Home | AAZK 2026

51st Annual AAZK National Conference
September 13 - 17, 2026
Tacoma, Washington

Hosted by Point Defiance AAZK Chapter

Registration is now open!

Register Now! Click below to start your registration process!

Conference Registration

Reserve your Hotel Room! Click below to start your hotel booking process!

Hotel Booking

Paper & Poster Lineups Announced!

The official schedule of selected papers and poster presentations for the conference is now live. Explore the session details, viewing times, and speaker abstracts.

Papers

Posters

Taking the Rains

Point Defiance AAZK Chapter welcomes you to Tacoma to enjoy the 51st annual conference. We are pleased to offer many unique opportunities from learning in Professional Certificate courses to experiencing the beauty of the Pacific Northwest on Zoo Day visits to Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.

Conference Highlights

There is so much to do at the AAZK annual conference. Explore these highlights to start planning your time.

SPEAKERS

Keynote Speaker: Ken Ramirez

A 50+ year veteran of animal care and training, Ken Ramirez is a biologist and animal behaviorist who served nine years at Marineworld of Texas. He also was a trainer and coordinator at Ocean Safari in South Padre Island, Texas, as well as acting as a consultant to many zoo and aquarium programs throughout the world.

Thank you to our lead conference sponsors

Support Opportunities Available

51st Annual AAZK National Conference September 13 - 17, 2026 Tacoma, Washington​