The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) organised its inaugural Mid-Year Meeting on 24 and 25 July 2024. This significant event marked a new chapter in WAZA’s ongoing commitment to fostering collaboration, sharing expertise, and strengthening the global zoo and aquarium community. By bringing together leaders, experts, and stakeholders from across the world, the meeting created a platform for meaningful dialogue, strategic planning, and knowledge exchange, especially for those who may not usually join the Annual Conference.

The decision to host this Mid-Year Meeting reflected WAZA’s recognition of the importance of continuous engagement with our diverse membership. Traditionally, WAZA’s Annual Conference has been the cornerstone for such interactions, providing a vital forum for members to convene, share insights, and shape the future of zoological and aquarium institutions globally. However, the introduction of the Mid-Year Meeting underscores WAZA’s proactive approach in adapting to the evolving needs of its members, especially in a world where virtual connectivity is increasingly central to global operations.

The virtual format of this meeting is designed to maximise accessibility and participation, ensuring that members from different regions and time zones can engage fully. The meeting was conducted over two days, with each session spanning two hours. This structure is intended to accommodate the diverse geographical spread of WAZA’s membership, allowing for broader participation and inclusivity. By offering sessions across different time zones, WAZA seeks to mitigate the challenges posed by global time differences, thereby fostering a more inclusive environment for all participants.

With nearly 400 registrations, the online event included updates about WAZA, presentations, panels as well as a participative workshop. Day 1 saw participation from 130 attendees and began with a welcome address from WAZA President, Karen Fifield, on WAZA’s vision, its unique niche and how that links with the online Mid-Year Meeting. She also noted that 191 of the nearly 400 registrations were from those who had never attended a WAZA event in the past. This was followed by case studies from Dave Wehdeking, Fundación Zoológica De Cali and Francis William Ruhinirwa, Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) about utilising WAZA’s resources to drive and support transformative changes within their organisations. This was followed by a presentation from WAZA Vice President, David Field and Paula Cerdán, WAZA, Head of Conservation and Animal Welfare on the progress of the WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal as well as the proposed Population Management Goal. To further highlight the regional impact of these goals, these introductory presentations were followed by a panel discussion including Raymond van der Meer, EAZA, Wendy Chua, SEAZA, and Claudia Igayara, AZAB.

Day 1 concluded with a workshop with a focus on how members can leverage being a part of the WAZA global community and learn from each other’s experiences. The discussion was facilitated round questions aimed at understanding the barriers members might face in interacting with the WAZA community as well as suggestions to remove these barriers.

Day 2 of the Mid-Year Meeting opened with a summary of the workshop from Day 1 and was followed by a Panel on Integration of Aquariums and Zoos into Global Conservation. The speakers of the panel included Ivonne Higuero, Secretary General, CITES; Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary, CBD; Karen Gaynor, Scientific Support Officer, CITES and Dr Jon Paul Rodríguez, Chair, IUCN SSC. The insightful discussion included suggestions on developing policy papers ahead of the CBD COP in October this year, involving aquariums in CITES as well as raising WAZA’s profiles at these international forums.

Helen Lockhart, from Two Oceans Aquarium and James Biggs, Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia, then shared the WAZA Conservation Goal, which is being developed by the WAZA Committee on Environmental Sustainability and Conservation. The final session of Day 2 saw presentaions from a diverse set of stakeholders including Shivin Kohli from the World Economic Forum, Jason Bell, from International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Dirk Glaesser from UN Tourism.

The Mid-Year Meeting focused on several critical topics that are central to the vision and strategic priorities of WAZA and its members. These include discussions on conservation initiatives, animal welfare standards, and the role of zoos and aquariums in global biodiversity conservation efforts. Additionally, the meeting provided an opportunity for members to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the community, particularly in the context of the ongoing environmental and societal changes that impact conservation work.

WAZA’s inaugural Mid-Year Meeting represents a significant step forward in our efforts to enhance engagement and collaboration within the global zoo and aquarium community and we thank our members for joining us and making the Meeting a success.