2007 Aquarium and Zoo Facilities Association (AZFA)

Conference Overview

            I would like to take a few minutes to thank all those AZFA members who attended this year’s conference. It was a privilege to be your host.

            The conference board meeting took place Saturday evening with the committee chairs, board of directors and AZFA officers attending. They met for over four hours to discuss issues unresolved from the mid-year conference, review financial reports, listen to committee reports and address new business brought forward from members.

            Conference attendees awoke to rain on Sunday morning but this did not dampen their spirits. Over 70 attendees and their guest boarded the bus at 8 AM for a trip to Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ) in Seattle. Several behind-the-scenes tours were provided by WPZ staff with Zoomasium being the hit of the day. After visiting the gift shop, attendees boarded busses at noon for a short trip to our second site visit for the day – the Seattle Aquarium. It is located right on Pier 59 and offers attendees a chance to visit Pike Place Market, see the first Starbucks coffee shop, eat lunch at any number of waterfront restaurants and still enjoy the amenities of the aquarium itself. During the bus ride back to the hotel, you could hear all the comments about how great it was to visit WPZ and Seattle Aquarium.

            The Ice Breaker was held at the hotel and for the first time, vendors were invited to attend. As host, I could not think of a better way for vendors and attendees to get acquainted than to have three hours to visit over food and refreshments. Though only scheduled from 6:30-9:30 PM, meetings between the groups continued well past closing time.

            The 2007 AZFA Conference business meeting was officially called to order at 8:30 AM by President Gary Norman. The president’s, secretary’s and treasurer’s reports were presented to attendees. Committee chairpersons brought forward information on the Facilities Design & Repair Resource (FDRR), Conservation, Membership, Honors and Awards, Accreditation, Nominating and Professional Relations committee meetings. The highlight of the business meeting was the announcement that Zoo Atlanta had been selected to host the 2009 AZFA Conference. A motion to close the business meeting was proposed and seconded at 10 AM. Cleveland Metro Parks, the host for the 2008 AZFA Conference, followed with a video presentation on what we can expect next year – Cleveland will certainly rock and you will not want to miss this conference.

            The afternoon session had four guest speakers who were excellent. Green Design, Zoomasium – A Gold Level LEED Facility, NFPA 150 – Fire & Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities and MSDS Software were all presented. Add to this the opportunity for attendees to discuss their product needs with vendors throughout the day and it was truly a day of learning for many of the staff from zoos around the country.  

            Tuesday morning brought four new guest speakers to the forum. In-house Renovation of Aging Exhibits, Zoo Horticulture – It’s Not About the Animals, When It Comes to Moving a Tree – How Big is Too Big and Penguin Exhibit Construction and Design were all presented. These speakers were exceptional and the subject matter kept everyone riveted. The afternoon was dedicated to a trip to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA). Lunch was served shortly after arrival followed by a show at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater. Don’t pay any attention to the stories about your host being dressed up as a cactus during the show. Attendees had a choice of behind-the-scenes tours consisting of the Rocky Shores filtration systems, the Animal Healthcare Facility designed with many green options, North & South Pacific Aquariums, Asian Forest Sanctuary with its’ underground transfer system for exhibit animals and the brand new million dollar maintenance facility. It was tough for them to choose which facilities to visit. After the group photo and a trip through the gift shop, we boarded the buses back to the hotel.

            Wednesday was to be a busy day. The breakfast banquet included announcement of annual awards, photo contest winners, raffle winners, new committee chairs and newly elected board members. The silent auction continued throughout the morning with over 100 items available to bid on. Over $2350 was raised from the silent auction and raffles. The banquet ended at 10 AM and attendees broke into their respective committees to meet with the chairperson and discuss strategic issues. Each of these committees will work throughout the year to bring new ideas to the table that will help the AZFA move forward into 2008.

            The Wednesday afternoon session was dedicated to roundtable discussions on Communication Methods in the Zoo, Construction and Maintenance Role in Zoos’ Environmental Enrichment Programs, Documenting Your Projects and Exhibit Glass and Pool Repair Methods. Conversations were lively and a sharing of ideas was the prominent theme. It was great to hear staff from all over the world explaining the methods they use to reach their goals. Closing comments were shared and the plaque identifying past conference hosts was awarded to Cleveland Metro Parks – the 2008 host.

            Though the conference was officially over, 61 people elected to stay another day for the post-conference trip to NW Trek and Mount Rainier National Park. The tram ride through NW Trek provided an opportunity to see elk, deer, caribou, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, buffalo, moose and more up close – sometimes within 10 feet. After a quick lunch at a local restaurant, it was off to Mount Rainier. The sun broke through early in the afternoon giving everyone an opportunity for some great photos of the mountain. We reached the visitor center just in time for it to begin snowing. Many spent the remaining time searching for souvenirs in the park’s gift shop before we headed for home. It was a tired group that arrived at the hotel at 6 PM.

            Again, I’d like to thank all that attended the 2007 AZFA conference and encourage you to attend next year’s conference in Cleveland. It will be as educational, entertaining and fun as I hope this year’s conference was for attendees.