AR2007 TESTIMONIALS

"Due to a variety of reasons, I found myself enjoying AR2007 even more than I did the previous three.  One of the reasons is that the networking is cumulative, and expands with every passing year.  All the people I meet are the most enlightened of our societies, and high quality participants make a high quality conference.  Being a Canadian, I now truly feel the sense of belonging as an integral part of the American AR movement, and the AR conference has played no small part in this integration." - Anthony Marr, HOPE-CARE Foundation

"I just wanted to say thank you again for inviting me to be a part of AR2007. I met some amazing new activists and left reinvigorated, which is always the strongest point, for me personally, about the conferences. I'm sure the conference was quite stressful for the organizers, but it ran very smoothly, and you all did an excellent job." - Will Potter, Green is the New Red

"I appreciate this conference, it's my high point of the year each year,
and I always enjoy it thoroughly." - Tammy Grimes, Dogs Deserve Better

"Thank you very much Alex for holding such an amazing space for everyone in the movement, from one end to the other, to come together and share experiences, ideals and make plans for action. I was honored to be a part of something that went beyond personalities and politics, where the animals that we are all here to defend and guard from harm came first!" - Kari Bagnall, Jungle Friends

"Thank you for a wonderful conference. I appreciated everything about it. After the session on Engaging Youth, 3-4 people came up to speak with me about the course that I teach on Animals and Ethics.  I was able to give them some help on how to go about getting such a course approved by a Philosophy Department at their local college or university." - George Matejka, Ursuline College

"I am grateful and honored for the privilege to be a part of something so important to our society and culture.  I want to thank you for putting on such an amazing event, and for changing our earth, and please count me in for next year." - Cheri Thompson, Healing Species

"Thank you for inviting me to be a part of AR2007.  It was my second Los Angeles conference and next year I would like to attend and help in Washington, DC as well.  It is really special being an integral part of the AR movement and the people I met were awesome.  I learned a lot to help further my animal rescue work." - Share Bond, Author of "An Earth Divided"

"This is the first AR Conference I've attended and I can't begin to thank you for the tremendous job you did in organizing this great conference. From the perspective of an exhibitor and speaker, I must applaud you for all your hard work because everything was so well organized and went so smoothly. For all of us, it was an important and uplifting experience."  - Robb Mead, Harpseals.org

"Congratulations on organizing such a successful and interesting Conference. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at AR2007 and I certainly learned a lot about the myriad of issues which the animal rights movement is addressing. It was invigorating to be surrounded by such vibrant and enthusiastic people. It was wonderful to be able to bring a unique Australian perspective to the panels and I hope other delegates benefited from the presentations." - Emma Bull, Voiceless (Australia)

"I wish to congratulate you for AR2007. Everything was so well organised and went on smoothly.  The subjects discussed were varied and also informative and useful. Fizzah and I both felt that it was worth our coming all the way from India to share the information." - Sudnya Patkar, IDA - India

Past Testimonials

"AR2006 was the best conference of the six I have been privileged to be a part of.  You really did an outstanding job of getting the best speakers for the twenty fifth year celebration.  I will always remember this conference. I came away inspired to become a better advocate for the animals, and it's not just a moment's inspiration.  My life has definitely changed." -- Greg Lawson, El Paso Vegetarian Society, ACT Radio

"I am sad that the 2006 conference is over, but look forward to good work coming out of it ... and then to another conference next year. I met amazing, inspiring people from all over working hard in many areas (helping dogs in Puerto Rico, an aspiring actor headed to California, a retired school teacher from NJ ... not to mention the speakers. All committed, kind people, along with icons of the movement. You did a wonderful job." -- Joanna Harkin, Wash, DC

"The event had a professional polish, and interestingly, at the same time a strong grass roots, "down home", community feeling (even with hundreds of people from all over the world being there). I very much appreciated the strong diversity of speakers, views and exhibits at the event. I think the diversity of views at AR 2006 created an exchange of ideas that will go toward solving some problems in the long run." -- Steve, Veg-DC

"Kudos for making the event such a success! Our table went really well!  We sold more tees than I think we've ever sold before!  It was fabulous!" -- Erica Meier, Compassion Over Killing

"Congratulations on the highly successful conference.  I enjoyed myself immensely, met some terrific activists and look forward to future conferences." -- Anthony Marr, HOPE-CARE Tour

"It was great fun to be at AR2006... I was impressed how well organized the conference was. Good luck next year in LA." -- Charles Patterson, Eternal Treblinka

"I'd like to congratulate you and everyone else involved for your very successful and empowering conference..., which is such an important contribution to the animal rights movement." -- Giorgio Cave, movement pioneer

"I just wanted to thank you again for the opportunity to be involved in the conference... I was able to make some excellent contacts with folks around the country, and look forward to working with them." -- Will Potter, journalist

Thank you for putting together an amazing event! I was honored to be a part of it and to be in company of such compassionate, unselfish people. I really meant it when I said I felt at home for the first time in my life. My hats off to you and your incredible team! -- Timothy Gorski, Rattle the Cage Productions

"I do think that the conference was a winner this year -- I was very happy with many elements of the programming." - Pattrice Jones, Eastern Shore Sanctuary

"Thank you so much for continuing to orchestrate these conferences year after year!  They are not easy to do, but you persevere and continue to achieve success in these massive endeavors.  You are an inspiration all of us to continue to do what we can to help that animals and grow this movement." - Janet Enoch

"It was an excellent conference.  I enjoyed being a part of it and I hope I was able to inspire some of the participants, as I was personally inspired. It's always like a family reunion, I just wish it happened more than once a year." - Greg Lawson

"AR2005 was amazing!  There were lots of great, informative speakers, it was a great networking opportunity for the animal people, the food was terrific..., and I just cannot say enough good things about it." - Terri Macellaro

"I was delighted to be there and met several old colleagues. Was very touched by your speech on Saturday evening. You approach this whole work from a high spiritual perspective." - Michael Mountain

" My highest rating for the great conference! I learned so much and met many new friends... The food was unbelievable! Your staff was great! I will be back next year." - Bob Pyle

"Many thanks too to you and your extraordinary team Alex - it was a pleasure to be part of AR2005 and, as ever, I came away with more knowledge and insight than before I arrived, and having had the wonderful opportunity of seeing old friends and making new ones too... Thank you so much for the opportunity of being part of this incredible conference." - Jill Robinson

"Congratulations on a really great conference. You and your staff have this down to a science... You pull it off perfectly every year... I look forward to seeing you in 2006." - Vernon Weir

"When I say that the annual Animal Rights conference presented by the Farm Animal Reform Movement is an unforgettable experience, you can take my word for it... I will never forget the three AR conferences I have been privileged to be a part of. The memories I have of the people I met and the things I learned are as vivid as if they happened only moments ago.

Every hour on the hour four different workshops were offered and we had to decide which ones to attend. The decision was often very difficult as so many interesting topics were covered, from staging an effective protest to companion animal issues, from how to be a better speaker to how animals communicate. One hundred and twenty-two workshops were presented during the week, each usually featuring 3-4 speakers.

After a vegan dinner buffet, the evening sessions featured talks by some of the famous names in the movement: Peter Singer, Tom Regan, Jim Mason, Kim Stallwood, Ingrid Newkirk, Howard Lyman, Karen Davis, Robert Cohen, Paul Watson and so many others. When the evening talks were over, we had a party with a band and a vegan late night snack buffet...

Every day there was so much to see and hear, including a huge area of booths and information tables in the Exhibits area, with books, T-shirts and other items for sale, free literature, food samples and more. We all spent a lot of time browsing those rooms, learning, tasting, buying and stuffing our conference tote bags with literature. Pangea had a small store set up, a 7-11 for vegans where one could buy items such as shoes, non-leather jackets, lip balm, soap, donuts, candy, vegan jerky and other snacks..."

-- Greg Lawson, Animal Rights OnLine

"I was at an animal rights conference in July in the U.S.  At first I was skeptical... but my boss insisted I go to make contacts and encourage American groups to also trail transport trucks.  I was extremely impressed with the American organizations presenting at this conference - many of them were really efficient and professional.  I have kept in regular touch with three people from the conference. With one, I inspected a horrible market after the conference... My contact knew an official inspector in the area and arranged for the downed animals to be euthanized by a veterinarian. We also arranged for a police officer to pursue charges against the pig truck driver...  With another contact, we have done lots of internet and phone research and now have enough information to conduct a good investigation involving the transport of pigs on a horrible ten-day journey to slaughter. -- Lesley Moffat, Animals Angels

"Thank you for the conference. It was so wonderful to be there. Once again I learned a lot. I can't imagine how much work it must take to put something like that together. Everything ran so smoothly and seemingly effortlessly. Thank you so very much. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. Perhaps the best way I can show my gratitude is by giving my whole life in service to animals, which I have done." -- Kristal Parks