From buzz to business

The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) isn’t just another professional organisation – it’s a vibrant community dedicated to supporting the development, well-being and success of veterinary practitioners and business owners across the UK.

Whether you’re looking for valuable resources, fresh ideas, or new connections, SPVS has your back. But nothing quite encapsulates the spirit of SPVS like the annual SPVS Congress – an event that’s all about learning, sharing, and connecting with fellow vet professionals. It’s where education meets inspiration, and networking turns into lasting collaboration.

Open to all

Don’t let the name fool you, though, SPVS membership is open to all members of the veterinary profession, from administrative and management teams, to nurses, technicians and vets. It’s a perfect congress to bring your team along to, with streams to suit a diverse range of business agendas.

The SPVS Congress 2025 kicked off with a bang, thanks to inspiring keynote speaker Cassie Leonard, who flew in all the way from the US.

Cassie – an aerospace engineer, bestselling author and dedicated working parent – brought 18 years of leadership and executive coaching experience to the stage. Her keynote was a powerful and thought-provoking one, perfectly aligning with the congress theme this year, “Connect, Collaborate, Progress”.

Cassie gave the audience permission to define success on their own terms, encouraging everyone to break free from traditional expectations and embrace their unique path. She also set a fun and impactful challenge for the attendees: to make three authentic and meaningful connections during the event. Throughout the congress, excited conversations could be heard everywhere, with people sharing how they’d already made their connections. Cassie’s powerful message and challenge set the scene for the rest of the conference, making it a memorable start that inspired collaboration and engagement.

Incoming president

This message was later reiterated by incoming president, Ami Sawran, who highlighted the importance of fostering and relying on support networks in and outside of the professional realms. She emphasised the importance of expanding opportunities to up-and-coming team members that can bolster existing leaders, and provide succession opportunities within businesses.

Expanding the SPVS membership to a more diverse group of aspiring and current leaders, regardless of their clinical experience, is a priority for Ami, who also welcomed the addition of a large animal stream across the event, allowing the specific challenges of ambulatory and business-to-business veterinary practice to be addressed.

A particular highlight included talks aimed at fostering financial literacy in all of the practice teams. Touching on the vital and now almost ubiquitous nature evidence-based medicine, Ami also pointed out the need to focus on evidence-based management – with team dynamics feeding into almost every facet of practice, including well-being, recruitment and retention, it is important to consider whether your CPD budget is best spent on honing clinical techniques or learning more about communication and how to improve interpersonal connections that keep teams in practice.

And the connection didn’t stop there. The congress introduced the Business Club Live (BC Live) session for the first time, and it was an absolute hit. Think of it as networking, but with a twist – 38 group tables, each hosted by a sponsor or exhibitor, and each table focused on a specific topic. The goal? To create a relaxed, interactive space where attendees could share ideas, problems, and solutions, but primarily to support one another.

No stiff, formal presentations here – just real, honest conversations about what’s working (and what’s not) in the world of veterinary business.

Hands-on vibe

The feedback? Through the roof. Attendees and hosts alike loved the engaging, hands-on vibe having come away with tangible solutions to their challenges in practice. Many were already brainstorming and feeding back to the SPVS board on how to make BC Live even better next year. It wasn’t just about meeting people; it was about deepening connections and leaving the conference not just with business cards, but real, actionable insights. Not only did BC Live foster new networks, but also new talent – 47 facilitators were showcased across the event with 32 being new to SPVS.

It was a priority for SPVS Congress 2025 to offer a diversity of thought, with opportunities for seasoned consultants and first-opinion practitioners to share their wisdom based on their wealth of experience alongside new contributors. Congress did just that, as new voices were heard across the whole programme; of 72 excellent speakers, 48 were first-time contributors, 60% of whom were women.

Providing a platform for new talent with fresh insight was a true honour, and interweaving the ideas of industry disruptors, experienced practitioners and novel innovators, is precisely what the profession needs to continue its evolution alongside constantly emerging challenges.

The “Grow Your Business” session on Saturday brought together a wealth of experience from consultants and successful practitioners who have built thriving practices. The key takeaway from the day was clear: the foundation of a successful practice lies in establishing a strong set of values and fostering empathetic leadership that inspires teams to provide exceptional client experiences.

During a dynamic panel discussion, participants were prompted to identify the “big boulders” they encountered while setting up their businesses. The panel unanimously acknowledged that the primary challenges stem from people management, navigating growth, cash flow issues, and differentiating their services in a competitive landscape.

SPVS wasn’t just a success for the delegates either; with a high percentage of attendees being practice owners or directors, it gave exhibitors multiple, valuable opportunities to connect with practice decision-makers.

SPVS Congress will be returning to Birmingham in 2026.

• Appeared in Vet Times (2025), Volume 55, Issue 8, Pages 12-14