Conference - TESSERE Zoo + Aquarium

Hosted By:

What is Echo?

ECHO is a small, annual gathering hosted by TESSERE’s Zoo and Aquarium Division. Previous hosts have included Sedgwick County Zoo (twice!), The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Akron Zoo, North Carolina Zoo, Birmingham Zoo, and Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. Its 8th year will be held at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.

ECHO exists because Zoos and Aquariums have unparalleled potential to captivate, fascinate, and empower future conservationists. To do so in an ever-complicated world, leaders must constantly reach for new and innovative ways to effectively deliver on their organization’s missions. Unlike many other industry conferences, ECHO provides space to explore challenges and opportunities through the lens of non-zoological experts.

Limited to 30 zoo and aquarium leaders, conversations are deep and connections meaningful. By crafting collisions between provocative ideas and courageous, creative people combined with candid dialogue, ECHO advances a vision for a revolutionary future of Zoos and Aquariums.

ECHO25 Theme

Reckoning with Our Roots | Advancing Zoos and Aquariums Toward a Just and Purposeful Future

Zoos and aquariums have long grappled with a complex history, leaving legacies that are now deeply embedded in systems and practices. At ECHO25, we’ll engage with outside thought partners to challenge assumptions and confront these legacies in transformative dialogue that explores what it means to honor our past while evolving to better serve both people and the planet.

Registration Opens October 24, 2024

What Attendees Are Saying

The opportunity to deep-dive into high-concept ideas with colleagues across the industry is rare and ECHO provides the best environment for this that I have ever experienced.

It is my favorite conference of the year. I have a hard time calling it a conference. More like a think tank experience with colleagues.

I’ve attended over 50 conferences in my career, ECHO is the best.

Truly one of the best conferences I have ever attended. I feel grateful for the impact it will have on our industry.

The external industry leaders are the core reason that ECHO is so valuable, both digitally and in person.

This is the best professional development opportunity out there for our industry.

ECHO is a place where paradigms can shift for the betterment of zoos, their standards, practices, and operations.

group of zoo leaders at echo 2024

Schedule

Schedule at a Glance

All Day

All Day	Attendees Travel to Tacoma
	Attendees On Own

Tuesday, June 17

12:00 pm	Opening Session
6:30 pm	An Evening at the Museum of Glass
Note:	The schedule is developing. Times are subject to change.

Wednesday, June 18

TBA	Breakfast at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
	Sessions
Note:	The schedule is developing. Times are subject to change.

Thursday, June 19

TBA	Breakfast at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
TBA	Closing Dinner at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
Note:	The schedule is developing. Times are subject to change.

ECHO25 is an All-Inclusive Experience

Your $2,195 Registration Fee Includes:

Programming: Three days and nights of workshops, presentations, and networking
Travel: Roundtrip airfare* or mileage/car rental reimbursement
Transportation: Event-related ground transportation
Lodging: Hotel room for four nights
Dining: Event-related food & beverage

Attendance at ECHO is by invitation only, and our curated guest list includes executive-level leaders from zoos and aquariums. If you are not yet on our guest list and would like to be considered, please email echo@tessere.com.

ECHO is a high-energy, deep-thinking, and intimate gathering, and as such, seats are limited. While multiple leaders from each organization may receive an invitation, attendance is limited to one person per organization. That said, we recognize there is value in shared experience, so let’s chat if your organization is interested in sending an additional representative.

*Applies to continental flights.

Travel information

Travel to ECHO25 is easy! Let us help with arrangements. Registration includes:

Travel: Roundtrip airfare* or mileage/car rental reimbursement.
Event-related ground transportation
Waterfront hotel room for 4 nights with a view of Commencement Bay

*Applies to continental flights.

Cambria Hotel Columbia Downtown The Vista

ECHO25 Conference Hotel

Silver Cloud Hotel Tacoma at Point Ruston Waterfront

5125 Grand Loop, Ruston, WA 98407

View Hotel

To offset the climate impact of travel to ECHO25, Tessere has made a donation to the American Forest Foundation’s Family Forest Carbon Program. Learn more about their mission and programs here.