10/30/97

By Sam Hendrix, 844-3698 (hendrj1@vetmed.auburn.edu)

WILD KINGDOM'S JIM FOWLER TO ADDRESS VETMED CONFERENCE

AUBURN -- Jim Fowler, who for years wrestled with snakes, alligators and other critters on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom TV show, will be the keynote speaker at the 90th Annual Conference for Veterinarians hosted by Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine Nov. 7-9.

Fowler, who is helping the college's Southeastern Raptor Rehabilitation Center to generate support for a new facility, will speak on Friday morning to more than 1,000 veterinarians and veterinary students on the importance of biodiversity in the world's various habitats. His presentation will be at the AU Hotel and Conference Center, home base for most of the conference's programming.

"We are truly excited about having Jim Fowler as a keynote speaker," says Gary Beard, assistant dean for continuing education and conference. "He is known to all, and he's a world authority on so many aspects of wildlife and biodiversity. He will be a great addition to our program."

The other key speaker will be 1985 AU veterinary medicine graduate Joel Williams, who is epidemic intelligence officer with the Air Force's Biomedical Science Corps. Williams has traveled around the world investigating reported outbreaks of deadly infectious diseases, such as Ebola and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

The Auburn conference will also feature five guest speakers from other universities as well as presentations from more than 50 AU faculty members over the three days.

The conference will offer practitioners three days of continuing education courses and hands-on laboratories featuring the latest in veterinary medicine. Also scheduled are class reunions, a banquet for members of the College's Centennial Club and the presentation of Distinguished Alumni Awards, Young Achiever and El Toro Awards.

In addition to offering practicing veterinarians an opportunity to earn up to 20 hours of continuing professional education credit, Beard said he expects the conference to generate nearly $500,000 for the Auburn-Opelika economy.

Between 1,500-1,800 guests -- 1,000 or so of them Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine graduates -- are expected for the conference, which ranks as the oldest and largest of its kind sponsored solely by a veterinary school.

"Our visiting veterinarians, their spouses and families will take up around 1,200 of the county's 1,500 hotel and motel rooms for three nights," said Beard. "Our group should have almost the economic impact of a non-conference football game because so many rooms are taken by out-of town guests for three nights.

Conference attendees -- including 66 corporate exhibitors -- will spend more than $170,000 on lodging for the three nights and more than $160,000 for conference registration. Meals not included in the conference will likely generate another $50,000 or so.

Meetings such as the Annual Conference for Veterinarians make an enormous financial impact on our community, said Patricia Dakin, executive director of the Auburn/Opelika Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"Attendees not only fill many of the local hotels, but they eat in restaurants, purchase gas, buy souvenirs and touch many other aspects of the community," said Dakin.

The International Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus estimates that spending generated per day at state or local level conferences tops $149 per attendee. If that pattern holds for the veterinary conference, Auburn and Opelika could see a three-day total of more than $497,000 generated by the Annual Conference.

For more details, contact the Veterinary College's Office of Continuing Education at 334/844-3699.

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