Guest Speakers
We are extremely excited to showcase the line-up of impressive guest speakers
Ken Ramirez, Tim Sullivan and Rick Hester.
Rumour has it there is another guest speaker that may be joining us as well.
Ken Ramirez, Tim Sullivan and Rick Hester.
Rumour has it there is another guest speaker that may be joining us as well.
Ken Ramirez
EVP and Chief Training Officer
Ken Ramirez is the EVP and Chief Training Officer for Karen Pryor Clicker Training where he helps to oversee the vision, development and implementation of training education programs. Previously, Ken served as EVP of animal care and training at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. A nearly 50 year veteran of animal care and training, Ramirez is a biologist and behavior specialist who has worked with many zoological organizations and dog programs throughout the world. He is past president of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association and has been active in various leadership positions within IMATA for over 40 years.
Tim Sullivan
CURATOR of BEHAVIORAL HUSBANDRY
Tim has worked for the Chicago Zoological Society at Brookfield Zoo for the last 40 years. He spent the first half of his career as a keeper/trainer in the marine mammal department and later as a supervisor in the pachyderm department.
It was here that he helped develop an elephant protected-contact behaviour management program and began teaching training to zoo staff. This experience led to his current role as the Zoo's Curator of Behavioural Husbandry. Tim's primary responsibilities are to manage the Zoo’s animal training and environmental enrichment programs developing the knowledge and skill of over 100 animal keepers.
It was here that he helped develop an elephant protected-contact behaviour management program and began teaching training to zoo staff. This experience led to his current role as the Zoo's Curator of Behavioural Husbandry. Tim's primary responsibilities are to manage the Zoo’s animal training and environmental enrichment programs developing the knowledge and skill of over 100 animal keepers.
Rick Hester
CURATOR OF BEHAVIORAL HUSBANDRY
Rick oversees all the zoo's behavioral programming. His work includes the zoo's animal training for husbandry, medical, and public show behaviors, enrichment, developing programs to improve problem behavior situations, the zoo's formal animal welfare assessments, and exhibit design for behavior goals.
In 2015, he started working with Dr. Susan Friedman and began to understand the importance of behavior analysis and its application for animals in human care.
Rick is adjunct faculty at Colorado State University in the Department of Biology and a consultant and course co-instructor for Susan Friedman's Behavior Works LLC.
In 2015, he started working with Dr. Susan Friedman and began to understand the importance of behavior analysis and its application for animals in human care.
Rick is adjunct faculty at Colorado State University in the Department of Biology and a consultant and course co-instructor for Susan Friedman's Behavior Works LLC.
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But wait there is more....
Stay tuned for our final speaker.
Stay tuned for our final speaker.
Conference Theme
Original conference logo design by Nicholas Bishop
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Abstract submissions are now closed.
The conference on the Gold Coast will be filled with insightful material related to animal training and welfare.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of abstract submission by the 15th February 2023.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of abstract submission by the 15th February 2023.
Schedule
Please see below for a summary of the schedule for the ATC conference.
Additional details and logistics will be shared in early 2023.
Each day attendees are advised to either meet in the lobby of Sea World Resort or at the front entrance to Sea World.
Throughout the conference, attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and bring a hat and sunscreen, as some parts of the day will be spent outside. There will be outdoor activities each day which will involve a fair amount of walking.
Additional details and logistics will be shared in early 2023.
Each day attendees are advised to either meet in the lobby of Sea World Resort or at the front entrance to Sea World.
Throughout the conference, attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and bring a hat and sunscreen, as some parts of the day will be spent outside. There will be outdoor activities each day which will involve a fair amount of walking.
Tuesday
23rd May
23rd May
Icebreaker - The Boatshed - Sea World Resort 6pm - 8pm
The Icebreaker event is an opportunity to meet fellow conference attendees.
Cocktail food and soft drinks will be provided. Alcoholic drinks can be purchased at the bar.
Cocktail food and soft drinks will be provided. Alcoholic drinks can be purchased at the bar.
Wednesday
24th May
24th May
Day 1 - Sea World - Paradise Room 7.45am - 5pm
The day will include presentations and workshops from our guest speakers, behind the scene experiences and presentations from fellow attendees.
Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be included.
Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be included.
Thursday 25th May
Day 2 - Sea World - Paradise Room + visit to Paradise Country 8am - 8pm
The day will begin at Sea World and will include presentations and workshops from our guest speakers. After lunch there will be a bus transfer to Paradise Country, where we will spend the afternoon followed by a BBQ dinner before heading back to Sea World.
Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner will be included.
Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner will be included.
Friday
26th May
26th May
Day 3 - Sea World - Paradise Room 8am - 5pm
The day will include presentations and workshops from our guest speakers, behind the scene experiences and presentations from fellow attendees.
Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be included.
Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be included.
Saturday 27th May
Day 4 - Sea World - Paradise Room + Dinner 8am - 11pm
The day will include presentations and workshops from our guest speakers, behind the scene experiences and presentations from fellow attendees. The day will wrap at 4pm.
At 6pm the conference celebration dinner will begin with an evening dolphin presentation. Dinner will be at The Boatshed at Sea World Resort and will include a silent auction. All funds raised go towards a regional scholarship that ATC will offer to further grow the skillset of a trainer at a USA workshop to be advised.
Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner will be included. Please note at the dinner soft drinks will be provided, alcoholic drinks can be purchased at the bar.
At 6pm the conference celebration dinner will begin with an evening dolphin presentation. Dinner will be at The Boatshed at Sea World Resort and will include a silent auction. All funds raised go towards a regional scholarship that ATC will offer to further grow the skillset of a trainer at a USA workshop to be advised.
Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner will be included. Please note at the dinner soft drinks will be provided, alcoholic drinks can be purchased at the bar.
Don't miss out....
Register by Sunday 19th February to secure an early bird conference rate. We look forward to seeing you there.
Location
Sea World - Paradise Room
Sea World Drive, Main Beach QLD
Sea World - Paradise Room is located at the front of the park.
Attendees staying at Sea World Resort will be escorted down to the Paradise Room each day.
If attendees are arriving from elsewhere, please park in the main Sea World carpark.
Attendees will be collected from the main entrance.
Sea World Drive, Main Beach QLD
Sea World - Paradise Room is located at the front of the park.
Attendees staying at Sea World Resort will be escorted down to the Paradise Room each day.
If attendees are arriving from elsewhere, please park in the main Sea World carpark.
Attendees will be collected from the main entrance.
Additional Events
We have 2 additional events at the 2023 conference. Please see details below. The below events are at an additional cost and participants can register during their conference registration process. Once you select your conference registration ticket, you can select these additional events on the next page.
Enrichment Workshop with Tim Sullivan
Tuesday 23rd may 9am - 4pm
Join Tim Sullivan, Curator of Behavioral Husbandry at Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, for a learning filled day on all things enrichment!
Tim's primary responsibilities in his role at Brookfield Zoo are to manage the zoo’s animal training and environmental enrichment programs developing the knowledge and skill of over 100 animal keepers.
Tim is currently on the instructor teams of the Association of Zoo and Aquariums (AZA) annual Animal Training Applications and Environmental Enrichment in Zoos and Aquariums courses.
This workshop will include topics such as:
Less than 10 spots remaining!! Register now!
Tim's primary responsibilities in his role at Brookfield Zoo are to manage the zoo’s animal training and environmental enrichment programs developing the knowledge and skill of over 100 animal keepers.
Tim is currently on the instructor teams of the Association of Zoo and Aquariums (AZA) annual Animal Training Applications and Environmental Enrichment in Zoos and Aquariums courses.
This workshop will include topics such as:
- Brief History of Environmental Enrichment
- Principles of Environmental Enrichment
- Goal-Setting Activity
- Welfare - Enrichment at the Individual Level
- Enrichment walk through at Sea World
- Time Management- Making the Most of Your Valuable Time
- Putting it All together and Looking Ahead
Less than 10 spots remaining!! Register now!
Crickey! Day trip to Australia Zoo!
SUNDAY 28TH MAY 8AM - 6PM
Enjoy a day at Australia Zoo which is located 2 hours north of the Gold Coast, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Attendees are to meet at Sea World Resort Conference Centre car park no later than 7.45AM.
The bus to Australia Zoo will depart promptly at 8am.
Our expected arrival at Australia Zoo is 10am.
The Australia Zoo visit opportunities will include:
The day will also include exclusive training demonstrations by the Australia Zoo team including:
Komodo Dragon Training Session
Jabiru Free Flight Session
Just to name a few!
We will depart from Australia Zoo at approximately 4pm with an expected arrival time back at Sea World Resort is 6pm.
The bus to Australia Zoo will depart promptly at 8am.
Our expected arrival at Australia Zoo is 10am.
The Australia Zoo visit opportunities will include:
- Tigers LIVE!
- Elephants LIVE!
- Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Show
- Birds of Prey LIVE!
- Explore the zoo yourself… there is soooo much more to discover.
The day will also include exclusive training demonstrations by the Australia Zoo team including:
Komodo Dragon Training Session
Jabiru Free Flight Session
Just to name a few!
We will depart from Australia Zoo at approximately 4pm with an expected arrival time back at Sea World Resort is 6pm.
Conference Pricing
| Full Conference | Early bird | Standard |
| ASZK Member | $750 | $800 |
| Non-member + 1 year ASZK membership* | $820* | $870* |
| Non-member | $840 | $890 |
Early bird ends on 19th February 2023.
After that, the standard rates apply.
*Take advantage of this great offer. The offer includes a 1 year full membership - Electronic Thylacinus with ASZK and automatic discounted full conference registration.
This ticket is for attendees that are currently not ASZK members but wish to sign up and includes full conference registration at a member price.*
Full conference registration includes all events including icebreaker, visit to Paradise Country, BBQ dinner at PC and the wrap-up dinner on the last night. Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are also included each day.
After that, the standard rates apply.
*Take advantage of this great offer. The offer includes a 1 year full membership - Electronic Thylacinus with ASZK and automatic discounted full conference registration.
This ticket is for attendees that are currently not ASZK members but wish to sign up and includes full conference registration at a member price.*
Full conference registration includes all events including icebreaker, visit to Paradise Country, BBQ dinner at PC and the wrap-up dinner on the last night. Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are also included each day.
If you register for the full conference or any of the a la carte options, a discounted rate on the two additional events listed below applies.
Enrichment workshop includes morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
Enrichment workshop includes morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
| Additional Events | Early bird | Standard |
| Enrichment Workshop | $120 | $170 |
| Australia Zoo Day | $50 | $75 |
For those who wish to ONLY attend a single event and not the full conference, please see a price list below.
| A La Carte | Early bird | Standard |
| Single Day ASZK Member | $150 | $200 |
| Single Day Non-Member | $250 | $300 |
| Icebreaker | $50 | $75 |
| Paradise Country visit and dinner | $100 | $150 |
| Conference Celebration Dinner | $150 | $200 |
Single day registration DOES NOT include a ticket to icebreaker, visit to Paradise Country, BBQ dinner at PC or wrap-up dinner.
Conference Merchandise
Conference merchandise can be purchased at the registration page. Limited merchandise will be available to purchase at the conference. Stay tuned for full product images soon.
Cap - $20
T-shirt (Unisex sizes available) - $30
T-shirt (Unisex sizes available) - $30
Accommodation
Sea World Resort
Sea World Resort
Sea World Resort is our host hotel. Located at the rear of the theme park, conference attendees are encouraged to make a reservation at Sea World Resort for a more inclusive conference experience.
Conference attendees will be given a discounted rate.
Room rates for Tues - Thurs nights are $189 per room/per night.
Room rates for Fri - Sat nights is $214 per room/per night.
The above is room only and is subject to availability at the time of booking
Conference rates can be extended up to 3 days before and 3 days after the conference subject to availability.
Onsite Hotel Parking
Limited free car parking is available onsite at Sea World Resort.
More information click on the Sea World Resort logo above or click the button below to secure your hotel reservation, which will automatically apply the conference discount.
Conference attendees will be given a discounted rate.
Room rates for Tues - Thurs nights are $189 per room/per night.
Room rates for Fri - Sat nights is $214 per room/per night.
The above is room only and is subject to availability at the time of booking
- Making an early reservation is strongly encouraged, as there are only a limited number of discount rooms available.
Conference rates can be extended up to 3 days before and 3 days after the conference subject to availability.
Onsite Hotel Parking
Limited free car parking is available onsite at Sea World Resort.
More information click on the Sea World Resort logo above or click the button below to secure your hotel reservation, which will automatically apply the conference discount.
Sponsors
We are proud to announce that Encore is one of our conference sponsors. Encore are our AV suppliers, click on their logo below to find out more information.
Stay tuned for a list of conference sponsors - coming soon.
Stay tuned for a list of conference sponsors - coming soon.
