General Guidelines

Our primary goal in programming is to make sure our attendees get the maximum possible value from the time and resources they spend to experience the AVCA Annual Conference.

Attendees at the Conference are mature, licensed health professionals and most have left the classroom behind years ago. Presenters should not rely on lectures to hold the attention of attendees. With the goal of knowledge transfer, presenters should be cognizant of principles of effective adult learning:

• be practical and direct,
• encourage active participation and allow learning by doing,
• give participants time to practice new skills,
• address the gap between learning objectives and what attendees currently know,
• address recognized problems and work toward solutions, and
• use discussion and group solution techniques to engage attendees.

We are looking for well-defined programs encompassing animal chiropractic.

The presentations must be directed toward keeping the attendee apprised of advancements, new developments and review of information which is designed to build upon the basic curriculum required to practice animal chiropractic.

All subjects must pertain to animal chiropractic. AVCA approved CE is differentiated into three categories (Clinical, Scientific and Practice Management/Professional Development), each with a definition of appropriate subject matter and a set of criteria that might qualify a presenter as a subject matter expert for that category. Please review Article II Program Categories of the AVCA Standards for Continuing Animal Chiropractic Education.

Submission Evaluation Criteria

Presentation submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• content of interest to animal chiropractors and relevance to animal chiropractic,
• content offering new material rather than a review of old or previously presented material,
• the submission contains clearly defined learning objectives and measureable outcomes,
• attendees likely to change their clinical behaviors,
• content based on evidence from the literature and/or clinical experience,
• overall quality, good overall mix,
• examples of how effects are achieved,
• timeline of presentation, and
• past attendee ratings (if applicable).
• Note: Incomplete submissions will NOT be reviewed.

No Advertising

Our attendees do not expect to be faced with commercials, or infomercials for particular products, offerings, or solutions. Therefore, presentations may not be used as a sales pitch for any services, products, program, seminar, institution, practice, association or company and may not include business/corporate logos on slides. Exhibit space is available for these purposes.

If the AVCA receives a substantial number of complaints that your presentation was in any way considered commercial this will impact future speaker selection of you or anyone in your practice, institution or company.

Speaker Incentives

It is an honor to have you submit to speak at the AVCA Conference, and a privilege to present to one’s peers. AVCA does not pay an honorarium. Presenters will receive:

• complimentary basic Conference Registration (includes all lectures) for one,
• admittance to AVCA Saturday evening Social Hour,
• hotel lodging (if booked in the group block at the conference hotel) is provided the night before Speaker’s lecture/s. Please reserve your hotel room/s early. Room block normally sells out well before the conference.
• meal per diem is paid to the main presenter for day/s of lecture, and
• lunch vouchers are provided all 3 days of conference.

Presenters selected for four or more hours will receive:

• Coach class air fare (North America), booked 30 days prior to travel from your main/primary residence/home to the conference site, will be reimbursed with a dated copy of the airfare charges. Any fees that result from changes made to flight arrangements after booking will be your responsibility. If there are co-presenters, coach class airfare is paid for main presenter only. No air fare reimbursement for Speakers living within 150 miles of the conference site.

• OR

• Reimbursement for mileage expenses is at the Standard Internal Revenue rates in effect at the time of the conference. Said reimbursement is not to exceed the cost of a basic round-trip airline ticket purchased 30 days in advance from your main/primary residence/home (North America) to the conference site. There is no mileage or travel reimbursement for speakers living within 100 miles of the conference site.

• Speakers outside North America presenting 4 or more hours will receive a travel stipend.

If you wish to donate any travel expenses, per diem, etc. back to the AVCA, please note donation when you submit.

Application Requirements

Your submissions must contain the following:

1. Speaker contact information
   • Name, degree, mailing address, daytime telephone, evening telephone, fax number, mobile phone, email, website, and/or social media links.
   • Include the same contact information for any co-presenter/s.
2. Photograph (Will be published on website)
   • Passport/portrait type photo, submit electronically in .jpg format, at least 300 pixels wide and 300 dpi.
   • Optional photo/s submission of you with animal/s is encouraged.
3. Accurate Lecture/Lab Title with accurate 60 - 150-word description
   • Include relevance to animal chiropractic.
   • Title and Description CANNOT be changed or altered if lecture or lab accepted.
   • Submitter may be asked to alter or change submission to be a better fit to program or topic protocol.
4. Length of Lecture/Lab
   • Lecture hours/units are 50 minutes in length. 10 minute break required after each 50 minutes.
     • State the requested length for presentation (1 hr/unit = 50 minutes)
     • Assigned presentation hours may be more or less than requested.
   • Labs are 60 minutes in length. Horses and dogs (sometimes other species) may be available for demonstration lab and/or hands-on lab.
     • Labs may be required to have an introductory lecture.
     • If submitting for lab, list realistic number of participants you can teach at one time.
     • AVCA will set final number of participants per lab.
5. Topic Areas and Categories
   Choose topic area and category. The presentation must be directed toward keeping the attendee apprised of advancements, new developments and review of information which is designed to build upon the basic curriculum required to practice animal chiropractic.
6. Teaching Method
   Mark lecture, interactive, team based learning, problem solving, Socratic method, lab, etc.
7. Recommended audience(s) and level of your presentation
   Is there a prerequisite list for advanced courses?
8. Learning Objectives
   These objectives should address what attendees will learn as a result of attending your session and professional behaviors that will be expected to change.
9. Speaking References
   Contact names and titles, addresses, email and phone numbers of two associations, AVCA accredited programs, educational institutions, companies, or sponsors for which you have been a speaker, preferably within the last three years, as well as past course titles.
10. Speaker Biography/Curriculum Vitae
    300 word maximum.
11. Signature and Date
    Online submissions will be dated automatically and your acceptance of online policies will act as your signature.

If your submission is accepted:

• PowerPoint or visual presentation is required.
• Quality notes for publication in conference proceedings are required. Power Point outline or lecture summary will NOT be accepted.
• PowerPoint or visual presentation MUST match/follow the published Lecture Notes.
• Presenter MUST provide own laptop computer or device for visual presentation.
• Audio Visual Equipment Provided:
  1 LCD Projector, 1 Screen, 1 Podium, 1 Lavaliere Microphone.
  If presenter is co-lecturing, please note if an additional microphone is needed in the application.
• Presenter will meet all published deadlines for required information and materials.

The AVCA has the right to modify content, including session titles, session descriptions, and final presentations for association, conference, business, and marketing purposes.

I understand that if my proposal is accepted, I am required to submit quality notes (NOT a PowerPoint Outline) by published due date, and other required information by the deadlines AVCA establishes.

• Proceedings are printed in black and white. All charts, graphs, graphics will be printed in black and white.
• Document must be submitted in MSWord or Rich Text document. NO PDF documents.
• Lecture notes should be able to stand alone and not be simply your presentation slides
• Power Point Outlines or lecture summaries will NOT be accepted. However, a presenter may include copies of the slides throughout the lecture notes if they wish.
• Margins: 1 inch margins top, bottom and sides
• No headers or footers
• Title/Author: Title - Capitalize and Center (Verdana, 12 pt)
  Title must be the title submitted for Program/Promotional information
  Author - Center name and degree/s
  Speaker contact information will be published elsewhere in the proceedings
• Body: Times New Roman 11 pt., single spaced, 1 space between paragraphs
• No bold-faced type, no indentation, tabbing, or space bar for indentation
• Underlining: Minimal underlining may be used Underlining does not show up well when document is reproduced
• MSWord (or comparable program) bulleting format may be used
• References: Key references may be included. Space considerations may result in the inclusion of the following statement “References available from the author upon request.”
• Final formatting will be done in the AVCA office. Special directions may be attached
• A letter granting the AVCA permission to reprint must accompany your presentation notes if they have been previously published
• A presenter CANNOT charge for notes, handouts, or any material distributed to attendees

E-mail presentation notes to avcainfo@junct.com.

• Presentation notes will ONLY be accepted in MSWord or Rich Text format as a document attachment.
• NO PDF documents.

Notes MUST be received in the AVCA office by posted deadline.

If your submission is accepted, the Submission Guidelines and Acceptance together with the associated Speaker Application and Agreement, collectively constitute the agreement by and between the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association, referred to henceforth as the “AVCA” and the Speaker.

• This agreement in no way affects any copyright or other rights that any other party or I have in the presentation materials; I may use the materials, presentation, visual aids and any other material prepared by me for the above-mentioned presentation in any manner I desire, including publication.
• I grant the AVCA the right to reproduce and distribute the notes/proceeding materials of my session/s as part of the AVCA Conference in both paper and electronic formats, distribute the conference presentations and materials to participants of the AVCA Conference or other parties as deemed appropriate.
• I understand that electronic files, CDs, papers and illustrations will not be returned and that the AVCA has the right to modify content, including session titles, session descriptions, and final presentations for business and marketing purposes.
• I also understand presentation may NOT be used as a sales pitch for any services, products, program, seminar, institution, practice, association, company or entity and may NOT include business/corporate/organizational logos on slides.
• I will not libel or slander any other person, facility, company, organization, product, or service during my presentation.
• I understand that the views and opinions expressed at the Conference will be mine and not those of the Association.
• I agree to indemnify and hold harmless the AVCA, against any claims, losses, expenses or damages that may be incurred by the AVCA as a result of my presentation.
• I will give the AVCA ample notice if I am unable to participate in the Conference.