NAVC spotlights 2026 CE calendar beyond VMX

NAVC is extending the post-VMX 2026 conversation into a year-round education push, using Today’s Veterinary Practice to spotlight upcoming programs that include a free VetFolio webinar on reptilian CPR and HiVE, its continuing education event series for veterinary support staff. The announcement lands as NAVC continues to position itself not just as the organizer of VMX, but as a broader education platform spanning live conferences, online CE, certifications, and media. (todaysveterinarypractice.com)

That strategy follows a busy start to the year. In its own recap of VMX 2026, NAVC said the January meeting had nearly 29,000 attendees and emphasized that the event’s influence would continue through future programming, with registration already open for VMX 2027. On its event calendar, NAVC is now steering audiences toward a fuller 2026 schedule, including SkillShop in Orlando on May 24-28, HiVE South in San Antonio on May 30-31, and HiVE East in Charlotte on August 1-2. (navc.com)

The underlying story is that NAVC is building a more distributed CE ecosystem. Its event calendar promotes in-person, virtual, and interactive learning under one umbrella, while VetFolio serves as the digital arm with webinars, on-demand CE, podcasts, and certificate programs. NAVC says VetFolio now includes more than 500 hours of CE content, and its help materials note that certificates for live webinars are automatically added to learners’ dashboards within three business days. (navc.com)

HiVE is a key part of that model because it targets groups that often get less tailored conference programming. NAVC describes HiVE as designed for veterinary nurses, technicians, and practice management staff, and says the events are meant to support “vital—and often under recognized” members of the veterinary community. The current HiVE page lists 2026 regional events, while prior Today’s Veterinary Practice coverage of HiVE West said the format is built around smaller audiences, lower registration prices, manageable schedules, and RACE-approved CE. That earlier coverage also tied the concept directly to hospital productivity, retention, and professional revitalization. (navc.com)

There’s also a workforce angle behind the calendar item. HiVE West’s featured sessions in 2025 included hiring during a veterinary technician shortage, leadership development, and accountability in management, suggesting NAVC sees support-staff education as both a clinical and operational issue. That aligns with broader industry conversations coming out of VMX 2026, where outside commentary highlighted education, experience design, and responsible AI as prominent themes shaping the profession’s next phase. (todaysveterinarypractice.com)

Expert reaction in the traditional sense was limited in the available source material, but NAVC’s speaker lineup and event framing point to a deliberate emphasis on team utilization and leadership development. The HiVE faculty roster includes leaders such as Alyssa Mages, CVT, and Susie Crockett, BS, CVPM, both of whom have backgrounds in technician development, management training, and workforce advocacy. That doesn’t amount to an independent endorsement, but it does reinforce the direction of travel: more CE built around the realities of team-based practice, not just doctor-facing clinical updates. (navc.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is a reminder that CE planning is becoming more modular and role-specific. Practices under staffing pressure may find more value in sending technicians, nurses, assistants, and managers to shorter, lower-cost programs that directly address utilization, culture, and workflow, rather than relying only on large annual conferences. For clinics trying to improve retention and broaden team capability, NAVC’s calendar suggests the market for support-staff-focused education is getting more structured, and more visible. (todaysveterinarypractice.com)

What to watch: The next signal will be whether NAVC’s smaller 2026 programs gain traction as standalone destinations, and whether future programming keeps leaning into technician empowerment, practice operations, and hybrid delivery ahead of VMX 2027 on January 16-20, 2027, in Orlando. (navc.com)