Insight into Attending the London Vet Show

We interviewed our Animal Health Business Manager, Samantha Culling, for an expert’s insight into the event as a whole.

What is the London Vet Show (LVS)?

The London Vet Show is a two-day exhibition and conference held in November each year for veterinary professionals. It is Europe’s largest veterinary exhibition with over 450 exhibitors and 5,700 delegates attending each year.

What do you look to get from attending the exhibition?

With the many CPDs and lectures, it is a great source of learning from a clinical perspective, but we attend because it’s a fantastic networking event and a great way for us to integrate ourselves into the animal health industry, a sector at the heart of our business. We already partner with a lot of market-leading veterinary organisations from pharmaceutical, equipment and food manufacturers to wholesalers, distributors and service providers and we love to go and visit the stands of them all, not only to say hello but also to further our knowledge of their branding and to be introduced to new company members. This is so important for us to do as we enter a partnership with our clients and like to understand their business and aspirations so that we can provide the best service to them.

Consult have a stand at the LVS so that candidates can come to us to discuss their career ambitions and clients, both existing and new, can actually meet myself and the team that support them and their businesses. We always look to add value so by being present at such a major event gives us a platform to showcase our recruitment services and provide our expertise and expert insight not only to delegates but to other exhibitors as well.

How do you organise and plan?

Plans usually start at the beginning of the year when I select our stand location and book accommodation. This year we did a prize draw so we carried out an online survey to find out what animal experience the attendees would most enjoy – Shark Diving was the clear winner so I purchased the tickets for this. We also introduced Bob the Dog to the Animal health team this year, our division mascot who got a lot of attention on stand. We like to ensure we’re seeing as many of our existing and potential clients as possible whilst we’re there, so I book meetings a month in advance to see people throughout the exhibition. I also like to have the whole team attend one of the evening events.

How have you seen the Exhibition change over the years?

It most definitely gets bigger and better. In the last few years it’s been held at the London Excel and whilst there is a huge exhibition hall, you find that people spill out into the coffee shops and surrounding hotels, having business meetings, discussing new products on the market or meeting up with friends. It is always a friendly atmosphere and that’s to be expected because it is a friendly industry and despite being a huge event, it’s small in the sense that everyone knows everyone. Each year we see new companies appearing, new technologies emerging and new ideas developing; the market is ever-evolving and it’s exciting to see!

What was the highlight for you this time?

Personally, it was seeing some of our placed candidates thrive in their roles and enjoying the exhibitions themselves, some of them for the first time! We got some great feedback from placed candidates this year and it’s great to hear they’re doing well and enjoying their roles.
This year we also had our intern, Sam join us at the exhibition, and it was great to see his passion and drive whilst we were there. He was so engaged with those visiting the stand.

What would you say to anyone thinking of attending this exhibition in the future?

Don’t hesitate, book your place now. It is one of the most valuable events in the Veterinary sector in terms of networking with industry professionals, educating yourself on the industry and having a shared passion under one roof. It’s an annual event that is always in our diaries and we can’t wait to see everybody there!