An Interview with Larry Evans

Larry R. Evans, executive producer of Summit 2013 and the 2013 Regional Conferences, has spent the past 11 years working to bring the companion animal industry together. His vision to invoke a collaborative conversation across the industry and bring thought leaders from all four sectors into one room to discuss the future of the industry was realized in 2006 with the first annual International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies. Today, Larry is directing his attention to Summit 2013 and uncovering the trends that will serve as the theme for this influential event. InfoStream caught up with Larry on the farm near Crossfield, Alberta. 

InfoStream: Larry, the delegate survey shows Summit 2012 was a huge success. What would you say was the most important element delegates took away from this annual gathering of industry leaders?  

Larry: I think my colleagues would agree that there is no one thing people will take away but instead a medley of benefits. Knowledge is certainly a key takeaway, but if you pair the knowledge with the networking opportunities and the initiatives that emerge from the Summits, you have a very strong industry with the ability to move forward and, in the words of a wise man, "Be the change that you wish to see in the world". 

InfoStream: According to delegates who attended, the conversations started at the Summit will indeed move the industry forward. But one conversation in particular emerged from Summit 2012 and shows immense promise, can you tell us a bit about that? 

Larry: Drew Van Niekerk brought up a point during the Summit Leader Panel which inspired many of the people in the room. He identified some of the barriers to owning a pet and noted people would be able to enjoy pets more if these barriers could be removed. Drew spoke about new ways of interacting with pet families, creating a more transparent industry and opening the lines of communication to develop a lifetime relationship with pet families. ‘Celebrating the Value of Pets and the Pet Experience’ is what we hope to build upon at Summit 2013.   

InfoStream: Seems like an excellent theme. So what are some of the objectives and how will this develop at Summit 2013?  

Larry: Our goal for Summit 2013 will be to identify the value pets bring to our lives, our homes, our communities and our culture. We are inviting those who can provide the scientific facts and evidence base that supports this. Other factors, like the barriers that pet families often encounter as they seek to enjoy their pet and the solutions for these barriers in our communities are likely to arise from the conversations. We hope the 2013 Regional Conferences will allow us to discover successful community strategies that we can showcase at the Summit.  Finally, I believe we may see a convergence within the industry to take on the ‘Celebration of Pet Values and Pet Experience’ as the next National Initiative.

InfoStream: Obviously, the information gathered at the Summits would benefit anyone in the four sectors of the companion animal industry. How can people access this information? 

Larry: PetLynx Corporation is now assembling the 2012-13 Urban Animal Report for distribution during the first quarter of 2013. This report will summarize the presentations, conversations and information presented at Summit 2012 and will be distributed electronically by our industry partners to each of their members.

InfoStream: We understand the 2013 Regional Conferences are going to be following a different path this year, can you explain how this is going to work? 

Larry: Yes that’s correct. We're flipping the Summit program around in 2013. Rather than using the Regional Conferences to distribute knowledge from the International Summits as we have in the past, we will use the Regional Conferences to discover issues, potential solutions, thought leaders, future thought leaders and Summit award nominees for the Summit program in the fall. I am excited about this change because it will illuminate the good efforts of those who work in the trenches and give ear to their voices in National and International Summit activities. With more local contributions and management I expect the 2013 Regional Tour will feature more representatives from each industry sector as well as those from Government and Education.

InfoStream:  We’re sure the Regional Associates and Collaborators will appreciate these changes. Our final question has to do with the Summit itself.  How are you going to ensure the right people are attracted to this annual gathering.

Larry:  In times past, balancing the delegate cohort has sometimes been a challenge. The Summit subject matter has tended to act as the principle attractant. For Summit 2013 we have announced a planned cohort of 85 thought leader delegates: 15 for each of four industry sectors; 10 commercial brand delegates; 10 academics, researchers or futurists; and, 5 future thought leaders. We expect this group can carry the industry conversations and bring forward the strategies that help us develop healthy communities for pets and people.

InfoStream: Thank you for your time Larry. We'll be very interested to hear what comes out of the 2013 Regional Conferences and Summit 2013!

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