Event Promotional Package

The recent completion of a successful 4th Annual Southern Arizona Equine Health Symposium provides clear documentation of impact, increased learning, and intention by owners and caretakers to change/improve the health management of horses in southern Arizona. The partnership between the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and the Southern Arizona Equine Health Council has extended the reach of all organizations involved. We used multiple tactics to reach and inform all of our clientele about the annual event, since our participant demographics range from teens to a high percentages of attendees in their 60’s. The event is promoted through a variety of means: email/mailing lists from extension and veterinary clinics, flyers (Wright 90%) at local barns and feed stores, press releases (Greene, 100%), a website, and a heavy social media presence. The symposium webpage (hosted on the Arizona Cooperative Equine Extension site -Greene, 90% of content) and a Facebook page (Greene-33% and Wright-33% are administrators with one other person) are consistently maintained and updated throughout the year. Posts highlighting the year’s talks and speakers are regularly shared into large regional equine Facebook groups to drive interest. Following distribution of a press release, one of our key organizers (Dr. Ann Pearson) was interviewed on a local TV news show, the Morning Blend in 2019, and again in 2020 (with Dr. Betsy Greene). Betsy did 3 hours of media training with Dr. Pearson in both years, writing and organizing key points and getting her comfortable with the content. A key impact is the knowledge gained by our participants. When asked if they planned to make any changes to their horse’s care, they reported an average intent to change of 4.02 (1 = not likely to make a change to 5 = very likely to make a change). Reported knowledge rose by an average of 24% for all lectures. An additional positive impact includes the exposure it gives to both the UArizona Equine Extension program and the local veterinarians and farriers involved. This event has grown in attendance each year.