ABMA Annual Conference

The ABMA is partnering with the ATC (Australasian Society of Zoo Keeping Animal Training Community) for a joint conference in Australia in 2027!

The conference theme is From the Prairies to the Outback- Learning Without Limits

Dates: 11-16 March 2027

Location: Gold Coast, Australia

ABMA Merchandise Available!

Upload your conference photos here! **By uploading your photo(s) you agree to the ABMA digital media general disclaimer: The undersigned (the "Photographer") hereby irrevocably grants to the Animal Behavior Management Alliance (the “ABMA") full and complete permission to use the submitted digital media in any ABMA publication, including, but not limited to, use in Behavior Month, Engage, illustrations, internet content, and other outlets of publication and marketing. With the exception of the foregoing, the ABMA makes no claims to ownership of the submitted digital media and ownership rights are retained by the Photographer.

Conference Policies Conference Policies ABMA-IAATE Conference Code of Conduct The Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) and the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators (IAATE) are committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all. All participants, including attendees, speakers, volunteers, and exhibitors, are expected to understand and follow this conference code of conduct. These expectations apply to all ABMA and IAATE events. Personal Safety and Security ABMA and IAATE will work with venue staff to make sure participants are safe. We ask that all attendees report any questionable activity to any ABMA or IAATE board member. No concern is too small – if you see something, say something. • Be aware of your surroundings at all times. • Regardless of where you are, use the buddy system when walking to and from the conference location, networking event locations, etc. – especially during early or late hours. • Do not wear your meeting badge on the street. Take it off as soon as you leave the venue. • Do not carry a lot of cash or credit cards. • Do not leave personal property unattended anywhere at any time. Responsible Drinking At many ABMA and IAATE networking events, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are served. ABMA and IAATE expect participants at our events to drink responsibly. ABMA, IAATE, and conference host event staff, have the right to deny service to participants and may require a participant to leave the event. Unacceptable Conduct Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to: • Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form. • Any abuse, including physical, verbal, or non-verbal abuse. • Disruption of presentations at sessions, in the exhibit hall, or at any events organized by ABMA and IAATE at the meeting venue, hotel, or other ABMA and IAATE contracted facilities. • Comments related to gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, or political affiliation. • Inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations. • Threatening or stalking any person. Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is unacceptable conduct of a sexual nature which makes a person feel uncomfortable, offended, humiliated, and/or intimidated. Examples of conduct or behavior which constitute sexual harassment include, but are not limited to: Physical conduct • Physical violence, including sexual assault. • Unwelcome physical contact or inappropriate touching. • The use of threats or rewards to solicit sexual favors. Verbal conduct • Comments or insults based on appearance, age, private life, etc. • Sexual comments, stories, or jokes. • Sexual advances. • Repeated and unwanted social invitations for dates or physical intimacy. • Condescending or sexist remarks. • Sending sexually explicit messages. Non-verbal conduct • Display of sexually explicit or suggestive material or images. • Sexually-suggestive gestures. • Whistling or “cat calling”. Reporting Unacceptable Conduct If you or anyone else is in immediate danger at any time, please contact local law enforcement by calling 911 and immediately notify facility security. ABMA and IAATE have zero-tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment. If you experience or observe harassment, or if you hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, please inform any ABMA or IAATE board member so that action can be taken. Listed below are the joint planning committee executive board members for this conference: • Heather Samper, ABMA President • Lacey Zeno, IAATE President • Kit Lacy, IAATE Past President • Julie Grove, ABMA President-Elect • Tricia Dees, ABMA First Vice President • Kelly Elkins, ABMA Virtual Vice President • Helen Dishaw, IAATE Vice President • Erin Katzner, IAATE CFO Please alert ABMA or IAATE to any unacceptable conduct regardless of the offender’s identity or job title. Incidents will be handled with respect for the privacy of the victim and will remain confidential to the extent practical given the circumstances. The ABMA or IAATE board member receiving the report will respond appropriately and promptly. Upon receiving a complaint, the matter will be recorded and addressed confidentially. If the complaint is of a criminal nature, legal authorities will be notified. Reports made will be handled with one or more of the following actions towards the offender: • Verbal or written warning. • Suspension from the current ABMA-IAATE joint conference. • Denied registration for future ABMA and IAATE events. • Report of unacceptable conduct to employer. For more information on other ABMA policies, see the website- www.theabma.org/documents. For more information on other IAATE policies, see the websites- https://iaate.org/code-of-ethics/ and https://iaate.org/position-statements/ . By initialing, the attendee acknowledges and agrees that they have reviewed and understand the ABMA-IAATE Conference Code of Conduct. Further, by initialing, the attendee assumes all risk and accepts sole responsibility for any injury (including, but not limited to, personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability, or expense, of any kind, that the attendee may experience or incur in connection with attending the ABMA-IAATE joint conference in Cincinnati in 2026. The attendee hereby releases, covenants not to sue, discharges, and holds harmless the Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA), the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators (IAATE), and their respective employees, agents, and representatives, of and from any such claims, including all liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs, or expenses of any kind arising out of or relating thereto (including with respect to COVID-19). Age Requirements No one under the age of 18 is permitted to register and attend the conference sessions, meetings, or social events, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the entire conference. That parent or guardian must be a registered attendee and over the age of 18. Children under the age of 18 must be registered and accompanied by a registered parent/guardian over the age of 18 at all times. Media Photographers will be taking pictures at the conference, which may be used for promotional and educational purposes. Registration or participation in the meeting and other activities constitutes an agreement to allow ABMA and/or IAATE to use and distribute attendees image or voice in photographs and recordings of the meeting- now and in the future. BMF Scholarship BMF TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP Did you know that ABMA’s Behavior Management Fund (BMF) committee will provide a travel scholarship for the 2027 annual conference? The purpose of this scholarship is to assist a conference attendee whose institution is unable to provide them financial support. The Travel Scholarship will help the award recipient by giving them the ability to present their work and it will help the organizations by giving attendees the opportunity to hear presentations that the memberships otherwise would not have the opportunity to hear and as such, the Travel Scholarship supports our goal of sharing the knowledge. Details to apply will be posted in October. The scholarship will provide: Complimentary Conference Registration A $500 travel reimbursement BMF will pay for the presenter's hotel room Congratulations to Tzu Ying Lee from Singapore as the winner of the 2026 BMF Scholarship! Training for Trust: Collaborative Training for Voluntary Tethering in Asian Elephants Abstract Submissions If you have a behavior management accomplishment, an intriguing case study, a research project, or an innovation for the field, especially one that resonates with the theme of the conference, please come share it with your colleagues! The abstract submission details for the 2027 joint ABMA-ATC conference are detailed below. Abstract submission information will be posted in October. Abstracts are evaluated on the following parameters: quality of the abstract, content and subject matter of the paper, application of the ABMA mission statement, and incorporation of the theme of the conference. Please keep in mind that we receive a number of quality submissions each year, and not all abstracts can necessarily be accepted for presentation. When your abstract is accepted for either a poster or presentation you are required to submit a paper for the conference proceedings prior to presenting. This submission deadline is one week before the conference. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Conference Content Advisory Committee Co-Chairs or the 2027 1st Vice President. Presentation slots are 20 minutes total. Details on your presentation will be emailed to you if you are selected as a presenter. Timeline for the 2027 Abstract Submissions are coming soon. Deadline for submission- TBD Authors notified- TBD Accept/Deny presenting- TBD Conference Registration Conference Pricing: Pricing will be announced in October. Reciprocity Registration: If you want to utilize your reciprocity membership from AAZK or IMATA, you must contact us first to receive a coupon code to register. The ABMA reserves the right to deny the member rate upon verifying your member status- if you are not a member of AAZK or IMATA you will be charged the non-member rate. CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS: Your credit card transaction will appear on your credit card statement from PayPal as either THEABMA or THEANIMALBEHAVIOR. If you file a dispute over an ABMA transaction, either with your credit card company or PayPal, which turns out to be an approved ABMA transaction, you will incur any PayPal fees (~$20) associated with resolving this error for which the ABMA was charged. EARLY Registration: This registration is at a discounted rate. What's included with weekly registration? The icebreaker, silent auction night, zoo day, banquet and all presentations! A daily registration includes only the presentations for that day. Early weekly member Early weekly non-member Daily member Daily non-member Zoo Day is not included as a Daily rate. You will need to provide your own transportation to/from the zoo and purchase your zoo ticket at the zoo. Zoo Day is included in the weekly rate- transportation to and from the zoo will be provided, with multiple end-of-day departure times to choose from. REGULAR Registration:* This registration is at a higher rate. What's included with weekly registration? The icebreaker, silent auction night, zoo day, banquet and all presentations! A daily registration includes only the presentations for that day. Regular weekly member Regular weekly non-member Daily member Daily non-member Zoo Day is not included as a Daily rate. You will need to provide your own transportation to/from the zoo and purchase your zoo ticket at the zoo. Zoo Day is included in the weekly rate- transportation to and from the zoo will be provided, with multiple end-of-day departure times to choose from. Virtual Conference Registration: Yes, this option is available for the 2027 conference! Virtual attendees will have access to watch the conference for 1 week after the conference. Deadline to purchase these items is 1 week before the conference starts. Virtual weekly member Virtual weekly non-member Virtual weekly facility (4 logins) Virtual weekly facility (6 logins) ON SITE Registration:* We will accept On Site registrations for weekly and daily registrations. On Site weekly member On Site weekly non-member On Site Daily member On Site Daily non-member A la Carte Items: The icebreaker, silent auction, and banquet ARE included in the weekly registration costs and you do not need to purchase them again. Daily Registrations do not include these extra events and will need to be purchased separately. The pre-conference workshop and post conference trip are an additional cost for any registration. Pre Conference Workshop- Thursday, 11 March Icebreaker- Thursday, 11 March Silent Auction- Join us for an evening of food, music, and great conversation while browsing and bidding on exciting auction items. All proceeds from the auction benefit the ATC and the ABMA’s Behavior Management Fund, supporting continued learning and innovation in our field. This event is the perfect opportunity to relax, connect, and enjoy time with both new and longtime friends. Banquet- Monday, 15 March. To close out an unbelievable conference join us for the conference banquet. Awards, recognitions, and conference highlights will make for a memorable evening. Post Conference Trip- Tuesday, 16 March. Visit the famous Australia Zoo! General Schedule of Events: details will be posted as they are finalized Thursday, 11 March- pre-conference workshop, registration, icebreaker Friday, 12 March- presentations Saturday, 13 March- presentations Sunday, 14 March- presentations Monday, 15 March- presentations, banquet Tuesday, 16 March- post conference trip to The Australia Zoo See program for a more detailed schedule Contact us if you have any questions. REFUND POLICY: 100% until 4 March. There will be a $50 processing fee for all refunds. No refunds after 5 March (the week before the conference). CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS (CEU’s): We typically offer CEU’s for a variety of organizations. Once the program is finalized we will submit for credits and post here. These are the organizations we typically provide CEU's for. If you need CEU's for another organization just let us know. Read closely- some organizations look similar! International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) International Avian/Animal Trainers Certification Board (IATCB) Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) National Association for Interpretation (NAI)- Those seeking CEUs for the National Association for Interpretation will be sent an attendance certificate for individual submissions to NAI at the end of the conference. We look forward to seeing you in Australia! Hotel Hotel details coming soon! Looking for a roommate? We can help! Send us an email to lodging@theabma.org and we will provide you with a list of other conference attendees looking for roommates. By providing a resource to assist conference attendees with their lodging finances, the conference attendee hereby agrees to not hold liable The Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) for any of the roommate choices attendees may consider, pursue, and/or agree upon. It is the sole responsibility of the conference attendee to communicate with and research a potential roommate for the annual conference. The ABMA is merely providing a means to communicate, which will only be released via electronic media to the individual conference attendee requesting the aforementioned assistance. Transportation Since this is an international conference, Sydney or Brisbane are your best options to arrive in the country. Stay tuned for more information to on how best to arrive at the Gold Coast. Sponsors Our annual conference would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. If you are interested in sponsoring, the Australia sponsorship packet will be available soon to view and download. You can also contact us for more information. Thank you to our conference sponsors! This conference would not happen without you. Pre and Post Conference Details Pre-Conference Workshop Thursday, 11 March. Details coming soon. Post Conference Trip Tuesday, 16 March. Visit the famous Australia Zoo! Details coming soon. Keynote Stay tuned for our 2027 keynote speaker! Featured Speakers Featured speakers for the 2027 ABMA-ATC joint conference will be announced soon. Entertainment Conference Entertainment The Gold Coast will provide some unique opportunities for networking and entertainment throughout the conference. We are planning events so there's no shortage of opportunites to network. Evening Entertainment With such a bustling coastal city, there's no shortage of evening entertainment. Sunday night (11 March): Icebreaker Professional Development Night 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. Silent Auction Night** Join us for an evening of food, music, and great conversation while browsing and bidding on exciting auction items. All proceeds from the auction benefit the ATC and ABMA’s Behavior Management Fund, supporting continued learning and innovation in our field. This event is the perfect opportunity to relax, connect, and enjoy time with both new and longtime friends. Site Visits Yes, we are planning site visits for the 2027 ABMA-ATC conference. Check back soon for exciting details. Silent Auction There will be a silent auction during the conference. Get Excited! Start brainstorming on some great items- doesn't have to be animal related- and you can either bring them with you to the conference or mail to us. If you prefer to mail your item(s), please let the conference chair know. Proceeds from the silent auction benefit both organizations- the ATC and ABMA's Behavior Management Fund (BMF)! Badge Entries Badge entry details coming soon. Conference Details There are many questions you may have about the upcoming annual conference in Australia. If we have not addressed your question here, please contact us. The 2027 conference will be 5 days, including the icebreaker the evening before the conference officially kicks off. Each day will filled with learning and networking opportunities. There will be a zoo day- details coming soon! What's the weather like in the Gold Coast in March? What should I wear to the conference? The ABMA and ATC conferences are casual event. Keep in mind the ballroom where presentations are held will most likely be cold, so bring a jacket. Presenters typically wear business casual on the day of their presentation. The banquet can be a little more formal but it's not required to wear a suit and tie or evening dress. Will food be provided? We are working out details for meals, so check back soon. What do I need for registration? Registration will be Thursday at a location TBD. We will need your name to verify you registered for the conference. If you're presenting you'll need to stop at the AnimalProfessional.com tabe to get details about your presentation timeslot. If you have a silent auction item we will have a table so you can drop that off too. Electricity in the Australia runs on 230V. If you're an international traveler, please bring your appropriate converters. Questions? Contact us or the first VP directly. We look forward to seeing you soon! Program Whova is our conference app! If you are a conference attendee, download Whova and search for the ABMA-ATC Conference. Attendees will be added weekly. Not able to login? Contact us for help. Program times are listed in Australia/Brisbane time zone (UTC +10). The schedule is subject to change. Details will be posted into Whova as they are finalized.

Details will be posted as they are finalized. If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact us. We look forward to seeing you in person at our third international conference!

ABMA-IAATE Conference Code of Conduct

Personal Safety and Security

Responsible Drinking

Unacceptable Conduct

Sexual Harassment

Physical conduct

Verbal conduct

Non-verbal conduct

Reporting Unacceptable Conduct

Pre-Conference Workshop Thursday, 11 March. Details coming soon.

Featured speakers for the 2027 ABMA-ATC joint conference will be announced soon.

Pre-Conference Workshop
Thursday, 11 March. Details coming soon.