"The health and wellbeing of all our attendees is our utmost concern"
BSAVA Congress 2020 has been cancelled owning to growing concerns over Covid-19.
A statement from BSAVA CEO Amanda Stranack said: “As the situation continues to escalate, the government have given a clear steer that they expect more stringent controls to come into force in the coming weeks.
“With Congress now only a few weeks away, we want to give all our attendees as much notice as possible, both to ensure peace of mind, and to give people adequate time and flexibility to change their plans. BSAVA recognises the pressures the current situation brings to bear on the veterinary community and in making this difficult decision, has the interests of the profession first and foremost in its mind.
“We would thank all those who have worked hard over the past two years to contribute to the development of Congress, a huge amount of effort goes into preparations from BSAVA volunteers, Congress participants and our staff.”
BSAVA Congress 2020 was due to take place at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham from 2 to 5 April. This year would have marked its 30th year in the city, before its move to Manchester in 2021.
Sue Paterson, BSAVA President, said: “It is with great regret that we have made the difficult decision to cancel Congress, which has taken place annually for more than 60 years. Congress is an incredibly important event in the veterinary calendar, and we were all looking forward to an inspiring agenda and saying a fond farewell to the city that has made Congress such a great success over so many years.
“The health and wellbeing of our attendees is of utmost importance to us, and whilst we are sorry to be making this decision, we are confident it is the right one.”
She added: “Whilst we won’t be able to deliver the full Congress programme, we will be working with our speakers to capture as many lectures as we can to make content available online.”
BSAVA is currently in the process of notifying delegates, speakers, exhibitors and other service providers directly with more information and the next steps. It has stated that all delegates will be eligible for a refund of their registration fees.
BSAVA will continue to review their full programme of events and CPD as the national situation continues to develop. Updates will be shared regularly on the BSAVA website.
Eligible members of BEVA will be able to vote for their Council team until Monday, 17 August 2026. Members will have received an election email on 17 July.
