The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, and institutions, has made an announcement regarding this year’s WAZA Annual Conference. As a result of the rising rate of COVID cases, as well as current restrictions, the WAZA council has decided to host the 76th WAZA Annual Conference online rather than in person.
The virtual event will take place from 11 – 14 October 2021 and will see zoo and aquarium professionals from around the world coming together digitally to share insights and enjoy educational sessions.
Conference details to be revealed
In a statement, Dr Martín Zordan, WAZA Chief Executive Officer said:
“We sincerely thank our conference host Moscow Zoo for their patience during this process, and we look forward to having an opportunity to visit Moscow Zoo in the future. The team at Moscow Zoo have been working hard for the past few months with the expectation that an in-person element was possible.”
The format of the virtual event will be similar to last year’s Annual Conference, with short daily sessions. More information will be provided once the conference website launches and registration for the event opens, in a few weeks, and there will be a nominal fee to attend.
WAZA is also currently accepting nominations for its 2021 awards ceremony, which will celebrate key projects that members have been working on over the last year. Members are invited to nominate candidates for the Heini Hediger Award, WAZA Conservation Award and WAZA Environmental Sustainability Award by 15 July 2021, 23:59 CEST.
Earlier this month, WAZA announced the launch of a new webinar series dedicated to sustainability. The series began on 14 July with a webinar celebrating Plastic Free July, a global movement that aims to change the way people approach their plastic consumption.
