WELFARE - Annual Cornell Maddie's Shelter Medicine Conference

(aspcapro.com)

The 14th annual ASPCA Cornell Maddie's® Shelter Medicine Conference, will take place at Cornell University July 28th through 30th.

The two and a half day, four-track event provides high-quality education for animal shelter and spay & neuter professionals to improve quality of care for animals.

The four tracks are targeted at different professionals in the animal field - veterinarians, veterinary technicians, management, and staff and volunteers.

41 workshops and three special sessions - including a mock trial - will be part of the 2017 event.

Workshop topics include:

• Behavioral pharmacology
• Orthopedic surgery in a shelter setting
• Animal cruelty law (mock trial on cruelty investigation)
• Animal fighting
• Equine welfare
• Basic care of wildlife
• Basic care of reptiles
• Infectious disease outbreak
• Social media and marketing
• Humane education programs and camps
• Burnout in the animal shelter
• Customer service for social change.

Attendees interested in continuing education credits will be happy to know the entire program has been pre-approved for Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) and New York State Education Department (NYSED) continuing education credits.

Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) continuing education credits are pending.

Visit the ASPCA Professional website to learn more and to register.

FUTURE TRENDS - 5G and Beyond, Mobile Futures at MWC 2017

(Courtesy World Mobile Congress)

Last month, the 2017 Mobile World Congress met in Barcelona, Spain.

Edelman identified 5 key takeaways from the congress, including the shift from content to context marketing (enabled by immersive experiences like social live-broadcast video, 360-degree video, and both augmented and virtual reality), the growing Internet of Things, ongoing progress in digital assistants and AI, the use of “big data” for social causes, and the development of 5G.

5G is being hyped as the technology advancement that will allow everything else to leap forward.

5G could provide the bandwidth, speed, and low latency to allow smart cities to reach their potential.

It will allow IoT devices to connect quickly and effectively, reducing the lag that continues to frustrate users.

But what is 5G? Nobody’s really sure.

It’s the next generation of mobile technology, but what does that mean?

Although industry standards for 5G have not been set yet, one proposal suggests that in order to qualify as a 5G connection, most of the following criteria should be met:

• One to 10Gbps connections to end points in the field

• One millisecond end-to-end round trip delay
• 1000x bandwidth per unit area
• 10 to 100x number of connected devices
• (Perception of) 99.999 percent availability
• (Perception of) 100 percent coverage
• 90 percent reduction in network energy usage
• Up to ten-year battery life for low power, machine-type devices
  
  

TechRepublic offers a streamlined list of qualifications for 5G:

• It should be capable of delivering a 1Gbps downlink to start with and multi-gigabits in future
• Latency must be brought under one millisecond
• It should be more energy efficient than its predecessors (though there's no agreement yet on just how much more)
  
  

It will likely be 2019 or 2020 before these connections become available, and if 4G is an indication, it could take up to eight years after that to reach market saturation. (4G was introduced in 2003/2004, and reached 1 billion connections last year.)

The technological promise of 5G is real, but so are the real-world hurdles that will need to be overcome.

In the meantime, LTE continues to adapt and evolve.

Two new versions of LTE, specifically designed for IoT, were featured at the MWC. These technologies may offer solutions long before 5G is widely deployed.

Although 5G, and the LTE alternatives, present exciting futures for mobile technology, the present is also looking pretty cool.

Among the gadgets and tech unveiled at MWC was Roborace’s sleek self-driving racecar, and CEO Denis Sverdlov’s insightful argument that race tracks offers tech companies a space within which to build consumer trust by testing themselves off the streets. (Given consumer anxieties about self-driving cars, this is a wise suggestion.)

It wasn’t all gadgets, though, and that’s important.

Mobile technology impacts every aspect of modern life, and intentionally including critical goals like youth involvement, gender equity, and sustainability will only serve to benefit the industry.

MWC did a great job on each of those fronts, with YoMo (the Youth Mobile Festival that offers 10-16-year-olds an opportunities to explore potential careers in the mobile industry), the Women4Tech program that provides a platform for women in tech to showcase their work, and offers opportunities to network and share best practices for gender inclusive mobile industry workplaces, and the MWC’s long-standing engagement with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which continued this year with their augmented reality SDGs in Action app.

About Tiffany Sostar

Tiffany is a published academic, an editor with the Editors Association of Canada, an independent scholar and researcher, and a self-care and narrative coach. She is particularly interested in the intersection of technology and identity - how our tools shape our selves and change our stories, and in how the nature of work is changing as we incorporate more technology into our daily lives.

Seminars, Expos and Events - Find Them on What's Up?!

Looking for continuing education or networking opportunities, interesting summits, symposiums or trade shows?

Find them on the What’s Up?! Urban Animal Calendar.

2017 events include:

Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians Conference, March 2nd - 4th

Conference sessions cover a side variety of topics including: dentistry, anesthesia, large animal, shelter medicine, practice management, personal development and much more.

Global Pet Expo, March 22nd - 24th

Presented by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA), this is the pet industry's largest annual trade show featuring the newest, most innovative pet products on the market today.

The 2016 show featured 1,087 exhibitors, 3,218 booths and more than 3,000 new product launches. 6,170 of the most qualified pet product buyers in the industry attended the show, including an impressive number of international retailers.

Social Media Marketing World, March 22nd - 24th

Join 4,000 fellow marketers at the mega-conference designed to inspire and empower you with social media marketing ideas—brought to you by Social Media Examiner.

National Animal Welfare Conference, April 8th - 11th

It is Canada’s only animal welfare industry event that represents the entire diversity of animal welfare leaders in Canada. Whether you work with a humane society, SPCA, animal rescue, advocacy group, animal control, conservation, an academic institution or the government – or are just interested in animal welfare, the conference will arm you with the information, tools and training you need to help build a Humane Canada.

Human-Animal Interaction Conference, April 28th - 29th

This focused meeting will offer a background on enhancing and supporting family-centered humane education and therapeutic animal-assisted interventions, and will demonstrate how experiential learning in nature-based settings can be impactful for communities.

Step into Green Chimneys’ “living laboratory” and learn about the school, farm & wildlife center and residential treatment program. Meet professionals in the field and leave with inspirational and practical ideas.

National Pet Industry Trade Show, September 17th - 18th

PIJAC Canada’s largest trade show, it is the place to be to make important industry contacts from across North America. In addition to discovering the newest products and the latest technology, clients and suppliers can connect, network and participate in our special events and seminars.

Pet Professional Guild Summit, November 16th - 20th

The force free summit has three and a half days of lectures and hands-on workshops with training and behaviour experts.

There are many more events that feature animal behaviour, pet retail, the human animal bond, animal welfare, pet food and more. Visit What’s Up?! and check regularly for updates.

To have your event featured on the calendar email editor@petlynxmail.com.

DIGITAL - Mobile Strategy 2017 Conference

Mobile FirstLook: Strategy 2017 takes place in New York on January 18th.

The conference focuses on advertising, marketing, retail, commerce and media issues and opportunities expected in 2017 with mobile at its center.

With mobile becoming more important to business, it’s an opportunity to hear from speakers from Forrester Research, Dunkin’ Donuts, PetSmart, Hershey’s, Amazon, Levi Strauss, Vitamin Shoppe, Google and more.

Discussion will centre on what marketers can expect in a disrupted and even more mobile-centric marketing, retail and media environment in 2017 and what it means for retailers, brands, ad agencies, publishers, market researchers, technology platforms and service providers.

A cross-section of experts discuss strategy, tactics, results and analysis for gaining or maintaining market share in a rapidly evolving, mobile-driven market where the consumer is leading the change as much as brands.

Register here.

DIGITAL - Free Sample Class from Social Media Marketing World Conference

Social Media Marketing World, presented by Social Media Examiner, is touted as the world’s largest social media marketing conference with 4,000 attendees and over 120 of the world’s top social media pros.

The three-day event takes place in San Diego, California on March 22, 23 and 24, 2017.

Attendees can choose from over 120+ expert-led sessions and workshops covering social media tactics to content creation to social strategy.

New in 2017 is the Creator Series with over 40 sessions dedicated to vlogging, blogging, podcasts and live video.

Extensive networking is built into the event because the power of social media is, of course, the social networking opportunities it provides.

Keynotes include Turning Customers Into Life-Long Advocates in the First 100 Days with Joey Coleman, a customer advocacy consultant and coach who has worked with Hyatt Hotels, NASA and Zappos, and Michael Stelzner speaking on Social Media Marketing in 2017: What the Newest Research Reveals.

Stelzner is the founder of Social Media Examiner.

Registration includes:

• All 120+ expert-led track sessions, workshops and keynotes
• Access to the Networking Plaza
• Access and transportation to the opening-night networking party on the USS Midway aircraft carrier on Wednesday evening
• Access to the second-night party on Thursday evening
• Continental breakfast on Thursday and Friday
• Lunch on Thursday and Friday
• Recordings Pass for audio access to all sessions, workshops and keynotes for one year.

Airfare and hotel accommodations are not included in the registration fee but attendees receive the best rate at affiliated hotels.

If a trip to San Diego is not an option, virtual passes are available which give purchasers full access to recordings of every session.

Unsure if the conference is for you? Try a free sample class.

View a presentation by Mark Schaefer, author of The Tao of Twitter and The Content Code, as he discusses the biggest obstacles to social media (Return on Investment, Reach and Resources) and how to overcome them.

What's Up?! Share Events on InfoStream

Do you have an event, conference or educational opportunity you'd like to promote? Chances are, InfoStream readers are the perfect audience for it.

What's Up?! Urban Animal Calendar features a wide variety of animal industry events. You can find details about upcoming local, national and international pet industry trade shows, veterinary conferences, and animal welfare conferences. 

Share your event on InfoStream by sending the details to infostreameditor@gmail.com.

2016 OVMA Conference Preview Now Available!

The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) organizes the largest veterinary conference in Canada. The conference offers opportunities for continuing education as well as a trade show. The 2016 conference will focus on several topics including small animal and equine medicine and practice management. The conference will be held at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto on January 28-30, 2016.

The following references have been provided by the OVMA:

• 2016 Preview
• 2016 Exhibitors List

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

OSPCA 2015 Educational Conference a Success!

The Ontario SPCA and other animal welfare professionals and community representatives from across Ontario participated in the largest ever annual educational conference. The OSPCA’s 2015 Educational Conference focused on animal welfare, investigations, and leadership. This is the seventh year that the conference has run. Over 300 people attended including international speakers and dignitaries. The Ontario Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the Honourable Yasir Naqvi was also present.

Chief Inspector for the Ontario SPCA, Connie Mallory said, “We are honored to have Minister Naqvi join us at this year’s educational conference. With the annual provincial funding announced in 2014, we have made outstanding progress in the reporting of and response to animal cruelty complaints, expansion of humane education programs and increased enforcement. We thank Minister Naqvi for his active commitment to animal welfare – and we congratulate him on taking concrete action to protect marine mammals in Ontario.”

Naqvi said, “Our government is focused on making sure our pets, and all animals, are protected. The vital and valuable work the Ontario SPCA and their local affiliates do every day is a key part of those efforts. We are proud to support their efforts to ensure the welfare of animals and enforcing Ontario’s strong rules to protect animals. Our strong partnership, and our $5.5 million in annual funding, makes sure more cases of animal abuse can be reported, more animals are protected, and more animal abusers are brought to justice. We look forward to continuing to strengthen this partnership in the years to come.”

READ THE ARTICLE

Capturing the conversations of the 2014 AASAO Conference

The Association of Animal Shelter Administrators of Ontario (AASAO) is gearing up to host its annual  Conference, September 25-26, 2014.

Conference organizers are confident this year's event will be a valuable educational experience with plenty of networking opportunities. 

A quick look at this year's topics: 

•  Increasing Your Internal Capacity: Retention Methods that Work
• Employee Retention: Methods that Motivate
• Saving Lives with the ASV Guidelines - A Canadian Journey
• Partnerships & Alternative Revenue Concepts for Municipalities and Humane Societies
• Evidence-Based Approaches to Understanding Companion Animal Relinquishment and Address Cat Overpopulation 
• Does Genetics Present an Inexpensive, Non-Surgical Alternative for Sterilizing Shelter Animals 
• Rethinking the Cat Crisis - Obstacles and Opportunities 

To view the complete program, CLICK HERE!