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 and Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum
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, followed by a visit to nearby space and aviation museum. Lunch and transportation on a trolley bus is included in the registration fee. 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. The adventure continues at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, home to an impressive collection of historic aircraft and aerospace artifacts. It will be a fun opportunity to look at flight from a very different perspective. The museum explores our long-standing fascination with flight and the way humans have worked to understand and replicate what birds have been doing for millions of years. Attendees can explore the evolution of flight, from the adaptations that allow birds to sour and maneuver to the innovation that has allowed humans to take to the skies.
Cost: $55
Limited to 45 participants.
Full Day Advanced Training Workshop | 8:30 am – 4 pm, Wednesday, February 24
The Fine Art of Training Animals and Producing Inspirational Public Programs
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.
This workshop will go beyond conventional positive reinforcement training lectures to describe the intricate details that trainers may not know or could overlook. This workshop will help attendees see how insightful observations, adjustments in perspective, and important changes to training strategies can produce extraordinary training outcomes that exceed expectations and promote better welfare for animals. This workshop will also describe how to empower animals to do what nature built them to do and stage these natural behaviors for our guests to experience. Producing inspirational educational programs is a critical aspect of our relationship with our guests.
After attending this workshop, attendees will understand how:
1. Knowing and using the science of behavior change principles makes for a better trainer
2. To dramatically improve their use of positive reinforcement to shape behavior
3. To use positive reinforcement to replace unwanted behavior with desirable behavior
4. To create trusting relationships with animals, including human animals
5. To solve behavior problems and challenges
6. To operationalize the terms ‘choice’ and ‘control’ and use these concepts to train desirable behavior, reduce stress and promote enhanced welfare
7. To gain voluntary participation from their animals in husbandry and medical behaviors
8. To give animals a voice through their body language, and a vote in how we interact with them
9. To shape behavior at the animal’s pace, which may be much faster than many think possible
10. To produce engaging presentations that inspire caring emotions that lead to conservation action
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
Responding to cues, paying attention to body language, being flexible, and planning ahead–all traits of a great public speaker! We’ll take the mystery out of what it means to be a dynamic, memorable presenter and fill up your toolkit with ways to organically connect with your audience. Learn to craft effective messaging, and have natural, audience interactions that connect you more closely with the people in your community. We’ll deconstruct our go-to presentation styles and build them back up with adaptability, empathy, and good humor! Come prepared to learn and play. This is the fun workshop!
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
A deep dive into why we do welfare assessments. What they can do for our birds. And how to create, manage and track changes at your facilities. We’ll spend time planning, discussing and using real world examples to deep dive into welfare and how we should be constantly working to move the needle from poor to good.
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 birds 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 bird, but that sometimes the medical procedures are stressful (for us as well as the individual in question). There are however a huge number of behaviours we can train our animals to be voluntary participants in, whether we are talking about foot and beak care, voluntary keel feels, eye exams, nebulisation, x rays and more. This workshop 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.
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.
Equipment Making: Less is More
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.
Get ready for an unforgettable day at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, consistently ranked by USA TODAY as a top Zoo in the nation! Zoo Day gives conference participants an opportunity to experience firsthand what makes Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium a leader in animal care, conservation, education, and innovation. Explore some of the Zoo’s most iconic experiences, including the Desert Dome, the world’s largest indoor desert under a glazed geodesic dome, and beneath, the largest nocturnal habitat and indoor swamp; the Lied Jungle, an immersive indoor rainforest that transports visitors with the sights, sounds, and diversity of rainforests from South America, Asia and Africa; and the Scott Aquarium, where a 70-foot shark tunnel and many ecosystems including polar regions, temperate oceans, coral reefs and the Amazon converge. Throughout the day, participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at the innovative work happening across the Zoo, from exceptional animal welfare and care to conservation, research, behavior, and the dedicated teams that make it all possible. It’s a chance to explore, connect with colleagues, share ideas, and experience the Zoo from a perspective few visitors ever get.
*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.
Join the Enrichment Committee as we explore how to take a new enrichment idea from inspiration to implementation. Then, put your creativity to the test as we break into groups to brainstorm solutions for a variety of enrichment scenarios. We’ll share ideas, learn from one another, and have fun along the way!
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 2027 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