The Savannah Convention Center will welcome the International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium (IVECCS) this week, marking the largest convention ever hosted in Savannah and demonstrating the expanded facility’s ability to attract and accommodate larger national events.

Taking place Monday, September 14 through Thursday, September 17, IVECCS will bring approximately 5,500 attendees to Savannah each day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The four-day symposium will bring veterinary emergency and critical care professionals together for education, networking, exhibitions and professional development.

The record-setting event is among the first major examples of the expanded Savannah Convention Center delivering on its promise to position Savannah to compete for larger conventions and citywide events.

“IVECCS represents exactly the kind of convention the expansion was designed to accommodate,” said Kelvin D. Moore, Senior Vice President of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority and General Manager for the Savannah Convention Center. “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.”

Estimated Economic Impact: $1,373,055

Estimated Hotel Room Nights: 5,475

The event will generate activity throughout the destination, including hotel stays, dining, transportation, retail and other visitor spending.

The Savannah Convention Center completed its expansion in 2025, transforming the facility into a 660,000-square-foot convention campus and significantly increasing its capacity to host larger meetings, conventions and trade shows. The expansion enables Savannah to pursue events that previously could not be accommodated by the destination’s available convention space.

"Welcoming IVECCS to Savannah is a tremendous milestone for our community and a powerful example of what our expanded convention campus makes possible,” said Joseph Marinelli, President and CEO of Visit Savannah. "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.”

“As the largest convention ever hosted in Savannah, IVECCS demonstrates our ability to compete for and successfully accommodate larger national and international meetings, Marinelli said. “It will bring over 5,500 attendees to experience Savannah's renowned hospitality.”

For more information about IVECCS, please visit IVECCS 2026.