ASSOCIATION NEWS | 2022 IN-PERSON CONFERENCE
APDT sets sights for 2022 in-person conference at Daytona Beach , Florida
For the second year in a row , the Association of Professional Dog Trainers ( APDT ) went virtual with its signature event , collaborating with the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers ( CAPDT ) for the 28th annual Education and Trade Show held Sept . 29-30 from the comfort of your couch or recliner . Attendees watched from 12 countries around the world : United States , Canada , Australia , Brazil , Germany , Israel , Japan , Mexico , The Netherlands , Russia , Singapore , United Kingdom .
In 2020 , when the global pandemic struck hard and fast , APDT was forced to make a quick decision in June , after months into the planning process for its Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky conference scheduled Oct . 21-24 . For 2021 , however , as pandemic cases continued to surge , the APDT Board of Directors decided earlier to go virtual , as well as welcoming the partnership with APDT ’ s sister organization in Canada . The joint APDT / CAPDT twoday conference was held Sept . 29-30 , which featured two keynote speakers , animal behaviorists Susan Friedman , Ph . D ., and Ken Ramirez , along with 21 session speakers for 23 session titles that covered nearly all aspects of training : Animal Learning , Human Learning , Canine Behavior , Health and Nutrition , and Business . Dr . Friedman , a psychology professor at Utah State University who has pioneered the application of Applied Behavior Analysis ( ABA ) to captive and companion animals , spoke about “ How Animals Learn : An Introduction to Behavior Analysis and Training .” Ken has been the executive vice-president for Karen Pryor Clicker Training since October 2014 . He spoke about the “ Evolution of the
Modern Trainer : A Personal Perspective ,” using his own career path to highlight what has changed in the almost five decades he has been in the business .
According to APDT Chair Mark Forrest Patrick , the virtual conference was a success with its sessions , keynote speakers , and the platform upon which it was offered , thanks to lessons learned from the first virtual conference in 2020 . " I enjoyed popping in sessions and reading the interactions between the speakers and those watching from their homes . Our trade show was quite spirited between our conference attendees and the booths with our new competition this year . But I am looking forward to meeting inperson Oct . 19-21 at Daytona Beach , Florida in 2022 ."
Those who signed up for the full virtual conference on-demand to watch at their leisure may earn 29 CEUs that are accepted by CCPDT , KSA , CBCC-KA , IAABC , KPA , and NADOI . For those who only attended the virtual conference “ live ,” as many as 11 CEUs may be earned for the two days .
Other highlights of the conference included recognizing Ken Ramirez for the 2021 APDT Lifetime Achievement Award , Erica Marshall for the 2021 Member of the Year Award , and former APDT Chair Robin Bennett for the 2021 Chair Award . On the Trade Show side , the Gamification winners were Dena Dickerson , first place for the grand prize valued at $ 800 , Michael Kuhn , second place with a prize pack valued at $ 755 , and Michelle del Carpio in third place with a prize pack valued at $ 745 .
After two years of virtual conferences , APDT is hopeful for an in-person event for its 29th annual conference set for Oct . 19-21 at Daytona Beach , Florida . Keep checking APDT . com for more information about keynote speakers , sessions , workshops and registration .
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Winter 2021 15