What the attractions industry can expect in Portland
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) will hold its 2026 Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon, from September 26 to October 1. The event will bring together around 2,800 professionals across animal care, conservation, education, guest experience, operations, design, development, marketing and public engagement—many of the disciplines shaping the wider attractions sector.
Attendees are invited to explore and share ideas and best practices with more than 150 education program sessions, poster presentations and round table discussions.
The conference sessions will highlight trends in technology, a deeper analysis of visitor behavior, renewed attention to earned revenue and continued initiatives to connect compelling guest experiences with measurable conservation impact.
The event is supported through its sponsors, including the following Platinum sponsors: Advanced Aquarium Technologies, Anchor Operating Systems, Cooper Coleman, Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment, Edge Themed Environments, Etix, Event Network, Longhorn Organics, Saint Louis Zoo, Salesforce, Sodexo Live, SSA, Tianyu and Zoo Miami.
AI, data and the visitor journey
Artificial intelligence will be explored in sessions such as AI Without the Hype: What Zoos and Aquariums Need to Know Now; Entering the AI Era: Data, Decisions and the Future of Zoos and Aquariums; Smarter Engagement: How Zoos Are Using AI to Transform Marketing, Websites, and Paid Media; and What Your Board Is About to Ask You: Creating an AI Strategy for Your Zoo or Aquarium. These sessions will examine governance, ethics, decision-making and practical implementation.
Visitor data and audience behavior will also be central to the conversation. Achieving Membership Growth Through a Connected Visitor Journey will look at how Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance used an insight-driven approach to increase member conversion, while To Visit, or Not to Visit, That is the Question – Connecting Guest Motivations and Your Unique Destination will examine the consumer decisions behind destination visits. Other sessions will consider how CRM, audience research and visitor experience studies can help institutions transform a guest visit into deeper learning and long-term support.
Storytelling, revenue, and public influence
Sessions such as Stretching Your Storytelling: How to Do More with the Video You Have; Deep Currents: Unlocking the Power of Email Marketing; Marketing, PR & Government Affairs Rapid Fire; and Elevating Leadership: Strategies for Visibility, Voice, and Influence will examine how zoos and aquariums are building trust, extending content across platforms and positioning their leaders as credible public voices.
Revenue-focused sessions such as From Data to Dollars: Using the AZA Earned Revenue Survey, Internal KPIs, and AI to Advance Earned Income; Reimagining Legacy Events: From Tradition to Transformation; and Pushing Boundaries: New Audiences, New Revenues, Enhanced Mission-Delivery will offer operators, suppliers and designers insight on how to grow revenue while strengthening mission, community relevance and the overall guest experience.
General Sessions and conservation leadership
The 2026 Annual Conference will include General Sessions and the Honors & Awards Lunch. The opening General Session on Tuesday, September 29 will feature Amy Bowers Cordalis, executive director of the Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group. Cordalis is a member and former General Counsel of the Yurok Nation and author of The Water Remembers. Her work advancing Indigenous sovereignty and protecting cultural and natural resources, including efforts connected to the undamming of the Klamath River, will provide an inspirational and informative start to the week.
Exhibitors and EXPO LIVE presenters to watch
The exhibit hall will feature more than 200 exhibitors operating n the zoo and aquarium community. Exhibitors include Immotion and SimEx-Iwerks for immersive technology and attraction experiences, and Gateway Ticketing Systems, accesso, Anchor Operating Systems, Blackbaud and Tessitura for ticketing, CRM, operations and revenue infrastructure.
Design and construction specialists such as DesignLevel, CREO Exhibits, COST of Wisconsin, Nets Unlimited and PCL Construction will offer insight into habitat design, themed environments and specialist fabrication, while companies including Mazuri Exotic Animal Nutrition, and Aqua Logic, Inc. represent the operational systems that support animal care and aquarium environments. Conservation and storytelling partners, including Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, Elakha Alliance: Restoring Sea Otters Back to Oregon and Little Ray’s Exhibitions will also exhibit and share their initiatives.
Attendees will not want to miss presentations from Event Network, SSA Group, and others in the AZA Expo LIVE show theater. Hear 30-minute presentations from the AZA Commercial Member Engagement Council about trends in retail, guest relations, sustainability and conservation.
Oregon Zoo Hosts
Sessions will take place at the Oregon Convention Center with an Icebreaker event at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) on Monday September 28, which will offer attendees a lively welcome to the city along the Willamette River.
Oregon Zoo, located in Washington Park and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, will host Zoo Day on Thursday, October 1 with the theme “Together for Wildlife.” Attendees will experience the zoo, connect with colleagues and see conservation-focused work in action. Post-conference tours will be held at the Oregon Coast Aquarium and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park & Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Supporting SAFE
Proceeds from the SAFE Silent Auction will support AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction, which includes more than 55 species programs around the world and engages the work of nearly 90 percent of AZA members to protect wildlife and wild places.
The 2026 auction will also help build momentum toward growing the JoEllen Doornbos Endowment for SAFE to $10 million by 2029, with donations to AZA SAFE matched dollar for dollar up to $250,000 per year from 2026 through 2029.
Looking ahead
As the zoo and aquarium community gathers in Portland, the 2026 AZA Annual Conference will be both a celebration of the field and a working forum for its future. From AI strategy and visitor data to exhibit design, storytelling, revenue, conservation and animal wellbeing, the conference reflects a community focused on conservation and animal wellbeing while serving its guests and communities in a rapidly changing world.
Registration is open for the 2026 AZA Annual Conference, taking place September 26 to October 1 in Portland, Oregon. Attendees can view the full schedule, explore the General Sessions, review the exhibitor directory and learn more at annual.aza.org/2026.
