Savannah is preparing to host what organizers are calling its largest convention yet, with the International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium expected to bring 5,500 attendees to the city daily from Sept. 14-17.
The event will be held at the recently expanded Savannah Convention Center, according to a community announcement. The symposium will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, offering educational sessions, networking opportunities and exhibitions for veterinary professionals.
Convention expected to boost local economy
The event is estimated to have an economic impact of $1.37 million and generate 5,475 hotel room nights, according to the announcement. The influx of visitors is expected to benefit local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, transportation services
and retailers.
The Savannah Convention Center, which underwent an expansion in 2025, now spans 660,000 square feet. The larger facility has enabled the city to attract and accommodate bigger conventions and trade shows that were previously unattainable due to space limitations.
"IVECCS represents exactly the kind of convention the expansion was designed to accommodate," Kelvin D. Moore, senior vice president of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority and general manager for the Savannah Convention Center, said in the announcement. "Hosting the largest convention in Savannah’s history is a significant milestone for the Convention Center, but it is also a milestone for our entire community. It demonstrates that Savannah can host major national and international events while creating meaningful economic impact for local businesses."
Expanded convention center brings new opportunities
The successful acquisition of the IVECCS convention is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Visit Savannah sales team, according to Joseph Marinelli, president and CEO of Visit Savannah.
"Welcoming IVECCS to Savannah is a tremendous milestone for our community and a powerful example of what our expanded convention campus makes possible," Marinelli said in the announcement. "This achievement is also a testament to the hard work and dedication of our Visit Savannah sales team, which cultivated this business opportunity, built strong relationships with our customers, and ultimately secured this important convention for our destination."
Marinelli added that the event demonstrates Savannah's ability to compete for and successfully accommodate larger national and international meetings.
For more information about IVECCS, please visit IVECCS 2026.
This story was created by a Savannah Morning News editor with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah welcomes 5,500 guests for record convention
