Schedule At A Glance

Schedule is subject to change. View the Full Conference Schedule for more details.

All meetings, program sessions, General Session events, and Exhibit Hall events will take place at the Oregon Convention Center. Accreditation Hearings will take place at the Hyatt Regency Portland.

Saturday, September 26
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM	Accreditation Hearings (closed)

Sunday, September 27
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM	Registration Open
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM	Committee, SAFE, and Animal Program Meetin
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM	Accreditation Hearings (closed)

Monday, September 28
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Registration Open
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM	Committee, SAFE, and Animal Program Meetings
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM	Accreditation Hearings (closed)
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM	Icebreaker at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

Tuesday, September 29
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM	Registration Open
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM	Light Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM	Opening General Session
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM	Exhibit Hall Open Grand Opening - 9:30 am-10:30 am
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM	Concurrent Sessions AI Without the Hype: What Zoos and Aquariums Need to Know Now Beyond Animal Care: Discover Your Impact on Zoo and Aquarium Population Sustainability! Beyond Interpretive Carts: Building a Well-Rounded Teen Program Boiling Point: Conversations That Can’t Wait From Plan to Progress: Why Every Strategy Needs a Champion Honest Conversations about Zoo-Field Partnerships: the Good, the Bad, and the Rarely Discussed Measuring Wonder: Practical Tools for Evaluating Early Childhood Outcomes in Informal Nature Education On The Boards: Projects in Design or Construction Scales and Fish Tails: Shaping Behavior-Based Programs for Understudied Taxa Stretching Your Storytelling: How to Do More with the Video You Have Two Lenses, One Goal: Aligning Philanthropy, Sponsorship, and Marketing to Maximize Zoo Revenue and Impact
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM	Exhibit Hall Lunch
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM	Concurrent Sessions Frontiers in One Health: Aging, Microbiomes, and Marine Conservation Achieving Membership Growth Through a Connected Visitor Journey From Creeks to Coasts: Mobilizing Public Action to Tackle Marine Debris From Data to Dollars: Using the AZA Earned Revenue Survey, Internal KPIs, and AI to Advance Earned Income In It For the Long Haul: Long-Term Relationships in Conservation Non-Traditional Volunteer & Intern Engagement: Turning Untapped Talent into Institutional Impact Reimagining Legacy Events: From Tradition to Transformation Saving Wildlife for All: Expanding Conservation Leadership to Achieve Mission To Visit, or Not to Visit, That is the Question – Connecting Guest Motivations and Your Unique Destination When Good Campaigns Miss the Mark: Lessons in Assumptions, Delivery, and Capacity in Behavior Change for Conservation
1:45 PM - 3:45 PM	Directors' Meeting Open to Executive Directors of Accredited Institutions, Related Facilities, and Pathway Towards Membership Participants Only
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM	Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM	Concurrent Sessions Building Big Impact Through Bold Partnerships Curiosity, Chaos, and a Little Bit of Weird: The Fun Side of Science Design is a Hypothesis. Evaluation is the Test: Managing Habitats Across Their Lifecycle Elevating Leadership: Strategies for Visibility, Voice, and Influence From Overwhelmed to Empowered: Developing Youth in Third Spaces From Values to Outcomes: Measuring Conservation Culture People Don’t Follow Pipelines Project Financing Solutions & Lessons from the Field The Power of the Second Chair: Leading When You’re Not the CEO The Power of Visitor Data: How Can Visitor Experiences Shape Learning at Zoos and Aquariums? What’s Changed? Timely Updates on Emerging Trends Shaping AZA Organizations
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM	Poster Reception (NEW DATE AND TIME!)
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM	The Evening Buzz
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM	Directors' Dinner By invitation only

Wednesday, September 30
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM	Registration Open
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM	Light Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM	General Session
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM	Concurrent Sessions Topics that Roar: Species Specific Advancements in Training & Care All In or Opt Out? Internal Frameworks for Navigating AZA SAFE Participation AZA Accreditation Unpacked: What You Need to Know Beyond Job Titles: Advancing AZA’s 5th Promise Together Deep Currents: Unlocking the Power of Email Marketing Entering the AI Era: Data, Decisions and the Future of Zoos and Aquariums How to Instigate, Implement and Evaluate the CEO’s Role in Major Gift Fundraising Interpretive Makeovers to Increase Impact Next Step Pathways for Every Volunteer So You Want to Save the World? Building Effective Response Ready Teams to Assist with Diverse Wildlife Disaster Situations What’s New in Exhibit Design
11:45 PM - 1:30 PM	Honors & Awards Lunch
1:30 PM - 6:30 PM	Exhibit Hall Open
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM	Concurrent Sessions Bang, Whoosh, Roooaarrrr! Ways Sound Affects Learners at Zoos and Aquariums Breaking the Mold: Population Management Strategies for Group Managed Species Conservation Gamification: How to Turn Competition and Achievement Into a Win For Conservation Marketing, PR & Government Affairs Rapid Fire People Advancing Conservation Together through Group Efficacy Pushing Boundaries: New Audiences, New Revenues, Enhanced Mission-Delivery Scaling Impact: Zoo–University Partnerships Advancing Welfare, Research, and Conservation Simplify Your Fundraising Data, Amplify Your Impact Struggle—Reset—Succeed: Small Institution Lessons, Collaborations, and Achievements in Field Conservation Succession Planning or Planning for Success: Tools, Templates, and Tactics You Can Use NOW! Thinking Outside the Hospital: Innovative Approaches to Zoo Animal Healthcare Transparency and Education
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM	AZA Board of Directors Meeting
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM	Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM	Concurrent Sessions Disaster and Emergency Preparedness and Response for Captive Wildlife and Exotic Animal Facilities Nominating Committee (Executive Session) Advocacy Fundamentals: From Internal Alignment to External Momentum Building the Mission: Behind the Scenes Stories from a Campus Transformation Giving Unsung Species a Voice: Creating Awareness and Educating About the Unseen Animals That Run the World Laying the Groundwork: Positioning Projects for Success Moments that Matter: CEO–Board Decision-Making When the Stakes are High One Issue, Many Paths: Choosing Advocacy Actions That Work for Your Institution Recent Advances in Zoo Animal Welfare Science The Capital Campaign Crash Course The Future of Aquatic Sustainability We’ve Always Done It This Way… Until Now: Leading Change That Sticks
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM	Party on the Floor Exhibit Hall Reception (NEW DATE AND TIME!) Close of the Silent Auction

Thursday, October 1
7:00 AM - 9:30 AM	Registration Open
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM	Light Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM	Concurrent Sessions Leveraging Non-traditional Staff (Volunteers and Interns) to Support Animal Behavior Goals Animals, Art and Stewardship: A Shared Commitment to Conservation with Indigenous Tribes Beyond the Zoo Gates: The Role of Zoos in Ethical Wildlife Tourism Beyond Welcome: Practical Inclusion Models for Zoo and Aquarium Camps Building Better Coral Conservation Communications, Education and Messaging: Insights from the TALKING CORAL Project From Good to Great: Board Governance that Powers Mission Impact in Zoos and Aquariums From Green to Gold: How Plants Drive Revenue and Sustainability From Guests to Donors: The New Role of CRM in Visitor-Centric Organizations It Starts With the Story: Exploring the Relationship Between Interpretive Planning and Exhibit Design Supporting Your Mission: Growing Staff Through Professional Development Wildlife Permits 101: What Every AZA Professional Needs to Know
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM	Concurrent Sessions Culture Hot Topics: Building a Better Workplace Culture Through Intentional Leadership and Team Participation Tell Me More: Sharing Inclusive and Effective Places & Practices From Silos to Synergy: Engaging Zoo Teams in Evaluation and Data-Informed Decision Making Knowing Me, Knowing You: Equitable Knowledge Production and Translation in Conservation Outreach and Messaging Leading With Empathy: Building Lasting, Authentic Community Partnerships Weaponizing Welfare: Modeling Conflict Resolution Around Welfare Concerns Play That Performs: Designing Family Spaces that Drive Engagement and Return Visits Required, Reduced, or Removed: Navigating Volunteer Hour Expectations Smarter Engagement: How Zoos Are Using AI to Transform Marketing, Websites, and Paid Media Solving for the Challenges of Traffic and Parking as They Impact the Experience of Members, Guests, and Our Neighbors You Say We Are ALL Part of the Fundraising Process, but What Am I Supposed To Do?
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM	Concurrent Sessions Adjusting Organizational Culture and Workflows to Support Staff in Varying Life Stages and Experiences AZA 2033 Trends Report Is Shaping Strategic Plans Beyond Passion: Rethinking Retention in Zoo and Aquarium Animal Care and Health Professions Beyond the Zoo Visit: Building Lifelong Naturalists Building the Unconventional: The Specialized Features That Bring Zoos and Aquariums to Life Community Connections: Membership Access for All Creative Solutions To Difficult Behavioral Health Issues From Research to Relevance: How Recent Studies About Visitors, Staff, and Communities Are Changing Zoo and Aquarium Practice From Screen to Strategy: Leveraging Pop Culture Trends To Advance Conservation Impact SharkRay 360: Global Collaboration to Advance the Care and Conservation of Bowmouth Guitarfish What Your Board Is About to Ask You: Creating an AI Strategy for Your Zoo or Aquarium
12:00 PM - 8:00 PM	Zoo Day at Oregon Zoo

Friday, October 2
7:30 AM - 5:30 PM	Post-Conference Tour: Oregon Coast Aquarium (additional $50 fee)
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM	Post-Conference Tour: Northwest Trek Wildlife Park & Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (additional $100 fee)