Targeting US veterinary clinics and pet industry businesses? Conferences are where the industry meets.

The veterinary and pet industry runs on two tracks: clinical veterinary conferences where vets and technicians earn CE credits, and pet trade shows for retailers and manufacturers. The 2026 calendar spans both, from 10,000+ attendee events like VMX and SuperZoo to focused regional gatherings. Different buyer profiles at each: practice owners at clinical events, product buyers at trade shows, single-location clinics vs multi-location groups.

Here's our list of the top 10 veterinary conferences 2026 and pet industry events with attendee counts, dates, locations, and who each one is best for.

VMX (Veterinary Meeting & Expo)

Location: Orlando, FL

Dates: January 16-20, 2026

Purpose: Training / Certification

Attendee Count: 10,000+

Website: https://navc.com/vmx-event/

Largest veterinary conference in the world, hosted by the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC). 1,000+ hours of CE across clinical tracks, wet labs, team training, and practice management. Expo hall with hundreds of exhibitors in diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and practice technology.

Why attend VMX: 10,000+ veterinary professionals. Five days in Orlando. Biggest concentration of practice owners and decision-makers at any single event. Best for anyone selling into clinics, animal hospitals, or companion animal care.

Western Veterinary Conference (WVC)

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Dates: February 15-18, 2026

Purpose: Training / Certification

Attendee Count: 10,000+

Website: https://www.viticusgroup.org/wvc-conference

Second-largest veterinary conference in North America. Hundreds of hours of CE, hands-on labs at the Viticus Center, 500,000-square-foot exhibit hall with 500+ exhibitors. Higher concentration of practice owners and decision-makers relative to its size.

Why attend WVC: 10,000+ attendees. Four days in Las Vegas. Hands-on labs at an off-site training facility set it apart. Best for veterinary SaaS, equipment manufacturers, and pharma companies targeting practice owners who make purchasing decisions.

Midwest Veterinary Conference (MVC)

Location: Columbus, OH

Dates: February 26-28, 2026

Purpose: Training / Certification

Attendee Count: 5,000-10,000

Website: https://www.mvcinfo.org/

Hosted by the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association. 200+ sessions, 6,000+ attendees, proximity to the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine. Affordable pricing and a team-friendly format for clinics sending multiple staff.

Why attend MVC: 5,000-10,000 attendees from the Midwest. Three days in Columbus. Lower booth costs than VMX or WVC. Best for companies targeting mid-market veterinary practices in the Midwest or looking for a lower-cost alternative to the biggest events.

Global Pet Expo

Location: Orlando, FL

Dates: March 25-27, 2026

Purpose: Growth / Revenue

Attendee Count: 10,000+

Website: https://globalpetexpo.org/

Largest annual pet trade show in North America, organized by the American Pet Products Association (APPA). Trade-only: 10,000+ pet product buyers, retailers, distributors, and manufacturers. 500+ exhibitors, thousands of new product launches across pet food, treats, toys, health, and technology.

Why attend Global Pet Expo: 10,000+ qualified buyers. Three days in Orlando. Trade-only means every attendee is a decision-maker. Best for pet product companies, pet tech startups, distribution, and anyone selling into pet retail or e-commerce.

ACVIM Forum

Location: Seattle, WA

Dates: June 11-13, 2026

Purpose: Training / Certification

Attendee Count: 2,000-5,000

Website: https://www.acvim.org/acvim-forum-2026

The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum. Sessions in cardiology, neurology, nutrition, oncology, large- and small-animal internal medicine. 600+ sessions and abstract presentations. Attendees skew toward referral hospitals and academic institutions.

Why attend ACVIM: 2,000-5,000 specialist-level vets. Three days in Seattle. Referral and specialty hospital attendees with higher revenue per practice. Best for companies selling advanced diagnostics, specialty pharma, or practice management tools for multi-doctor specialty hospitals.

AVMA Convention

Location: Anaheim, CA

Dates: July 10-14, 2026

Purpose: Training / Certification

Attendee Count: 5,000-10,000

Website: https://www.avma.org/events/avma-convention

The profession's flagship institutional event, rotating cities each year. Clinical tracks, practice management, technician education, policy. 5,000-10,000 attendees across five days, from solo practitioners to corporate group leaders.

Why attend AVMA: Broadest cross-section of the veterinary profession at any single event. Five days in Anaheim. Strong practice management programming alongside clinical content. Best for companies needing exposure across general practice, specialty, and corporate vet audiences.

SuperZoo

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Dates: August 12-14, 2026

Purpose: Growth / Revenue

Attendee Count: 10,000+

Website: https://www.superzoo.org/

North America's largest pet retail trade event, produced by the World Pet Association since 1950. 350,000-square-foot show floor, 1,200+ exhibitors, 1,100+ new product debuts, 60+ education sessions. New for 2026: partnership with US Vet Shows adding accredited veterinary CE.

Why attend SuperZoo: 22,000+ pet professionals including retailers, groomers, vets, and distributors. Three days in Las Vegas. Best venue for pet product launches. Best for pet brands, pet tech, grooming suppliers, and anyone targeting pet retail.

WVC Nashville

Location: Nashville, TN

Dates: August 15-18, 2026

Purpose: Training / Certification

Attendee Count: 10,000+

Website: https://www.viticusgroup.org/wvc-nashville

For the first time, the WVC veterinary conference is running outside Las Vegas. Viticus Group is opening an Education Center in Nashville with hands-on training in ultrasound, dentistry, and surgery. Same CE, workshops, and networking as the Las Vegas event.

Why attend WVC Nashville: 10,000+ expected attendees. Four days in Nashville. First-year event, early-mover advantage for exhibitors before booth prices go up. Best for companies targeting Southeast and Mid-Atlantic practices or doubling WVC presence across both locations.

IVECCS (International Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Symposium)

Location: Savannah, GA

Dates: September 14-17, 2026

Purpose: Training / Certification

Attendee Count: 2,000-5,000

Website: https://iveccs.org/

Top event for veterinary emergency and critical care. 40+ hours of CE focused on emergency medicine. ER veterinarians, criticalists, and vet tech specialists. Exhibit hall focused on monitoring equipment, fluid therapy, point-of-care diagnostics.

Why attend IVECCS: 2,000-5,000 emergency and critical care specialists. Four days in Savannah. High-acuity practitioners at 24/7 hospitals. Best for companies selling emergency equipment, monitoring systems, critical care pharma, or staffing solutions for ER hospitals.

Fetch dvm360 Conferences

Location: Multiple US cities

Dates: Throughout 2026

Purpose: Training / Certification

Attendee Count: 1,000-5,000 per event

Website: https://www.dvm360events.com/

Multi-city veterinary conference series. 2026 circuit: Charlotte (March), Nashville (May), Kansas City (August), National Harbor (September), Long Beach (December). Clinical, management, and wellness education for vets, technicians, and practice managers.

Why attend Fetch: 1,000-5,000 attendees per city across 5+ locations. Two- to three-day formats. Lower cost per event. Best for geographic coverage across multiple US markets or testing conference strategy before committing to VMX or WVC-sized spend.

Download the complete US veterinary & pet industry conference list

Get the full 2026 conference calendar with dates, locations, attendee counts, and strategic recommendations for every major veterinary and pet industry event.

What's inside: 140+ events with all dates and locations, clinical CE vs. pet trade show breakdown, exhibitor priority tiers (A through D), attendee count comparisons, geographic coverage by US region, pre-event outreach email templates, and post-conference follow-up sequences.

Download the complete list