Western Veterinary Conference, taking a page from the communications training organization Toastmasters International, will offer a public speaking course in February. The three-day class will take place at the Oquendo Center in Las Vegas, just a few miles from the WVC convention at Mandalay Bay. The course will run Feb. 14 to 16 and will allow conference speakers and others—up to 30 people—to hone their skills. The annual veterinary conference is set for Feb. 15 to 19. “The Speaker Enhancement Series is beneficial to present and potential speakers in the veterinary industry because it focuses on training professionals to become better, more effective communicators,” said David Little, CEO of Western Veterinary Conference. “We want … speakers new to the circuit to learn and grow.” The course, titled “How to Engage an Audience, Rather Than Give a Talk,” will focus on effective communication techniques and end with critiqued individual presentations. Among the instructors are Steve Fox, DVM, MS, MBA, Ph.D.; Michael Kowaleski, DVM, Dipl. ACVS; and Paul Mitchell, DVM, Dipl. AVDC. The course also will be offered at other times throughout 2015. Registration is available at wvc.org/special-programs.
