VMG Congress Main Programme
| 08.30 onwards | Main Registration | ||
| ‘Kickstart’ Early Sessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 09.30 – 10.20 | Setting up in Ballroom | CitationEmployment Law Update: What’s new in 2025? | RCVSPractice Standards Update: What’s new in 2025? |
| 10.30 – 11.00 | President’s Welcome & CVLM Awards – Ballroom | ||
| 11.00 – 11.50 | Keynote – Andy Cope, The Art of Brilliance – Ballroom | ||
| Our Purpose | Our Clients | Our Selves | |
| 12.10 – 13.00 | Workshop after keynote: “Shift Happens: Be the Change” Andy Cope, The Art of Brilliance | Using technology to enhance your clients’ experience Susie Samuel, Founder and CEO, Digital Practice | Taxes, savings, retirement, oh my! Take control of your personal finances Ruth Downs, Financial Advisor |
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Lunch | ||
| 14.00 – 15.40 | Turning dreams to reality: How to harness the power of empowerment Helen Silver-MacMahon, Being Human | Social Media Power workshop (bring your laptop/tablet!) Liz Daniels, Custard PR | Who looks after you? How to build a support network as a veterinary leader Liz Somerville, Loch Leven Equine/VMG President |
| Part 1: Using creative self-coaching tools to reconnect with your purpose Rachel Davis & Liz Chan, The Coaching Cabin/RVC | The VMG Leadership Standards 2024: Research results and next steps Rebecca Robinson, Business Development Consultant, Vet Dynamics UK Ltd | ||
| 15.40 – 16.00 | Tea & Coffee | ||
| 16.00 – 16.50 | Part 2: Facilitating a more purposeful practice: Compassionate inquiry and coaching Rachel Davis & Liz Chan, The Coaching Cabin/RVC | Recommendations, reviews and retention: How to turn clients into raving fans! Nicola Kinnard-Comedie | Step up, step across, step out? How to plan your next career move Adrian Nelson-Pratt, Director/Careers Coach, VSGD |
| 17:00 – 18:00 | Exhibition Happy Hour | ||
| 19:00 – Late | President’s Party |
| 08.00 onwards | Walk & Talk along the river Avon Meet in the hotel foyer at 8am In need of some fresh air? Join team VMG for a friendly walk and share learnings from day 1 and plans for day 2! | Day Two Registration and Exhibition open from 8.30am | |
| Tea & Coffee | ‘Kickstart’ Early Sessions | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 08.00 – 09.00 | Walkshop/Walk & Talk Session Meet in the hotel foyer at 8am | ||
| 08.30 – 09.00 | Tea & Coffee | ||
| Our People | Our Workplaces | Our Future | |
| 09.30 – 10.20 | Engaging the disengaged: How to get the whole team on board with your project Calvin Akotuah & Oba Akinwale, Loud Speaker | Pricing with pride: How to decide what to charge for what you do Suzanne Headington, Hazlewoods Accountants | Digital transformation: Working smarter not harder Tracy Dell, NHS |
| 10.20 – 11.10 | Litigation for debtors: What happens when you’ve done all the chasing you can do? Mike Marrs & Eddie Harrison Debts4Vets/APN Group | Understanding the technology: Which AI tools can you actually use in practice? Nico Frisiani, Data Scientist/Co-Founder, Lupa | |
| 11.10 – 11.30 | Tea & Coffee | ||
| 11.30 – 13.00 | Who helps the helpers? How to support those who have a responsibility for supporting others James Russell, President, Vetlife | How to use Agile principles to optimise your work Eleanor Gibson, Innovation and Agile Coach, Tilt | Panel: How can we communicate value to our clients? Miles Russell, VMG President/PM, George Vet Group (chair) Jaime Kiem, Senior Vice President, BVRA Suzanne Headington, Hazlewoods Accountant Tracey Morley Jewkes, Management Consultant |
| Thriving not just surviving: How to collaborate and delegate Tracy Dell, Group Practice Manager, Cleckheaton GPs/NHS | |||
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Lunch | ||
| 14.00 – 14.50 | The power of happiness: Finding joy at work Helen Silver-MacMahon, Being Human | The secrets of 60% uptake: How to build world class health plans with passion and purpose Tracey Morley Jewkes, Veterinary Management Consultant | Getting it done: Turning ideas into plans, & plans into actions Gemma Barmby, VMG/Vet Dynamics |
| 14.50 – 15.40 | The future of team-based veterinary healthcare Julie Dugmore and Jill MacDonald, Director of Vet Nursing/VN Futures Project Lead, RCVS | ||
| 16.00 | Congress Close | ||
| 08.30 onwards | Main Registration | ||
| 09.30 – 10.20 | |||
| 10.30 – 11.00 | President’s Welcome & CVLM Awards Rebecca Robinson – Ballroom | ||
| 11.00 – 11.50 | Calvin Akotuah, Loud Speaker – Ballroom | ||
| 11.50 – 12.10 | Tea & Coffee | ||
| Discovering Opportunities | Building Foundations | Expanding Horizons | |
| Finding practical solutions | Understanding good leadership and management | Tackling complex leadership challenges | |
| 12.10 – 13.00 | WORKSHOP Practical storytelling masterclass Calvin Akotuah, Loud Speaker | Retirement, savings, investments, oh my! Personal finance 101Ruth Downs, Financial Advisor | Harnessing Motivation to tackle StagnationOrly Simkin, Executive Coach |
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Lunch | ||
| 14.00 – 14.45 | WORKSHOP Reasonable Adjustments for recruitment and retention (Disability & Chronic Illness Report) Angharad Belcher, RCVS Gurpreet Gill, RCVS Claire Hodgson, BVCIS | Employment Contracts 101 Citation | Tackling illegal activities in your practiceRowena Packer, RVC Zoe Belshaw, Notts Vet School |
| 14.45 – 15.40 | Tackling compassion fatigue and burnout James Russell, Vetlife | ||
| 15.40 – 16.00 | Tea & Coffee | ||
| 16.00 – 16.50 | PANEL State of UK Veterinary Leadership Report 2025 Chair: Rebecca Robinson, VMG | Neurodivergence, anxiety and communication for senior leadersHelen Allwood and Daniel Keating-Roberts, The Vet Project | |
| 17:00 – 18:00 | Exhibition Happy Hour | ||
| President’s Party |
| 08.00 – 09.00 | Walk & Talk along the river AvonMeet in the hotel foyer at 8am In need of some fresh air? Join team VMG for a friendly walk and share learnings from day 1 and plans for day 2! | Day Two Registration and Exhibition open from 8.30am | |
| Tea & Coffee from 8.30am | |||
| Discovering Opportunities | Building Foundations | Expanding Horizons | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finding practical solutions | Understanding good leadership and management | Tackling complex leadership challenges | |
| 09.30 – 10.15 | WORKSHOP:Leadership Reboot: cultivating brilliant internal relationships Jonathan Peach, Art of Brilliance | Great Workplaces: Recognition for your practice as a great place to work BVA | Enhancing your services: The business value of veterinary social work Hamish Morrin, Vet Values Rebecca Robinson, VMG |
| 10.20 – 11.10 | Neurodivergence, anxiety and communication for new leaders Helen Allwood and Daniel Keating-Roberts, The Vet Project | Emotional safety: Why managing our patients’ fear, anxiety and stress is good for everyoneKatrin Jahn, Trinity Behaviour | |
| 11.10 – 11.30 | Tea & Coffee | ||
| 11.30 – 12.10 | WORKSHOPNavigating challenging conversations Navigating challenging conversations | Looking to the Future: Where can you find growth in your established practice? Tracey Morley Jewkes, Vetpreneur | |
| 12.15 – 13.00 | Tackling loneliness among leaders Rebecca Robinson, VMG/Vet Dynamics | ||
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Lunch | ||
| 14.00 – 14.45 | |||
| 14.50 – 15.40 | |||
| We wish you all a safe journey home – see you next year! | |||
