Nutramax expands CE conference to two annual events
Bottom line
Nutramax Laboratories is expanding its “A Different Way to CE” conference from one annual event to two, after the company said the 2026 meeting drew record registration of more than 2,000 attendees. The fall meeting is scheduled for October 17–20, 2027, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, and a spring meeting will follow April 23–26, 2028, at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando. Nutramax said each conference will offer up to 20 CE credits across more than 100 sessions, along with meals, family programming, and an early-registration discount running through January 1, 2027. (nutramaxlabs.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the move signals continued investment in in-person CE at a time when competition for attention, travel budgets, and time away from practice is intense. Nutramax is betting that a family-friendly format can differentiate its event in a crowded CE market that already includes large-scale offerings such as WVC Nashville, which advertises 400-plus CE hours and 15-plus hands-on labs. More choice could help clinicians and technicians fit CE into busy schedules, but it also underscores how branded education events are becoming a bigger part of the profession’s learning ecosystem. (nutramaxlabs.com)
What to watch: Watch whether Nutramax releases speaker lineups, accreditation details, or attendance targets that show how aggressively it plans to compete for CE share in 2027 and 2028. (nutramaxlabs.com)
Nutramax Laboratories is turning its “A Different Way to CE” conference into a twice-yearly event, expanding from one annual meeting to a fall conference in Nashville and a spring conference in Orlando. The company said the change follows record registration of more than 2,000 attendees in 2026, suggesting the event has grown beyond a niche branded gathering into a larger fixture on the veterinary CE calendar. (nutramaxlabs.com)
The newly announced schedule places the fall conference at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville on October 17–20, 2027, with the spring conference set for the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando on April 23–26, 2028. Nutramax says both meetings will keep the same core formula: up to 20 CE credits, more than 100 sessions, meals included, and a family-friendly structure with a kids’ zone and entertainment. CEO Todd Henderson, DVM, framed the expansion as a response to demand from the veterinary community. (nutramaxlabs.com)
The announcement also builds on Nutramax’s broader education footprint. Beyond its own conference, the company appears regularly as a sponsor of CE programming, including on-demand courses and association events. A dvm360-hosted course sponsored by Nutramax is listed as RACE-approved, illustrating how the company has continued to invest in educational touchpoints beyond product marketing alone. That wider presence helps explain why Nutramax may see room to scale a proprietary conference brand, especially as veterinary professionals continue looking for flexible ways to earn credits. (ce.dvm360.com)
The expansion also lands in a competitive CE environment. Major conference operators are growing their own footprints, including Viticus Group’s WVC Nashville, which positions itself as a large-format event with 400-plus CE hours, 15-plus hands-on labs, and 300-plus exhibitors. NAVC’s VMX remains one of the biggest anchors in the market, with 1,200 hours of CE in its 2026 program. Against that backdrop, Nutramax is not trying to outsize the legacy conferences; instead, it appears to be differentiating on format, convenience, and family inclusion. That’s an inference based on how the company describes the event and how other conference organizers market scale and technical breadth. (viticusgroup.org)
Industry reaction in formal channels was limited at the time of writing, but the broader market context points to sustained demand for alternative CE formats. Public-facing conference materials across the sector increasingly emphasize flexibility, networking, and practical learning, not just lecture hours. Nutramax’s decision to add a second annual meeting suggests the company believes veterinary teams will respond to a model that blends education with a more manageable travel experience for professionals who are balancing credentialing requirements, staffing shortages, and family obligations. (nutramaxlabs.com)
Why it matters: For veterinarians, technicians, and practice leaders, this is another sign that CE delivery is diversifying. More conference options can make it easier for professionals to meet licensure requirements and choose formats that better fit team schedules and personal lives. At the same time, the growth of company-backed CE raises familiar questions about how practices evaluate educational value, scientific rigor, and potential commercial influence. Veterinary professionals may welcome the added access, but they’ll still want clarity on speaker rosters, topic balance, accreditation, and how educational content is separated from brand promotion. (nutramaxlabs.com)
For employers and practice managers, the practical takeaway is that CE planning may become more customizable. A conference offering 20 credits in one trip, with meals included and family accommodations built in, could appeal to some team members more than a traditional large expo. That may matter in a workforce environment where retention, burnout, and schedule flexibility remain live concerns, even if this announcement itself is primarily about event growth rather than workforce policy. (nutramaxlabs.com)
What to watch: The next signals will be whether Nutramax discloses accreditation specifics, faculty, pricing beyond the temporary 50% early-registration offer, and whether attendance continues to climb enough to support two destination events in consecutive seasons. The early discount runs from September 14, 2026, through January 1, 2027, so the pace of registrations over that window may offer the first real test of demand for the expanded model. (nutramaxlabs.com)