able to deliver both physical and mental 1-to-1 and group coaching to veterinary teams, in order to support veterinary professionals take control of their mental health. Her work with Vetfit educates and supports teams on how to take control and thrive in the workplace, in order to improve team culture, mental and physical health, productivity, and reverse the trend of poor staff retention and recruitment. Holly’s goal is to divert the focus from struggling recruitment into investing in team retention, and help individuals thrive in the veterinary workplace.
Sharon Pollitt - Petplan
Hi! My name is Sharon and I have covered the northwest with Petplan as a territory manager for the last 7 years. Prior to joining Petplan, I was a full time Veterinary Nurse with a special interest in emergency and critical care. I can still be found in practice most weekends as a locum, but when I do have a little bit of spare time, I love spending time with my family and hiking in the lakes.
Zoë Halfacree - Vet Sustain
Zoë is a small animal vet and a passionate advocate for sustainability. Zoë works at Davies Veterinary Specialists as a Soft Tissue Surgeon and also Chairs the Greener Veterinary Practice working group, Vet Sustain. Zoë is an RCVS and ECVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery. Zoë enjoyed working at The Royal Veterinary College for many years, where she was a Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Surgery. Zoë has completed a course in Business Sustainability at the Cambridge Institute of Sustainable Leadership and is currently undertaking a Masters in Sustainability and Behaviour Change at the Centre for Alternative Technology.
Helen Harrison - TVM
After qualifying from the University of Bristol, Helen spent just over four years working in small animal practice before joining TVM-UK as a Veterinary Advisor in 2020. Helen volunteers for the BSAVA and is passionate about education. Outside of work, Helen enjoys long walks in the countryside with her highly energetic Labrador!
Amelia Poole - RCVS Knowledge
Amelia joined RCVS Knowledge in 2019. She is a Registered Veterinary Nurse who previous to this role worked in practice for 11 years. She worked at a variety of privately owned hospitals, as well as rescue centres, concentrating on intensive inpatient care. She has always been passionate about EBVM and Quality Improvement (QI) within practice to offer patients the best possible care and uses her veterinary experience to ensure that content is relevant to those in practice. Amelia's role within RCVS Knowledge includes managing national audits and registries, such as the National Audit for Small Animal Neutering, the National Audit for Post-operative Outcomes and the Canine Cruciate Registry. This includes working with the Quality Improvement Advisory Board, members of the profession and various working groups to create resources and content that will support practices in embedding QI in practice and use their audit data to help improve patient care on a practice, local and national scale.
Congress Exhibitors

Exhibitors

  • CEVA
  • Petplan
  • NVS
  • PG Mutual
  • Virbac
  • Royal Canin
  • TVM
  • Vet Yogi
  • Vetfit
  • Protexin
  • Veterinary Woman
  • Many Pets
  • Pet Blood Bank
  • Silver Pet Prints
  • Boehringer
  • Dogs Trust / Dog Friendly Clinic
  • More coming soon!

BVRA Congress - 2 DAY TICKET (FRI & SAT)

Date: 30th September 2022 - 1st October 2022
Start Time: 8:30 am
End Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Jurys Inn Hinckley Island

This 2 DAY ticket grants you access to both days of BVRA Congress on Friday 30th September AND Saturday 1st October 2022. If you would like to attend the evening social event on Friday night, this will need to be booked separately. 

Please note: if you're booking tickets on behalf of your colleagues, dietary requirements are compulsory at the next step, so please ensure you have this information to hand before you proceed. 

For all the necessary information in regard to BVRA Congress 2022, please visit our website. 

User TypeEarly Bird Booking Expiry DateEarly Bird PriceFull Price
Member30/04/2022£160 + VAT£200 + VAT
Non Member30/04/2022£200 + VAT£250 + VAT
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BVRA Congress - FRIDAY ONLY TICKET

Date: 30th September 2022
Start Time: 8:30 am
End Time: 5:30 pm
Location: Jurys Inn Hinckley Island

This FRIDAY ONLY ticket grants you access to BVRA Congress on Friday 30th September 2022. If you would like to attend the evening social event on Friday night, this will need to be booked separately. 

Please note: if you're booking tickets on behalf of your colleagues, dietary requirements are compulsory at the next step, so please ensure you have this information to hand before you proceed. 

For all the necessary information in regard to BVRA Congress 2022, please visit our website. 

User TypeEarly Bird Booking Expiry DateEarly Bird PriceFull Price
Member30/04/2022£120 + VAT£150 + VAT
Non Member30/04/2022£150 + VAT£200 + VAT
Read More

BVRA Congress - SATURDAY ONLY TICKET

Date: 1st October 2022
Start Time: 9:00 am
End Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Jurys Inn Hinckley Island

This SATURDAY ONLY ticket grants you access to BVRA Congress on Saturday 1st October 2022 (also Veterinary Receptionist Appreciation Day & BVRA's 5th Birthday). If you would like to attend the evening social event on Friday night, this will need to be booked separately. 

Please note: if you're booking tickets on behalf of your colleagues, dietary requirements are compulsory at the next step, so please ensure you have this information to hand before you proceed. 

For all the necessary information in regard to BVRA Congress 2022, please visit our website. 

User TypeEarly Bird Booking Expiry DateEarly Bird PriceFull Price
Member30/04/2022£90 + VAT£120 + VAT
Non Member30/04/2022£120 + VAT£150 + VAT
Read More

BVRA Congress - DINNER TICKET (Friday night)

Date: 30th September 2022
Start Time: 7:00 pm
End Time: 12:00 pm
Location: Jurys Inn Hinckley Island

This DINNER ticket grants you access to the BVRA Congress evening social event on Friday 30th September 2022.

7pm drinks reception start, ready to sit down at 7.30pm. By popular demand, DJ Dan O’Dwyer will be back to head up the party and provide entertainment. We will also be announcing our 2022 Veterinary Receptionist of the Year Award winner! 

Please note: if you're booking tickets on behalf of your colleagues, dietary requirements are compulsory at the next step, so please ensure you have this information to hand before you proceed. 

For all the necessary information in regard to BVRA Congress 2022, please visit our website. 

User TypeEarly Bird Booking Expiry DateEarly Bird PriceFull Price
Member£45 + VAT
Non Member£45 + VAT
Read More