Fetch Kansas City 2026 expands CE options with shorter sessions
Bottom line
Version 1
Fetch dvm360’s Kansas City conference is set for August 28–30, 2026, at the Kansas City Convention Center, with organizers promoting up to 20 continuing education credits across more than 45 learning tracks. This year’s program adds new 30-minute sessions worth 0.5 CE credits, alongside longer lectures, hands-on orthopedic labs, and keynote presentations from Brian A. Scansen on cardiology, Michael Lappin on feline infectious disease, and Michael C. Petty on artificial intelligence in pain management. The official registration page says the meeting is pending RACE approval and currently lists 17 standard CE hours, with sponsored meals bringing the total available to 20. (dvm360.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the change is less about headline CE volume than format. Shorter sessions can make it easier to sample emerging topics, build a more customized schedule, and fit education around team, clinical, and management interests in one meeting. The mix of cardiology, feline medicine, pain management, and orthopedic labs also suggests Fetch is continuing to position Kansas City as a practical, cross-disciplinary CE stop for veterinarians, technicians, and practice leaders. (dvm360.com)
What to watch: Watch for the final agenda and RACE-approval status as dvm360 continues to add faculty and sessions ahead of the late-August meeting. (registration.dvm360.com)
Version 2
Fetch dvm360 is using added scheduling flexibility as a key selling point for its Kansas City 2026 conference, which will run August 28–30 at the Kansas City Convention Center. Organizers say attendees can earn up to 20 CE credits across more than 45 learning tracks, with a new slate of 30-minute sessions designed to let veterinary professionals explore more topics in less time. (dvm360.com)
The conference builds on Fetch’s established role as one of dvm360’s regional in-person education brands, aimed at veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and practice managers. While prior Fetch meetings have emphasized broad clinical and nonclinical programming, the Kansas City 2026 event appears to be leaning especially hard into flexibility and breadth, pairing traditional lectures with hands-on labs and shorter-format sessions. The official event site also notes that the program is still being finalized, with additional faculty and sessions expected to be added. (registration.dvm360.com)
The core details are straightforward, but there’s an important nuance in the numbers. dvm360’s article highlights “up to 20” CE credits, while the registration page currently lists 17 CE hours included across the three conference days, broken out as 6 hours on Friday, 6 on Saturday, and 5 on Sunday. According to the same page, sponsored meals create the opportunity to earn additional CE, bringing the maximum total to 20. That distinction may matter for attendees comparing conferences, budgeting travel, or deciding whether the educational return justifies time away from practice. (dvm360.com)
The educational lineup includes keynote speakers Brian A. Scansen, DVM, MS, DACVIM, on cardiology, Michael Lappin, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, on feline infectious disease, and Michael C. Petty, DVM, CCRT, CVPP, CVMA, on AI in pain management. Organizers are also promoting hands-on orthopedic labs, which may appeal to clinicians looking for more applied learning rather than lecture-only CE. The Kansas City Convention Center’s event listing similarly frames the meeting as a mix of clinical, management, technician, and wellness content. (dvm360.com)
Direct outside commentary on this specific Kansas City announcement appears limited so far, which is not unusual this far ahead of a conference. Still, the structure of the program reflects a broader CE trend: more modular, role-specific education that lets attendees move between medicine, operations, and professional development. That’s an inference based on the conference format and positioning, rather than a direct claim from organizers. (registration.dvm360.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, especially those balancing staffing pressure, appointment demand, and CE requirements, format can be as important as content. Shorter 0.5-credit sessions may help attendees build more targeted itineraries, catch niche updates without committing to a full hour, and expose teams to adjacent topics they might otherwise skip. If the final program delivers on that promise, Fetch Kansas City could offer a more practical CE experience for mixed teams from the same hospital, including veterinarians, technicians, and managers. (dvm360.com)
There’s also a business angle. Conferences increasingly compete not just on speaker prestige, but on efficiency, flexibility, and tangible take-home value. A meeting that combines short sessions, hands-on labs, and broad-track programming may be better positioned to attract practices deciding how to spend limited CE dollars and limited time away from patients. For pet parents, that can translate indirectly into care teams returning with more current clinical knowledge and operational ideas that affect access, communication, and patient management. This last point is an inference from how CE typically affects practice operations and care delivery. (registration.dvm360.com)
What to watch: The main next steps are the release of the finalized agenda, confirmation of RACE approval, and any additional speaker or lab announcements before the conference opens on August 28, 2026. (registration.dvm360.com)