Since 1935, the goal of our Association has been to bring together our diverse and vibrant community of progressive zoos and aquariums, and to further the causes of conservation and animal welfare. 2025 will be a momentous year as it will mark the 90th Anniversary of WAZA and the 80th WAZA Annual Conference. The first ever WAZA Annual Conference was held in 1935 in Basel, Switzerland.

Earlier this year, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) called for bids from members to host the 80th WAZA Annual Conference. A high standard of applications from WAZA members around the world was received and after careful deliberation, the WAZA Council voted to choose Fundación Zoológica de Cali or Cali Zoo, in Colombia as the host to celebrate and mark this crucial milestone for our global community. The city of Cali will see the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) convenes in October – November 2024. It is then only fitting that Cali Zoo is the host for our landmark annual conference, as our community aspires to meet the targets set by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The 80th WAZA Annual Conference will be held from 26 to 30 October 2025 and promises to be a gathering of conservation leaders dedicated to fostering collaboration and shaping the future of zoos and aquariums worldwide. Delegates can look forward to engaging discussions, enriching workshops, and unforgettable experiences that will leave a lasting impact on the conservation community.

WAZA President, Karen Fifield MNZM said, ‘as we celebrate WAZA’s 80th conference, we reflect on the progress made in advancing conservation and animal welfare efforts over the years.  We will also reflect on the steps we need to take as a community in order to achieve the vision of enabling WAZA to be a globally recognised and trusted leader advancing conservation and animal welfare. We extend our warmest invitation to all attendees to join us in Cali for the 2025 WAZA Annual Conference as the ideal opportunity to bring leaders in the zoo, aquarium and conservation communities together to discuss pertinent issues for our community and examine how WAZA members can act on global issues. This will be the first ever WAZA conference to be held in Colombia, which is aligned with our strategic efforts of global representation, engagement, participation and voice.”

María Clara Dominguez Vernaza, Director of Cali Zoo said, ‘the Fundación Zoológica de Cali is delighted to be the host of the 80th annual WAZA meeting next year. Through our gathering we hope to bring zoos from all over the world closer to the pressing conservation needs of megadiverse countries like Colombia, enabling long-term conservation activities. In parallel, we see this as an extraordinary opportunity to bring the goals and standards of WAZA closer to the Latin American zoological community, with whom we have worked for 30 years to bring the highest levels of animal welfare. We hope to see you in Colombia in 2025.’

The conference will also bring together like-minded individuals, organisations, and experts from around the world, fostering invaluable networking opportunities and potential collaborations.

This year’s WAZA conference will be hosted by Taronga Zoo in Sydney from 3-7 November. We hope to see you all there!