Seminar Programme

The British Alpaca Futurity 2009 has a line-up of five speakers who will give seminars on Alpaca Herd Health, Neonatal Care, the new British Alpaca Society genetic evaluation scheme, Fibre processing in the UK and that all important topic—marketing and selling alpacas. The lectures will take place during the day on Friday and Saturday in the Wolfson Theatre which will be clearly signed from Exhibition Hall One. You will find a booking form for the seminars on the strap on the outside of the catalogue or on the forms section of this website. Ticket price covers admission to all seminars on both days.

Keynote Speaker

Seminar title: Marketing in a Cold Climate—sales, marketing and customer satisfaction

Saturday February 28th 15:30 to 17:00

Geoff Ramm, member of the Professional Speakers Association, winner of the Shell Live Wire Young Entrepreneur of the year for South Tyneside, finalist for the Learning Skills Council Business & Enterprise Award and the Institute of Business Advisers Start-up Business Advisor of the year.

Geoff has been described as the Billy Connolly and Peter Kay of Marketing. On stage his observational style enthuses and inspires companies with ideas to market their business like never before. Sharing real life marketing stories and easy to use marketing techniques, he has helped to launch, develop and grow thousands of businesses with his unique observational insights and brand of humour. He is also the author of Marketing Takeaway. A book packed with observational hints, tips and ideas to give businesses a marketing boost. As a speaker and member of the PSA (Professional Speakers Association) Geoff has presented to organisations including Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Business Links, Chambers of Commerce and Enterprise Agencies throughout the UK and has received rave reviews from thousands of start up, and existing businesses. Geoff introduces the audience to A.I.D.A, the 6 foot marketing skeleton and demonstrates how the human body directly relates to marketing activities—this has to be seen to be believed. His goal is simple, to take AIDA around the United Kingdom, to inspire start up and existing small to medium businesses to market themselves effectively, in gaining more customers, retaining more customers and helping them to stand out from the competition.

Seminar Title: Neonatal Care and how to deal with Neonatal Emergencies

Friday February 27th 10:00 to 11:00 and 16:00 to 17:00

Claire E Whitehead BVM&S, MS, MRCVS, Diplomate ACVIM, lecturer in Camelid Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College.

I graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 1999. Thereafter I worked in a mixed and small animal practice while developing an interest in camelid work. In 2002 I moved to the US to work with David Anderson at The Ohio State University and completed a Residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine in July 2005. Llamas and alpacas formed approximately 95% of my caseload. I stayed at Ohio for another year as a clinical instructor in Camelid Medicine and Reproduction. In February 2007 I took up a position at the Royal Veterinary College near Hatfield where I am establishing a Camelid Medicine and Reproduction referral service. This is the first specialist referral service catering specifically to the camelid community in the UK. My main research interests include vitamin D metabolism, neonatology, immunology, and neurological diseases.

Seminar title: Farm Health Status—What can we do and what should we look for—covering basic parasite and preventative healthcare, bTB, BVD and BTV

Saturday February 28th 11:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 15:00

Gina Bromage MA, Vet MB, MRCVS, Veterinarian and author of Llamas and Alpacas, A Guide to Management.

Gina Bromage was born into a farming family in Essex where her parents kept dairy cattle and pigs. In 1965 the family emigrated to Western Australia where they farmed fine-woolled merino sheep. Gina returned to England in the early 1970s and read Veterinary Science at Girton College, Cambridge. After graduation she entered general practice and gained a Master of Arts degree before travelling to the USA, where she passed the National and State Board veterinary examinations and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine by the State of Maryland. She then came back to England to practise veterinary medicine. Gina’s involvement with camelids began in 1999 and she swiftly joined the British Veterinary Camelid Society and became the camelid specialist for the practice in which she worked. Gina has taken, and continues to take, every opportunity to expand her knowledge of the medicine and husbandry of these wonderful animals.

Seminar title: The Future of Alpaca Fibre and its Processing in the UK

Friday February 27th 11:30 to 12:30

John Arbon of Fibre Harvest, UK Alpaca and John Arbon Textiles

John Arbon Textiles was set up six years ago by innovative textile designer John Arbon and produces imaginative textiles made from UK harvested alpaca fibre with a number of items handmade by local craftspeople. John not only designs the majority of these textiles, but makes many of them on his much loved hand-flat Dubied knitting machine.

John incorporates the skills he has gathered from various countries across the world. He initially learnt his trade in the UK—obtaining a BSC 1st Class Honours Degree in Textiles and Apparel from De Montfort University, Leicester, then a PG Dip in Fashion and Textiles (specialising in 3-D knitwear) from Nottingham Trent University, whilst also studying Surface Design at the London College of Printing, South London. He then travelled abroad to enhance his knitwear and weaving skills in both Japan and Guatemala, before returning to the UK.

For the past eight years John has been working closely with alpaca fibre farmed in the UK and became fascinated by the luxurious yarn that it can produce. In the last two years he has, along with fellow enthusiasts, set up a privately funded company called UK Alpaca which buys UK farmed alpaca fleece and then processes it, in the UK, into fine quality hand knit and machine knit yarn.

John now uses this UK grown and manufactured yarn for his own textiles. He has developed a range of tried and tested alpaca socks especially made for John Arbon and he produces beautiful handmade alpaca garments (hats, gloves, scarves, baby bootees, ties) and a fine collection of home interior alpaca textiles (tea cosies, bags, rugs).

John Arbon Textiles is dedicated to creating a South West environmentally friendly textiles industry using alpaca and other rare breed fibres farmed in the UK. The ultimate aim is to produce a range of organic textiles from a sustainable British resource. One step in achieving this goal is already taking place with the development of a textile manufacturing centre with working museum (and registered charity) Coldharbour Mill in Uffculme, Devon, which has been at the forefront of woollen and worsted yarn manufacture for over 200 years.

Seminar title: The Argonaut Project—a new British Alpaca Society initiative to bring genetic evaluation to the British alpaca herd

Friday February 27th 14:30 to 15:30 Saturday February 28th 13:00 to 13:45

John Gaye, Board member of the British Alpaca Society

John bought his first alpacas in 1996. Alpacas of Wessex, which he set up with his business partner Michael Brooke, went on to win many supreme champions with their animals and in 2008 they sold the business. During the last 12 years John has travelled to all the main alpaca owning countries and has purchased and imported them from Canada, Australia, Peru and Chile. In addition for five years he ran a shop in Bath, Casa Alpaca, which specialised in all types of alpaca clothing.

Since retiring from alpacas John has continued as a director of the BAS and as such he has been at the forefront of setting up The Argonaut Project, which he feels will provide alpaca breeders with the very best information to help them make their breeding decisions.