Going to AVA is like discovering a great vegan restaurant. And this isn’t about food. Stay with us.

It’s about the experience.

The second you leave either of these, you think to yourself, “Wow, I can’t wait to go back there again!” With the restaurant, it could have been the extensive menu that got you intrigued to return, or maybe some particular dish that you felt excited to order again. It could have been the vibe or the people the restaurant attracts.

With AVA—the conference where many incredible advocates like yourself get together in one place, at the same time—there are so many different variables at play that it’s hard to put it all in a few sentences.

This is why we decided to take it to the blog and share our excitement with you—someone who can understand the way we feel. Here’s why, right after the 2024 AVA Summit in DC, we’re already excited about AVA 2025!

Let’s get started:

1. To hype ourselves up about attending more lectures than physically possible and learn from the greats in our movement (psst… you included!)

If you’ve attended AVA before, we’re betting you’ll get this one. As you open up the newly announced program, a bittersweet feeling of defeat arises. The defeat of having one physical body, which limits you to attending only one lecture (or one event, for that matter) at a time. Dealing with this can be no joke: you truly have to zero in on your time-planning skills, so you don’t end up with any unexpected overlaps and miss out on your favorite speakers!

And if lectures aren’t really your thing, perhaps you’ve felt this way about all the people you wanted to meet and have conversations with.

Fill in the blank: “Next time at AVA, I’ll make sure to [...] more!” Does this ring a bell? It definitely does within our team!

Although most of us opened up about having goals to attend more lectures and make more connections next year, that doesn’t mean we didn’t cherish and gain a lot from our experiences at AVA 2024.

In fact, we’re always taken aback by the knowledge and wisdom shared by advocates in our space.

"AVA always leaves me feeling grateful for, and inspired by, our global community of committed activists, and there's no other space like this in the world," Jess, our Community Director at VH, found the exact words to describe it.

Regardless of the talk, workshop, or meetup, the speakers and the attendees, with experiences spanning many different fields, ultimately offered insights to their perspective that stayed with us.

“I left AVA impassioned and inspired. It was great to hear about all the amazing work everyone is doing,” added Vik, VH’s Product Design Director.

To put it simply, AVA always leaves us eager for round 2. “I can’t wait for next year’s AVA because I'll get to see people again, learn more about some of the great strides in food, clothing, and animal welfare being made in the movement,” shared Leanne, Violet’s Senior Designer.

What Leanne mentions here brings us to another great reason to be excited about AVA 2025, which is…

2. To meet the incredible people we’ve worked with, and connect with new faces

Our colleagues at Faunalytics described AVA as a big family reunion, and we couldn’t agree more. (At least in these reunions you don’t bump into that one uncle you don't remember, who always talks about knowing you since you were a baby! Or do you?) Not only that, but this family extends to new people each year.

And a great family will always offer you the help and encouragement that you might need.

To provide some in-person support, this year, we hosted a capacity-building meetup, and it was the perfect chance to learn about our inspiring colleagues’ campaigns, challenges, and ways we can help. A common denominator for our team was the feeling of mutual understanding and camaraderie in our interactions with other advocates.

As Jess pointed out, “There was a strong sense of community and a supportive environment – and seeing all of these advocates working together enhances our collective efforts and morale.”

Leanne brought up another angle to this experience, which was the comfort of knowing we all share similar experiences. “One thing that stuck with me was getting to meet people that I helped with projects in person. That was awesome! It made me feel far less isolated in my veganism,” she said. “Since this was my first year at AVA, it felt really amazing to be among other vegans. It was nice to be able to commiserate and find we all had similar experiences with family or other people in our lives not understanding.”

Akshat, our volunteer developer at VH, said something we’re sure everyone was thinking: “A little cliched perhaps, but meeting so many people I had only interacted with online felt like my LinkedIn and Instagram coming to life.” “Now, I can't wait for next year’s AVA to spend more time with the team and all the amazing people I’ve met!” he concluded.

Vik also shared his excitement: “It was so fascinating to hear from everyone, and hear about their projects. It felt great to remember how much value we can bring! Meeting the rest of the team in-person was so enjoyable too. Everyone is so sweet!"

When fighting for someone you often don’t see, for a change that might take months, years, or even lifetimes to achieve, it’s easy to get trapped in tunnel vision. As an advocate, you’ve probably experienced it at some point in your activism. However, AVA also serves as a ground to stop and look back at the impact you, and all of us together, are making, right here, right now.

Elizabeth, our Senior Designer at Violet, felt that AVA put her own work into perspective, too: “It was really gratifying to witness how our work is making a difference and helping the amazing organizations we work with to put their best foot forward in the revolutionary and counter-cultural activism movement we're all a part of.”

These connections enrich our work and our lives as fellow vegans and activists, and we consistently look forward to those experiences again. Which brings us to the top 3rd reason we’re excited about AVA 2025…

3. To witness how united, capable, and strong our movement is, time and time again

All uncle jokes aside, it’s spectacular how each AVA fills our hearts and minds with awe and inspiration, after hearing of all the different, and especially challenging work dedicated advocates like you take on each day. And you continue to not only persevere, but succeed. It is true that courage is not the lack of fear itself, but doing the thing, in spite of the fear, anyway.

That is exactly what events like AVA reaffirm about our movement, represented by advocates who accept each obstacle as yet another challenge to fight for what is right and protect those who cannot protect themselves.

"I left AVA energized by all the activists putting their hearts into a cause we all believe in and doing it in so many different ways. And reassured that the movement is as strong as it is," said James, our Executive Director at VH.

Certainly, seeing the vast array of things our movement is capable of ignites all sorts of positive reactions within us. Akshat, among other members of VH and Violet teams, felt the exact same way: “Seeing participants from different backgrounds, of different ages, and with a vast set of interests come together for the animals makes me very optimistic about the future of veganism.”

“AVA left me feeling validated, hopeful, motivated, hyped. It's a breath of fresh air to step into a conference like AVA in a non-vegan world,” Joaquín wrapped up.

And lastly, AVA not only teaches us about our movement’s strength, but also, where it stems from. It reminds us that advocates are able to go to such lengths not through burnout and never-ending sprints, but by pausing and allowing themselves rest and stillness. That strength lies in self-compassion and being in tune with one’s needs.

“It's so easy in activism to play an exhausting self-blame game and to run without stopping. I definitely left the conference knowing that it was an imperative need, not just a nice thing, that I have to explore ways to create spaces in my daily life to check in with myself, to choose rest, and ultimately to practice advocating for my needs so that my work is sustainable and doesn't tire me out!” Elizabeth beautifully summed up. “It's not selfish; it's necessary. No one can pour from an empty cup, as the saying goes,” she said.

After leaving AVA 2024, reassured in our strength and steady progress towards a kinder world, we can’t wait for next year's AVA to remark our achievements, celebrate victories, and unite against hardships once again. As James noted: “I can’t wait for AVA 2025 because I'll see how far we've come between then and now, and I know I'll be blown away!”

AVA wouldn’t be AVA if it weren’t for the stories, successes, and the drive of amazing activists like you. We can’t wait to see what next year brings, and we know without a doubt that it’s going to be incredible.

Will we see you at AFAD?

In the meantime, we’re preparing for Asia Farm Animal Day (AFAD) in Hanoi, Vietnam, organized by AVA and the AfA Farm Animal Coalition! If you haven’t decided yet if you’re attending, you can find all the info you may need about AFAD right here. Will we see you there? We sure hope so!