The Greater Philadelphia Chapter of AAZK is proud to be hosting the 2010 National AAZK Conference!
The conference will be held August 22nd - August 26th, 2010.
Registration:
Online registration is now closed. You can still register in person at the conference at the registration table.
Registration Hours:
Sunday, 8/22: 2-5 p.m.
Monday, 8/23: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Tuesday, 8/24: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Wednesday (at the Philadelphia Zoo), 8/25: 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, 8/26: 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Please be sure to read the Refund Policy before you register for the conference!
Prices:
Full week registration (includes all paper sessions, Icebreaker, Zoo Day, Awards Lunch, Banquet, T-shirt): $245 for members, $300 for non-members. Full registrations may be transferred among different individuals on different days if desired, but only one conference packet will be issued per registration.
Daily Registration: $65 per day (includes all Zoo Day activities on August 25th, and includes the Awards Lunch on August 26th)
This year, we are offering a group registration discount for daily registrations as follows:
1-10 people: $50 per person per day
11-20 people: $40 per person per day
21-30 people: $30 per person per day
Additonal Events/Items:
Icebreaker only: $50
Banquet only: $75
Conference T-shirt: $15
Conference Schedule:
Icebreaker: August 22nd, 2010
The Icebreaker will be held at the College of Physicians, and will include admission to the famous Mutter Museum. Delegates will enjoy food and drinks, and have plenty of time to tour the museum's collection of medical oddities and visit the medicinal herb garden. For more information, please visit the museum's website.
Zoo Day: August 25th
Conference delegates will have the day to explore the country's first zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo! Zoo Day will include Behind the Scenes tours, Open Houses, and the Silent Auction.
BTS Tours will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Delegates will receive vouchers for lunch.
Dinner will be held in conjunction with a Silent Auction from 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Program:
We are proud to announce that our keynote speaker will be Dr. Jonathan Reyman from the Feather Distribution Project. Since its creation in 1982, the project has distributed more than 8,500,000 parrot and turkey feathers free of charge to all 31 Pueblos in the southwest. The Philadelphia Zoo has been a project participant for several years. This project is an easy, free way for zoos and visitors to get involved in parrot conservation.
The conference program is now available. Please note: the schedule is subject to change! Click on the links below to view the schedule:
The deadline for paper, poster, and workshop submissions has passed. Thank you to everyone who submitted abstracts!
Papers: Authors will give a 15-minute presentation with a 5-minute Q&A session immediately following. Papers should discuss techniques, achievements, or innovative approaches to animal care and husbandry, welfare, conservation, education or research.
Posters: Posters will be on display throughout the conference and presenters must be available for discussion with other conference delegates during the designated poster presentation session.
Hotel:
Conference delegates will be staying at the Westin in Philadelphia. To learn more about the hotel, please visit their website.
To reserve a room at the Westin at the conference rate, please click here to visit our dedicated website.
The Westin is located in the heart of Philadelphia, within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and many of the city's main attractions. It's also an easy walk from public transportation. Conference delegates will enjoy the Westin's hospitality, and the environment will appreciate the Westin's green policies.
Conference Room Rate : $189 per night The hotel has a limited number of double rooms available; if you need two double beds in the room, please book early, and let the hotel know you'd like a double room. All other rooms have a single king-sized bed.
The Citygrange, the Westin's in-house restaraunt, features a selection of locally-grown and organic food ... it tastes great!!!
Conference Trips:
This year’s pre-conference trip to the Bronx Zoo will leave from the hotel at 7:00 a.m. on August 22nd and will return in time for the icebreaker. Price is $40 and includes transportation and admission to the zoo.
After the conference, join us for our trip to the Cape May County Zoo, followed by a whale and dolphin watching tour. We will leave from the hotel at 7:00 a.m. on August 27th, spend a few hours at the zoo, eat lunch in the park, then go on a 3-hour whale and dolphin boat tour. The bus will arrive back to the hotel at approximately 7:00. Price is $40 and includes transportation, admission to the zoo, lunch, and a ticket for the whale and dolphin watching trip.
Sorry, both trips are now full!
Tree Kangaroo Workshop
This year, there will be a Tree Kangaroo Workshop, hosted by the Tree Kangaroo SSP. The Workshop will be held at the Westin Hotel, and will run from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m on Friday, August 27th.
The workshop is open to all interested parties. There is a $25 fee to participate. To register, click here.
Professional Development Workshops
The AAZK Professional Development Committee is offering two workshops this year. Please register in person at the conference for these workshops. Please note: in order to attend either workshop, you will need to register for the conference for that day as well.
Bird Workshop:
Monday, August 23rd, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. (Breaks will be given for lunch and dinner, but no meals will be provided)
The perching birds, or passerines, are among the most familiar of birds to our zoo visitors, but their captive populations are struggling. This seven-hourworkshopwill introduce attendees to some of these struggles and the ways keepers can help these birds continue to be a vibrant part of our collections. Topics should include population trends, medical and nutritional care, behavioral enrichment, and in situ conservation, but a primary goal of this workshop is to allow keepers to share their passerine husbandry advancements.
Cost: $50 for members, $75 for non-members
Chelonian Workshop:
Thursday, August 26th, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
** This workshop has been canceled. Refunds will be issued to anyone who pre-registered. If you have any questions, please contact us at conference@philadelphiaaazk.org.
Transportation:
By air: Conference delegates should fly into the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).
By car: Philadelphia is an easy drive from New York, Baltimore, Washington, and many other East-coast locations. However, please note that the hotel parking lot will cost you $30 per day, with in/out privileges.
By train: The hotel is an easy walk from Suburban Station in Philadelphia (17th and JFK). All regional rail SEPTA trains come through Suburban Station, and you can take Amtrak into 30th Street Station then transfer to SEPTA.
Airport Transportation Information: There are many options available that will get you from the airport to the hotel. Below are a few suggestions:
Shuttle: Lady Liberty Airport Shuttle, costs $10 each way, no reservations required (call from baggage claim at Philadelphia Airport)
Cab: Will cost you about $20-$30 each way, can be called from the baggage claim area at the Airport.
Train: You can take the SEPTA Regional Rail Airport Line train to Suburban Station and walk the few blocks (0.27 miles) to the hotel. When you exit the station, walk one block west to 17th Street, then two blocks south to Chestnut Street. The hotel is located at 17th and Chestnut. Click here to view the train schedule. You can pick up the train directly from the airport. It will cost you about $7 each way, depending on the time of day you're traveling.
The Westin is located in the heart of Philadelphia, within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and many of the city's main attractions. It's also an easy walk from public transportation. Conference delegates will enjoy the Westin's hospitality, and the environment will appreciate the Westin's green policies. 
Conference Room Rate : $189 per night The hotel has a limited number of double rooms available; if you need two double beds in the room, please book early, and let the hotel know you'd like a double room. All other rooms have a single king-sized bed. 
The Citygrange, the Westin's in-house restaraunt, features a selection of locally-grown and organic food ... it tastes great!!!