Last year, VMX was all about the arts. This year, NAVC went all in on a theme inspired by the upcoming Winter Olympics with “World Classic: Champions of Care.” Medal and podium imagery, as well as snowy décor and settings, was all over the Orange County Convention Center for the annual veterinary conference in Orlando, Jan. 17-21. Like in 2025, NAVC set the theme, and several exhibitors ran with it, putting their own spins on ski chalet booth designs and winter sports challenges.
Exhibitors lean heavily on experiential at VMX, and a few candidly told us that veterinary industry professionals typically prefer animal interactions to human ones, so activities and giveaways are a way to draw them into booths for approachable engagement that isn’t a traditional sales pitch. We can attest to the ample guided tours, passport stamps, game shows and theater presentations hosted in-booth by enthusiastic brand ambassadors and staff. And queues wrapped around booths throughout the day.
Animals roamed the floor, too, from puppies to therapy horses. But two of our favorites were the Parisian-themed Credelio Cat Café with adoptable kittens provided by local rescue Candy’s Cats. Outside the footprint was the Cat Chat booth, where attendees could pick up an antique phone and “leave a voicemail for your favorite feline.” Goat Yoga, sponsored by Chewy Health, was one of the most sought-after events, with an instructor leading poses and attendees regularly stopping their stretches to cuddle and pet the baby goats from Oak Aged Farm that were wandering and jumping around the room. The Fitness & Wellbeing Center radiated happiness.
While these were some of the highlights, below we delve deeper into our favorite exhibits that celebrated pets and veterinary professionals with interactive approaches and fresh takes on the Olympic spirit.
BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL
Open floor plans are popular at VMX, and Banfield Pet Hospital was one of the most open footprints on the floor. No chairs, no tables; brand ambassadors and attendees roamed the space that featured tall kiosk tablets and illuminated signage to guide participants through a pet care learning journey.
COVETRUS
Marked by neon lighting details, Covetrus’ booth showed off its innovations at several stands, but its “Create with Covetrus” customization station was the star. Attendees could choose from trucker hats or small totes to personalize with patches, ranging from sequined stars to pet icons to “Dog Dad/Mom” labels.
ELANCO
Back for another year was the Zen Garden, sponsored by Elanco (a play on its Zenrelia tablets), but with a new look. Gone was the yoga studio from 2025; instead, the Zen Garden encouraged attendees to follow a stone path into the space that included a bean-bag chair and couch seating area, a fountain, benches, bushes and greenery. The peaceful garden then led to the crafting space, which hosted several sessions to make flower crowns, beaded friendship pens or bracelets during the show. While we were stringing beads together, we forgot we were in a convention center—the Zen took over.
Farther down the Inspiration Lane aisle, Elanco activated its main booth presence with several interactive zones that distributed exclusive pins upon completion of the activity. For instance, at the tru Treatery, attendees took part in “PureFil Your Bag,” in which they selected candy and then took a quiz via QR code. After showing their score to an Elanco rep, they scored a pin. “Brew Your Bliss” was our favorite. Continuing the Zen theme, The Serenity Sip offered several tea flavors—matcha, black, chamomile, ginger, yerba and rooibos—to choose from and dispense into a branded tin to “take some calm to go.”
KONG
A long line of fans waited to get into KONG’s booth, marked by its signature, oversized KONG rubber dog toy suspended above. Attendees were escorted around three stations within the booth: Exam Room, At Home and Case Study. At each, they heard from brand reps and then collected a prize at the end. Passersby enjoyed snapping photos of the American flag artwork created entirely by Kong toys.
KVP
Pet care company KVP set up a warehouse with a yellow brick façade for attendees to explore. They entered through “Receiving” and started with raw materials. KVP reps at different stations walked them through its products and services, and they collected a giveaway for following the warehouse journey before exiting through “Shipping.”
NAVC
The VMX Champions Village brought winter sports to the show floor, giving attendees the chance to test their hockey slap shot technique against a cutout goalie in the net. Then, they could head over to create their own custom gold medal pet tag. Three designs were available, and they entered their pet’s name and phone number on a tablet. After five minutes, the engraving was done. NAVC revealed on Instagram that the paw print was the No. 1 design and that Luna was the most popular name, followed by Bailey and Finn.
Lastly, pet parents could get an AI-generated, Olympic-themed sticker of their fur babies after uploading a photo. Over at the ski-themed VMX Bark & Brew lounge, attendees could visit the VMX Postcard Studio to get their own Winter Games-inspired postcard as a keepsake.
BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM
Boehringer Ingelheim’s Gard Yard also returned, but this time with a wintery spin as The Gard Yard Lodge, promoting its NexGard products. The footprint was transportive, from the log-built structures and snow-covered trees to the boot footprints and puddles on the ground. Attendees could warm themselves up at the Hot Cocoa Truck, which also offered pup cups to visiting pets, and then step into the Ski Lift photo booth. The queue was long to get a custom, screen-printed Gard Yard Lodge t-shirt made, but attendees were willing to wait to get sweater-inspired designs on their purple tees.
PRN PHARMACAL
Highlighting its Felycin-CA1 tablets, PRN Pharmacal leaned into its “Fight the Threat” slogan by making its booth a boxing ring, complete with four ropes attached to a post around certain parts of the perimeter. A Felycin-CA1-branded boxing arcade game allowed participants to throw their best punch in a knockout challenge.
ROYAL CANIN
One of the biggest booths on the floor belonged to cat and dog nutrition brand Royal Canin USA. Upon entering, attendees registered to participate in a “Spin to Win” game that required them to earn Digital Crown Coins by learning at each station. After visiting at least three stalls, they became eligible to spin a giant digital wheel for a gift, such as an apron, bag clip, camp chair, scale or measuring scoop. The high-value items were a Yeti lunchbox and Yeti tumbler. A host on the microphone kept the energy up and made the participants feel like winners as they collected their prizes and sticker sheets.
VEG ER FOR PETS
Last year, we identified bubbles as a design trend at VMX, and that continued in 2026 with VEG ER for Pets, which hung several oversized disco balls above its booth. They played into its “Find Your Beat” theme and interactive headphone experience. Egg crate acoustic foam on the walls also added to the music theming.
WUFFES
We were instantly drawn to Wuffes’ green booth, which was covered in tennis balls and grass. The canine supplement brand’s modern booth featured a wall of branded tennis balls that attendees could pick up to scan, join the Wuffes Vet Hub and then win a prize. At a personalization station, they customized tote bags with markers.
Photo credit: Juanita Chavarro Arias
Related:
- 10 Minutes With… Debra E. Smith, Conferences and Events Manager at Elanco Animal Health
- Six Ideas from a Pet-centric Event to Spice up Your Conference Expos
- Embracing a Trade Show Theme: Creative Ideas from the Exhibitors at VMX 2025
The post Goat Yoga, Cat Cafés, Zen Gardens: 11 Veterinary Exhibits that Shined at VMX 2026 appeared first on Event Marketer.
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