2005 International Ferret Symposium®

April 29-May 1, 2005 • St. Louis, MO

Sponsored by

The International Ferret Congress is pleased to announce the 2005 International Ferret Symposium® will be held April 29th - May 1st in St. Louis, Missouri at the Hilton St. Louis Airport.  We are looking forward to another information-packed, fun-filled weekend for ferret lovers. Register now and Meet Us in St. Louis, the Gateway to the West, for a ferret adventure you'll never forget!

The Symposium will again feature a Friday "Vet Day" with some of the best ferret Veterinarians in the country, including Dr. Bruce Williams; Dr. Karen Purcell, author of Essentials of Ferrets: A Guide for Practitioners; Dr. Tom Kawasaki; and Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald of "Emergency Vets". The next two days will feature an additional line-up of speakers, with Troy Lynn Eckart on Dealing with Grief, Chris Matlick on Ferret Lost and Found, Travis Livieri of Prairie Wildlife Research on black footed ferrets, Shirley Hewett on Ferrets Down-Under, Bob Church, Jeanne Carley on how she creates The Ferret Calendar, Dr. Sandra Kudrak on USDA regulations for ferrets and Lisa Leidig on Disaster Preparedness. We also have a number of fun events scheduled, like the new ELF raffle, reception with Celebrity Auction and much more. Prepare to be surprised! (Speakers and topics subject to change.)

The Regional Coordinator for your area can assist with ride or room sharing and help spread the word.

Volunteers needed: If you live in the St. Louis area and are interested in helping out, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Fran Prager. We also need volunteers for setup, registration and raffle ticket sales.

Order your Symposium shirt today!

We are pleased to announce that Bob Church will be our moderator for the 2005 Symposium!

Tentative Schedule (Schedule and speakers subject to change.)
Friday April 29 Vet Day
7:30 am Registration Opens
8 am Continental Breakfast
9 am Morning Sessions: Dr. Karen Purcell, Dr. Tom Kawasaki,shopping
Noon Buffet Lunch, shopping
1 pm Afternoon Sessions: Dr. Bruce Williams, Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, Q&A with all vets, shopping, raffles (estimated ending time 5:30 pm)

Saturday April 30
8 am Continental Breakfast
9 am Morning Sessions: Dr. Sandra Kudrak, Shirley Hewett, Chris Matlick, shopping
Noon Buffet Lunch with Table Topics, shopping
1 pm Afternoon Sessions: Lisa Leidig, Troy Lynn Eckart, Jeanne Carley, shopping, raffles (estimated ending time 5:30 pm)
8 pm Reception with Celebrity Auction hosted by Bill Gruber

Sunday May 1
8 am Continental Breakfast
9 am Morning Sessions: Travis Livieri, Bob Church
1 pm Trip to St. Louis Zoo

Passes and Fees
1 Day Pass (Friday only) includes all Friday sessions, continental breakfast and lunch.
Fee: $85 if paid by April 1, $95 if paid April 2-18.

3 Day Pass includes all sessions, continental breakfast and lunch on Friday and Saturday, continental breakfast on Sunday, and Saturday evening reception. (Zoo trip may require an additional fee for transportation; zoo admission is free. Details will be posted when available.)
Fee: $165 if paid by April 1, $180 if paid April 2-18.

Hotel Information
The Symposium will be held at the Hilton St. Louis Airport, 10330 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO 63134, 314-426-5500, fax 314-426-3429. You must make your reservations directly with the hotel. No internet reservations for this weekend! Be sure to mention the Symposium for best rates.

A special rate of $85 for single or double rooms is available for the evenings of April 28 - May 1. Only a limited number of rooms are available at that rate.

Airport, Shuttle and General St. Louis Information

Registration Forms
Registration form in Microsoft Word format.
Registration form in PDF format.

Vendor registration is now closed. Please contact Brenda Johnson if you wish to be put on our waiting list.

Flyers for Distribution
Print out a flyer to take to your vet, club, shelter or pet store.
Flyer in Microsoft Word format.
Flyer in PDF format.

Cancellation Policies
All cancellations received by April 1, 2005 will be subject to a $20 processing fee which will be deducted from any refund. Cancellations from April 2 to April 24 will be subject to a 35% cancellation fee. No refunds will be issued after April 24 as catering commitments must be finalized at that time.

Room cancellations must be made directly with the Hilton. Contact them for cancellation policies.

Respect for Others
The purpose of this Symposium is to learn and engage in constructive discussions. We expect there may be disagreements on some issues, but we ask that people show respect for each other and for differing viewpoints. Anyone who cannot maintain civility will be asked to leave and no refund will be issued.

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