Most conference activities (unless otherwise noted) are covered in the full registration fee.
Pre-Conference Trip | Wednesday, February 24
Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park
Please note: The cost of the trip is NOT covered in the full registration fees. See below for details of cost and maximum participant information.
Participants will enjoy a rare winter visit to a park that is closed to the public during that season. It’s an exclusive opportunity available only because of this conference. The Wildlife Safari Park spans 400 hundred acres of native Nebraska prairie, wetlands, and woodlands, providing expansive habitats for North American wildlife. Experience sweeping landscapes, remarkable conservation stories, and an entirely different perspective on animal management than a traditional zoological park can provide. From impressive hoofstock to native wildlife, the Park showcases the beauty of the Great Plains in a way few visitors ever have the opportunity to experience. Seeing the Safari Park in the quiet beauty of winter, without public crowds, will make this an experience attendees will be talking about long after they return home.
Cost: $TBD
Limited to 50 participants.
Full Day Advanced Training Workshop | 8:30 am – 4 pm, Wednesday, February 24
Please note: The cost of this workshop is NOT covered in the full registration fee. All proceeds from this workshop go to our conservation fund. CEUs for certified trainers will be available from IATCB.
Description Coming Soon
This workshop will be facilitated by Steve Martin, Natural Encounters, Inc.
Cost: $100
Unlimited participants.
First-time Attendees Meet-up| Wednesday, February 24
Covered in the cost of the full registration fee.
If you’ve never been to an IAATE conference before, you are in for a treat, and you might also be feeling a little overwhelmed! Don’t worry, be happy, and take this opportunity to meet with a few of our board members who will welcome you to the flock and help you make the most of your conference experience.
Icebreaker | Wednesday, February 24
Covered in the cost of the full registration fee.
Enjoy an evening of catching up with old friends and a chance to meet new ones. Our Icebreaker is always a great opportunity to make new contacts and meet fellow IAATE members and like-minded people. This year our Icebreaker will be at our hotel, and, as usual, it will include fun and games, mixing and mingling, and plenty of food. Our Icebreaker will also feature a cash bar.
Paper Session Days| Thursday, February 25 & Saturday, February 27
For a full list of speakers and featured speakers on our paper session days, please see the Speakers page. Information will be available after November 1.
Cost for each day if not registered for full conference: Member: $100; Non-member: $150
Workshops | Thursday, February 25 & Friday, February 26
The following workshops have limited capacity. Reservations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Space permitting, payment reserves your spot. These workshops are NOT covered in the full registration fee. All proceeds from these workshops go to fund our Walt Crawford Memorial Scholarship. CEUs for certified trainers will be available from IATCB.
Public Speaking/Story Telling
Description Coming Soon
This 2-hour workshop will be facilitated by Anna Morris, Vermont Institute of Natural Science
Limited to 30 participants.
Cost: $40
This workshop will also be available on Friday.
Wellbeing Assessments
Description Coming Soon
This 2-hour workshop will be facilitated by Lacey Zeno, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Limited to 30 participants.
Cost: $40
This workshop will also be available on Friday.
Cooperative Care
All of us working with animals under human care know that they will all have to undergo various forms of medical treatment at some point during their lives. Some of them multiple times. We acknowledge that this medical intervention is often essential for the survival of the animal, but that sometimes the medical procedures are stressful (for us as well as the animal in question). There are however, a huge number of behaviors we can train our animals to be voluntary participants in, whether we are talking about injections, ultrasounds, footcare, dental or beak care, wound treatment, nebulization, x rays, and more. This workshop focuses on ALL species and aims to inspire creativity in your training sessions and encourage you to come up with clever antecedent arrangement solutions to teaching complex veterinary care behaviours. The workshop will feature video examples, discussion, and group work to get you thinking ‘outside the box’ and get some fresh ideas to take back to your facility, whatever species you work with.
This 2-hour workshop will be facilitated by Nicky Plaskitt, Shaping Behaviour.
Limited to 50 participants.
Cost: $40
Please note, this workshop is only available on Thursday.
Wellbeing Assessments
Description Coming Soon
This 2-hour workshop will be facilitated by Amy Fennell, Natural Encounters, Inc.
Limited to 50 participants.
Cost: $40
Please note, this workshop is only available on Thursday.
Zoo Day | Friday, February 26
Covered in the cost of the full registration fee.*
Hosted by Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.
Information Coming Soon!
*If you are not registering for the full conference and wish to come to Zoo Day, you still can. You will need to provide your own transportation to/from the zoo and purchase your zoo ticket at the zoo.
Resume Building and Interview Skills Drop-in| Friday, February 26
Covered in the cost of the full registration fee.
Bring your resume and interview questions and take advantage of this opportunity to gain valuable insights from hiring managers and leaders in the field. This session provides time to connect, network, and share experiences—whether you’re seeking your first position or eager to offer guidance from your own career journey.
Enrichment Creation Contest Night
| Friday, February 26
Covered in the cost of the full registration fee.
Information Coming Soon
Open Board Meeting | Thursday, April 2
Join your organization’s Board to hear committee reports, financial updates, and general information about the business year in review as well as upcoming endeavors. This is your opportunity to stay updated on the business of your organization and ask any questions you may want to be answered.
Awards Banquet, Saturday, February 27
Covered in the cost of the full registration fee.
The 2026 conference will wrap up in grand style at this year’s banquet. The banquet is a great time to recognize our fellow professionals through our High Flyer and Service Awards and celebrate a successful conference. Included at the banquet is our Photo Contest slide show and winners’ announcement. Our banquet features a full dinner and a cash bar. Great food and great times are assured.
Cost if not registered for full conference: $120
Hospitality
The hospitality suite presents great opportunities to share information and unwind after a long day of intense learning experiences. This is one of the best ways to share ideas and become inspired by your peers.
Raffles
Help support IAATE! Money raised by our raffles goes to fund our Conservation and Education Grants. You will be able to purchase tickets for raffle drawings held throughout the conference. We will once again have our Conservation Raffle during the banquet. If you would like to donate items, please bring them to the conference or mail them ahead of time.
If you are shipping packages, please ship to:
Conference Grants and Contests
Don’t forget to submit your photos to our Photo Contest as well as your videos for our Behavior Showcase and or apply for a Conservatio or Education Grant. Deadlines for grant and contest submissions vary. Please see below for deadlines. For the 2026 conference, grant submissions will not be accepted after the deadline. This is to allow the committees adequate time to consider each entry. Please adhere to individual deadlines! Please see our Grants, Scholarships & Contests page to download application forms and for updated details on how to apply. You can’t win if you don’t apply!
Education Grant Submission Deadline: January 3, 2027
Conservation Grant Submission Deadline: January 3, 2027
Behavior Showcase Video Submission Deadline: January 15, 2027
Photo Contest Submission Deadline: January 15, 2027