Conferences

Our international conferences are the flagship gathering of the bear-science world. Held every 18-24 months and alternating between the Americas and other parts of the world, it unites researchers, wildlife managers, Indigenous experts, NGOs and students around all eight living bear species. With hundreds of oral papers, posters, field trips and side meetings, our conferences are where cutting-edge population data, new conservation tools and cross-continental collaborations first see the light of day.

While the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) lends its name and strategic guidance, each conference is actually run by a local organising committee that wins a competitive bid. Prospective hosts submit a detailed proposal covering venues, budgets, sponsorship plans and a robust scientific programme; IBA’s Council reviews and, if satisfied, formally endorses the bid. Once endorsed, the host committee handles every logistic—from fundraising to volunteer recruitment—while IBA provides branding, oversight and travel-grant support that helps early-career scientists and practitioners attend.

Complementing the International Conferences are a constellation of national and regional workshops. These shorter, issue-focused meetings tackle anything from Andean bear corridor design to advances in Asiatic black-bear DNA forensics. Organisers often collaborate with IBA to tap its scientific network and guidance, but they do not require formal Council approval—keeping the process nimble and responsive to emerging conservation challenges. Together, our conferences and various satellite workshops create a rolling, global forum for sharing knowledge and strengthening the science that underpins bear conservation.