ACVECC > Public > Educational Resources > ACVECC Congress 2027

Call for Speakers Proposal

Speaker Proposal Submission Guidelines

2027 ACVECC Congress - July 8-10th - Raleigh, North Carolina

For diplomates, by diplomates: connect, collaborate, catalyze

Submissions due: September 30, 2026

Decisions announced: November 23, 2026

Mission & Vision

Mission of the ACVECC Congress: An annual conference where ACVECC diplomates connect, learn, and collaborate at the specialist level, catalyzing innovations and translational partnerships that move veterinary ECC forward.

2027 theme is Community and the Future of the Criticalist: The 2027 Congress format and feel of the event will work to bring diplomates together and to represent where ACVECC is going.

What We Are Looking For

All sessions are intended for a specialist-level audience. Successful proposals will:

• Offer advanced, evidence-informed content

• Challenge current thinking

• Encourage interaction and/or

• Provide practical strategies or insights attendees can apply in clinical practice, research, education, or leadership

We welcome presenters from other specialties or fields whose expertise is relevant and who can present to a specialist-level audience.

Topics of Interest

These are suggestions. We welcome proposals with other ideas.

• Critical care cardiology

• Coagulation

• Sepsis

• Ventilation

• Dialysis

• Critical care neurology

• Nephrology

• Infectious disease and antimicrobial therapy

• Trauma

• Education or mentorship

• Practice models and challenges

• Leadership

• Team dynamics

• AI and veterinary critical care

Session Formats

Format	Length	Description
Quick Hit	25 min	The quick hit is the place for ideas that aren't finished. Bring something provisional, contested, or newly formed. For example: · An idea for a future consensus statement. · An abstract-style presentation, including preliminary or negative data. · A pathophysiology-heavy deep dive. · A description of a novel technique. · A case that changed your practice, and what you do differently now. · A single paper, read closely and argued with. · A method or tool from another field, and what it would take to bring it into ECC. · Something the field got wrong, and has moved past. · A question you can't yet answer, framed well enough that the room can attack it.
Seminar	45 min	A standard presentation with slides. Polling or other audience participation is encouraged.
Workshop	90 or 120 min	An interactive session in which participants are expected to actively discuss or work on a topic.
Panel Discussion	90 min	A group of experts led by a facilitator on a topic of interest. Maximum of 4 panelists, plus a skilled facilitator.

Note: Alternative formats (panels and workshops) do the most to bring the community theme to life, and will be viewed favorably in the applicant pool.

Submissions due: September 30, 2026

Decisions announced: November 23, 2026

Speaker Submission Scoring Rubric

#	Criterion	5 — Excellent	4	3 — Adequate	2	1 — Weak	0 — Does not meet
1	Goal & Relevance Why this, why now, why this audience	States a clear goal showing how the topic and presentation deliver specialist-level continuing education, and/or provide meaningful ways for members to connect with one another around education, research, leadership, or clinical practice.	Between Excellent and Adequate.	Goal is stated but only partially delivers on specialist-level CE or member connection.	Between Adequate and Weak.	No clear goal. Does not deliver specialist-level CE or foster member connection. Could belong at any general veterinary CE event.	Criterion not addressed.
2	Quality of Content & Evidence Base	Description demonstrates depth, accuracy, and command of the topic. Claims grounded in current evidence or clearly framed as expert opinion. Content is pitched at the specialist level.	Between Excellent and Adequate.	Content is sound but lacks depth or specificity. Evidence base is present but not well articulated. Appropriate level, but not pushing the field.	Between Adequate and Weak.	Content is superficial, inaccurate, or vague. No evidence cited or referenced. Pitched below the specialist level.	Criterion not addressed.
3	Engagement & Format Fit	Session design promotes active participation, discussion, or collaboration. Chosen format is the right match for the content. Clearly designed to create connection among attendees.	Between Excellent and Adequate.	Some interactive elements described. Format choice is reasonable but not optimized. Engagement is implied but not planned.	Between Adequate and Weak.	Passive lecture with no interactivity described. Format mismatch (e.g., a 90-min panel for a single-speaker topic). No consideration of the audience experience.	Criterion not addressed.
4	Learning Outcomes What should the learner be able to DO after this session?	Attendees will leave with something they can apply to specialist-level medicine, leadership, education, or research.	Between Excellent and Adequate.	Outcomes are reasonable but generic. Some practical application implied. Mostly aligned with the description.	Between Adequate and Weak.	Outcomes are vague or missing. No clear takeaway for attendees. Disconnect between outcomes and session content.	Criterion not addressed.
5	Speaker Expertise and/or Experience	Presenter has clear expertise or a unique perspective on the topic. Qualification to address a specialist-level audience is explicit. Panel/workshop teams are well composed.	Between Excellent and Adequate.	Presenter is qualified but not a standout choice for this topic. Limited track record but a reasonable fit. Team composition is adequate.	Between Adequate and Weak.	No evidence of expertise on this topic. Speaker background not provided or unclear. Team composition raises concerns.	Criterion not addressed.
6	Originality & Impact	Fresh perspective, new data, or a novel approach. Potential to shift practice, thinking, or collaboration.	Between Excellent and Adequate.	Familiar topic with some new angle. Incremental contribution. Useful, but not likely to change practice.	Between Adequate and Weak.	Widely available content with nothing new added. Feels recycled from other conferences. No discernible impact on the field.	Criterion not addressed.
+	Bonus (up to +2)	+2 for translational content — applies across species (large, small, exotic) and/or involves MD–DVM collaboration.

Logistics & Speaker Benefits

Dates & location. July 8–10, 2027 — Raleigh, NC. Speakers should be available to attend.

ACVECC provides all speakers with complimentary conference registration, plus hotel accommodation in a Congress room block as follows:

Your role	Hotel nights
Quick hit presenter	1
Seminar presenter	1
Panel — panelist	1
Panel — facilitator	2	Reflects the additional preparation involved in leading the session.
Workshop presenter	2	Applies to both 90- and 120-minute workshops.
More than 1 presentation	2	Presenters doing more than one presentation (any category)
Maximum of 2 nights per person. The Congress runs July 8–10, so 2 nights is the cap regardless of how many sessions you present.

What Is Not Covered

So that speakers can plan accordingly, ACVECC does not provide:

• Travel to or from Raleigh - airfare, ground transportation, etc

• Meals outside of those included in the conference program

• An honorarium or speaking fee

• Hotel nights beyond those listed above

Review Process & Timeline

All submissions undergo peer review by the ACVECC Ad Hoc Congress Planning Committee using the scoring rubric below. A minimum of two committee members will evaluate each submission.

The committee will then use rubric scores to rank submissions, while also weighing the overall balance of topics, formats, and planning feasibility across the program.

Committee members and their collaborators may submit proposals. Any submission with a declared relationship to a committee member will be routed to reviewers without that relationship. The submission form asks you to disclose.

Ad Hoc Congress Planning Committee

Annie Wayne · Bobbi Conner · Rita Hanel · Kira Epstein · Deb Silverstein · Kelly Hall · Alex Lynch