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Advocacy in Action

Exploring a city full of expectations

During most travel, especially business travel, you should have expectations. At the AASV Annual Meeting, for example, you should expect events to facilitate networking among veterinarians and students. You should expect celebrations to recognize the achievements of colleagues. You should expect to learn about tried, true, and new products and technologies advancing swine health. And you should certainly expect excellent, science-based continuing education delivered by experienced speakers.

The AASV Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee met in June to develop the scientific program. This committee had many first-time participants, with only a few individuals having previously served on an AASV Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee. This group recognized what is important to the health of all pigs and what is important to any veterinarian who sees swine, and they were willing to embrace an opportunity to create a program for every size and shape of swine veterinarian. With a fresh look, this committee designed an incredible program with something for everyone that will exceed your educational expectations.

At the AASV Annual Meeting, however, you should also expect the unexpected. An unexpected question during a seminar or session could lead to a new research priority. An unplanned visit to a committee meeting could lead to a new leadership opportunity. An emergent issue discussed during another committee meeting could lead to a new passion. A new connection made with a person sitting across from you at the AASV and AASV Foundation Luncheon could lead to a new mentor/mentee relationship. A friendly hallway conversation during a refreshment break could lead to a new job opportunity. A conveniently shared Uber could lead to a life-long friendship. The unexpected connections you make could leave you feeling like part of a family.

Business travel, including traveling to the AASV Annual Meeting, is an investment. It should be about the educational content, is rarely about hassle-free travel, is only sometimes about the location, and is almost always about the people.

But if you need more convincing about the 2025 AASV Annual Meeting location, San Francisco has much to offer anyone looking to tack on a traditional tourist stop or explore hidden gems. Consider inviting one of those new connections for a quick outing or extended stay!

Not to miss – Explore Iconic San Francisco1 (distance from San Francisco Marriott Marquis)

  1. The Golden Gate Bridge – one of the seven wonders of the modern world (7 miles)
  2. Alcatraz – a famous island prison turned national park (2 miles)
  3. Cable Cars – a way to travel San Fran through time on cable cars first put into place in 1873 (.5 mile)
  4. Painted Ladies – a frequently photographed row of pastel-colored Victorian homes on the sloping Steiner Street (2.5 miles)
  5. Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 – a high-activity area showcasing food, fun, and sea lions (2.5 miles)
  6. Coit Tower – a defining tower on San Francisco’s highline (2.5 miles)
  7. Lombard Street – the beautifully manicured “crookedest street in the world” (2 miles)
  8. Chinatown – North America’s first and largest outside of Asia (1 mile)

Is mainstream not your idea of a great side activity? Are you looking for something off the beaten path?

If you enjoyed… don’t miss1

There is something for everyone at the AASV Annual Meeting, and there is something for everyone in San Francisco, too! The following are unique, obscure, and some downright weird attractions or experiences you will only find in San Francsico.2

  1. The Wave Organ – an acoustic sculpture made from reclaimed stone and concrete pipes that amplifies the sounds of the sea; the best time to visit is high-tide (4.6 miles)
  2. Presidio Pet Cemetery – a resting place for pets, military dogs, and possibly cavalry horses (5.5 miles)
  3. Aquatic Park Tombstones – a breakwater made of Gold-Rush-era tombstones, best visible in low-tide (2.5 miles)
  4. Ruins of the Sutro Baths – the remains of 1894 glass-enclosed public baths that burned in 1966 (6.5 miles)
  5. The Shipwrecks at Land’s End – a graveyard of more than 300 ships, including the SS City of Rio de Janeiro and three still visible wrecks (6.5 miles)
  6. Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze – a psychedelic and disorienting dungeon of mirrored columns (2.6 miles)

Is adventuring through San Francisco to a teahouse in Chinatown overwhelming? Is introverting more your cup of tea? You can experience all the benefits of the AASV Annual Meeting without ever leaving the hotel. Hop in a driverless taxi at the airport and avoid strangers until you find your people at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis! We look forward to welcoming you there!

Abbey Canon, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
Director of Public Health and Communications

References

1. Welcome to San Francisco. San Francisco Travel Association. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.sftravel.com

2. Unusual Attractions in San Francisco. Atlas Obscura. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/san-francisco-california