Zoo Story

Three associations dealing with animals follow their instincts and successfully have a combined meeting in Milwaukee.

By Lisa Rademakers

VETERINARIANS ARE OF A SPECIAL BREED. They not only care for animals, they care for people. And when 750 exotic animal veterinarians, technicians and students got together for a week-long meeting, they brought their families, including their birds, amphibians and reptiles. 

And planning for animals wasn’t the only twist to the 30th annual Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) Convention and Expo in Milwaukee, Wis.—it also marked the first time that the group combined its annual event with the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians and the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians. 

Debbie Cowen, CMP, conference director for the AAV and president of Summit Meetings Inc., has planned the AAV conference for years. When thinking about the 30th annual event, the AAV Board envisioned inviting two other groups to join its conference.

“Many of the attendees have memberships in multiple associations, and we wanted to allow them to obtain their entire exotic animal continuing education credits at one meeting. Instead of traveling to three conferences during the year, they could come to one,” Cowen said. 

At the time, about five years ago, the economy had not yet begun to falter. But as planning became more focused, Cowen realized that the conference’s location was going to be more important than ever. She needed a city that delivered more “bang for the buck.” 

Many attendees bring their families and make the conference a vacation, so Summit wanted a solution with wallet-friendly activities. 

“Each year this conference is quite challenging, because it is full of different education sessions, networking events and leisure activities,” Cowen said. “We always want a place where attendees and their families have a variety of things to do during the week. And we decided Milwaukee was perfect.” 

Cowen quickly discovered many incentives for holding the event in the “Jewel of the Great Lakes.” Milwaukee has inexpensive meal options and various free destinations, such as Lake Michigan, public parks and the MillerCoors Brewery. In the summer, Lake Michigan offers fun for the whole group, with swimming, boating, jet skiing, sailing and freshwater surfing. Plus, Milwaukee boasts miles of walking or jogging trails just steps from the heart of the city, as well as an abundant 15,000 acres of parkland. 

Meanwhile, VISIT Milwaukee was helpful in planning the conference. 

“The CVB sent out my RFP to hotels and put me in touch with the proper convention center contacts; they also offered the group a rebate to offset expenses,” Cowen said.

As part of her research and planning—and with assistance from the CVB—she made a site visit to Milwaukee. 

“This was an absolute must,” Cowen said. “Any place can look great on paper, but realistically may not work best for your group.” 

During this visit, Cowen had a chance to get a feel for Milwaukee, and Christine Celley, sales manager for VISIT Milwaukee, gained the opportunity to learn about the attendees. 

“She told me the group is like a family and they are dedicated to their work,” Celley said. “They look forward to this conference as a welcomed break. When she described how they like to get together and reconnect in small groups, I knew they would like the RiverWalk, Water Street and the Third Ward, where there are quaint cafes, bars and restaurants where people can comfortably walk in, grab a table, visit and enjoy the city at the same time.” 

With numerous reasons to hold the conference in Milwaukee, Summit Meetings Inc. had just as many reasons for choosing the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee. 

“For this conference, it is important that the hotel be a destination people want to go to for a week,” Cowen said. “We look for things within walking distance, how far the airport is and what condition the space is in.” 

While the hotel was open to accommodating 750 people, it was also open to accommodating the group’s exotic animal guests. Aaron Kraemer, senior convention service manager at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, says the staff simply added some extra steps in planning for amphibians, reptiles and birds during the educational sessions and labs. 

“We needed to lay down plastic in the meeting rooms where the animals would be,” he said. “We also stayed conscientious about which animals were in what rooms, because a bird could react to the smells from the animal previously in the room. We made sure that certain animals were spaced apart and that there was a comfortable way to move the animals around.” 

In addition to managing the needs of particular species, Kraemer says it was important to keep the staff and other guests away from the animals. 

“We made sure the staff was well aware of where the animals were located,” he said. “We also had to be on hand if anything happened and stay on top of things to accommodate any needs right away.” 

In the end, Kraemer says things went smoothly—for the animals and for the people.

“Sometimes you have hiccups, because one group is used to this and another group is used to that, but this went very well.”

Cowen says she was pleasantly surprised by the the attendance and profit numbers. 

“I attribute much of that to the fact that attendees could come to one conference and earn continuing education credits in different categories, the planning by the committees and the location,” she said. “Originally, Milwaukee wasn’t on my radar, but I sure am glad it is now. I plan to take more clients to Milwaukee who are looking for a great value, easy access, a fun city and honest and kind Midwestern people.” One+

LISA RADEMAKERS is a freelance writer based in Maryland. 

Fun Facts
• The Algonkian Indians had a special name for the Milwaukee area: Millioki, which means “gathering place by the waters.” The Indians may have picked the name because they observed how the Menomonee, Kinnickinnic and Milwaukee rivers met before flowing into Lake Michigan.
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Milwaukee is home to the world's largest music festival. Summerfest is an 11-day event featuring 10 stages and a 23,000-seat amphitheater.

Transportation Tips
• Milwaukee’s downtown trolley offers free service with several loops connecting hotels, attractions, shopping districts and festival grounds during the summer.
• General Mitchell International Airport, Wisconsin’s largest airport, has 13 airlines offering roughly 235 daily departures and arrivals with approximately 90 cities served nonstop or direct.
• Amtrak offers daily departures to Chicago—just one hour and 20 minutes away—from the Milwaukee Intermodal Station.

What’s New in Milwaukee
• Milwaukee’s Potawatomi Bingo Casino recently unveiled a US$240 million expansion project including two new restaurants, a food court, a lounge/bar area and an additional 1,500 slot machines.
• A recent renovation has transformed a 100-year-old warehouse into a modern, 102-room boutique called the Iron Horse Hotel. Opened in 2008, the hotel is geared toward business and leisure travelers and motorcycle enthusiasts.
• The Hyatt Regency Milwaukee just completed a more than $19 million facelift with fully renovated guest rooms, an elevator modernization, a new front entrance and guest registration desk and a new first-floor restaurant and lounge.