Earlier this year, the Elephant Managers Association (EMA) announced the annual conference to be held on October 12−16 and hosted by the Milwaukee County Zoo was canceled due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. The Milwaukee County Zoo graciously agreed to host the EMA Conference in 2021, but we did not want to wait that long for the opportunity to network and learn from our members and colleagues from around the world. So in 2020, for the first time, EMA will host our annual conference virtually, free to all members!

We will host the EMA virtual conference the same week as previously scheduled, October 12−16, 2020, via Zoom. All EMA members will be sent a link and password, allowing them access to the virtual conference all week long.

EMA is now accepting papers for the virtual conference. Please complete and submit the Call for Papers form by September 1, 2020. The Call for Papers Committee will be selecting papers that cover all topics in elephant management and through various formats, including traditional PowerPoint presentations and live feeds on training and enrichment from member facilities. All presentations will be 15 minutes long, with a five-minute question-and-answer period. All presenters must have good, stable internet connections. Presenters will be selected and notified of their acceptance by September 14, 2020. Once selected as a presenter, the Call for Papers Committee will set up an appointment to test their internet connection.

EMA President Vernon Presley stated, "I am happy that the EMA is continuing its annual tradition and hosting our first virtual conference. In unprecedented times you must adapt, and our Board Members and Executive Committee felt that it was important to fulfill this part of EMA's mission. It is an exciting time to be an EMA member. Not everyone can attend an in-person conference due to cost and staff challenges, but this virtual conference gives all members an opportunity to join us as we discover new ideas together."

Join the herd! Walk, bike, swim, or hike in honor of elephants around the world on Elephant Appreciation Day, September 22, 2020. By signing up for this virtual 5K event, proceeds will go to the EMA to aid in our mission: enhancing the welfare and survival of the world's elephants through improving communication, husbandry, research, education, and conservation.

The first 300 people who register for the event will receive a fantastic medal that you can wear proudly to show off your support for elephants and the EMA. Don't worry about your 5K time, this is all for a good cause. However, we would love to see your photos! Please tag us on social media using the hashtag #EMA2020virtual5K.

Donations are also being accepted if you're not able to participate in the 5K.

To register for this event, please visit: https://runsignup.com/Race/TX/Houston/EMAElephantAppreciationDay5K

Thank you for joining the herd and supporting our efforts. 

The launch of the EMA Small Grant Program in 2019 was a huge success. In 2020, EMA will award a grant of up to $2,000 to support work that furthers EMA's mission. This opportunity is open to anyone, including keepers, conservationists, and researchers.

The deadline for the grant application is April 15, 2020 at 11:59pm PST, and proposals can be submitted to grants@elephantmanagers.com. The complete instructions can be found by clicking here. For questions, please contact April Yoder at grants@elephantmanagers.com.

We are proud to share the Conference Proceedings from the 40th Annual EMA Conference, hosted by Denver Zoo in October 2019. Inside the proceedings, you'll find abstracts and slides from over 30 presentations spanning topics such as training, husbandry, veterinary care, research, education, legislation, and conservation.

To access proceedings, navigate to the members-only section of the website. An exclusive benefit of being an EMA member is gaining access to EMA's digital library, which includes 600 other presentations from EMA conferences dating back to 1980, along with a near-complete collection of past issues of JEMA and Gray Matters.