The Executive Board approved several recommendations that will increase revenue from the AVMA Annual Convention. The fee adjustments, recommended by the Convention Management and Program Committee, are necessary to ensure the financial viability of future conventions.

Beginning with the 2004 convention, the price to rent exhibit booth space will increase by $200. The additional money generated will subsidize escalating operating costs and the price tag of a new feature, an electronic lead retrieval system that will be provided to all exhibitors. This system will allow companies to more effectively gather contact information from small cards that will be given to all primary registrants. The CMPC estimates the additional rent will raise an extra $50,000 in revenue per year.

Escalating operating costs are responsible for a $50 rise in exhibitor representative registration fees. This should increase revenue by approximately $5,000. The CMPC recommended delaying this fee until 2005, because the committee did not want to assess two cost increases in the same year.

Also beginning with the 2005 convention, all registration fees will go up $10. The CMPC estimates the change will increase revenue by $89,000. Even with this additional cost, attending the AVMA Annual Convention is considerably less expensive than attending many other annual veterinary conventions. "The pricing structure is still solidly on the low side, even with the change," said AVMA Treasurer Dr. James F. Peddie.