Registration and Welcome Drinks
Join us on Sunday 8 December to collect your conference name badge and network with fellow attendees.
When: Sunday 8 December, 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
Tickets: This event is included for all Full Registrations. Additional tickets are $30 can be purchased via the conference registration site.
Barbara Rice Memorial Poster Session
At the Barbara Rice Memorial Poster Sessions, poster presenters will be standing by their posters to discuss their research in a casual and collaborative setting. Drinks and light snacks will be served.
Using ESA’s famous “sticky dot” system, take time to speak with poster presenters, and be rewarded with a coloured ‘sticky dot’. Earn 2 sticky dots and redeem these dots for an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage.
When Monday 9 December, 5.45pm – 7.45pm
Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
Tickets: This event is included for all Full Registrations and Monday Day Registrations. Additional tickets are $35 can be purchased via the conference registration site.
Movie – Follow the Rain
When: Monday 9 December 2024, 7.30pm
Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
Tickets: Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased via the conference registration site.
In one of the wettest years on record in Australia, photographer Stephen Axford and filmmaker Catherine Marciniak followed in the path of the rain to document the fungi that emerged. Their mission – to discover why scientists now think life on earth as we know it, would not exist without fungi. It is an exploration of the world of fungi like you have never seen it – combining a decade of research, passion, Stephen and Catherine’s exquisite fungi time-lapses and footage, and the most incredible fungi stories. It is a pioneering fungi safari with breath-taking imagery while unearthing the foundation of life down under. Other characters include mycologists Dr Tom May, Dr Camille Truong, Prof Roger Shivas and Prof Teresa Lebel.
More information:
- Follow the Rain | Documentary Australia
- Planet Fungi: Follow the Rain – Documentary by Stephen Axford & Catherine Marciniak
Conference Dinner
When: Wednesday 11 December 2024, 6.30pm
Where: M-Pavilion, Melbourne Zoo, Elliott Avenue, Parkville Victoria 3052 (enter via the main Zoo gate from 6.30pm)
Please note that this is primarily a stand up event, with substantial canapes, rather than a sit-down dinner.
Tickets: Tickets to the Conference Dinner are $120 inc GST per person and can be purchased via the conference registration site. Tickets are limited so we recommend getting in quick if you would like to purchase a ticket.
Tickets include:
- substantial canapes (stand up dinner)
- a guided zoo tour
- limited drinks (cash bar will be available after 9pm)
- coach transfers from MCEC
A relaxed opportunity to network or just meet up with old and new friends. There will be DJ entertainment and unlimited rides on the Melbourne Zoo Carousel. After dinner a cash bar will be available.
Zoo Tour: A zoo tour is now included in your Conference Dinner ticket. Tours will run for 30 minutes and you will be asked to pre-select your preferred time.
The Carnivores – guided tour throughout the Carnivores trail. Come face to face with some of our most impressive carnivores (and one or two omnivores), including Sumatran Tigers, African Lions, Snow Leopards and the Reticulated Python.
Trail of the Elephants – guided tour throughout the Trail of the Elephants. Stroll through the tall bamboo as you spot the Asian Elephants, Sumatran Tiger and the Asian Small clawed Otter. A highlight also includes a tour through the warm tropical Butterfly house.
Growing Wild – guided tour through Growing Wild plus a visit to Gorillas and Giraffes. Visit our cheeky meerkats as your stroll through Growing Wild and visit our Aldabra Giant Tortoise before swinging past the jungle to meet our gorillas and finish with an up close view of our Giraffes.
Transport: Buses will depart MCEC (Convention Centre Place) at 6.00pm (if you are doing a Pre-Dinner Tour, an early bus will leave at 5.30pm). Return shuttles to MCEC will depart Melbourne Zoo from 8.30pm. Last coach departs at 10.00pm.
If you are making your own way to Melbourne Zoo, there is plenty of car parking (car parking is $2 for a five hour ticket and is run by Melbourne City Council) as well as public transport by tram, train or bus. The Zoo Main Gate is the closest to M Pavilion (our Dinner venue).
Early Career Ecologist Events
ECE Careers Forum and Networking Session
We are excited to announce an engaging forum dedicated to early career ecologists at the upcoming ESA2024 conference on Wednesday, December 11th, from 3:30 PM. This is a unique opportunity to hear from nine diverse speakers representing local and state government, natural resource management, NGOs, industry, traditional owners, consultancies, zoos and botanical gardens, and academia.
Each speaker will share a brief 5-minute talk about their career journey, the skills that propelled them to success, and insights into their current roles. Following the presentations, there will be a Q&A session, allowing you to ask questions and gain valuable advice directly from professionals in their field.
Join us after the forum for a 1.5-hour informal Networking Session. Here, you’ll be able to connect with the speakers, delve deeper into their work, and explore potential career paths in ecology.
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
ECE Mentor Booth
We are thrilled to offer a dedicated Mentor Booth at this year’s ESA2024 conference. This booth will run across all days of the conference and provides a unique opportunity for ECEs to engage in one-on-one ‘speed’ mentoring sessions with established ecologists across various fields, including local and state government, natural resource management, NGOs, industry, traditional owners, consultancies, zoos and botanical gardens, and academia.
Each mentoring session will be a concise 10 minutes, allowing you to seek guidance, ask questions, and gain insights from experienced professionals in your area of interest. Sessions will take place in the mornings before talks start, from 8:30 to 9:00 AM, and during two lunch slots (1:00 to 1:30 PM, and 1:30 to 2:00 PM).
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE MENTORS and CLICK HERE TO RESERVE A PLACE