Bids will be assessed on the quality of the proposal
Emphasis should be on ensuring the broadest representation amongst attendees, free exchange of research and conservation ideas and objectives, developing new collaborations and friendships and improving our collective ability to study amphibians and reptiles and conserve them and their habitats.
The following guidelines will be considered by the WCH Executive Committee
a suitable congress director & hosting institutions,
a strong organising committee (including local & regional herpetologists),
a strong scientific program committee (including local & regional herpetologists)
economic feasibility & affordability,
conference facilities & organisation,
security & travel restrictions imposed on countries (e.g. entry & visa requirements),
accessibility to airline travel from around the globe,
biological & cultural diversity in the location,
the position on the global rotation,
minimized carbon footprint.
Bids must be submitted by the 30th September 2019, to the Secretary General Elect for the World Congress of Herpetology, Dr. Judit Vörös, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Hungary. Email:
Suitable bid contenders will be invited to present their bids at the WCH9 in New Zealand in January 2020
Flexible Global Rotation for hosting the WCH Congress in 2024
The WCH has now successfully run 8 world congresses in various locations around the world, including all zoogeographic regions.
The 9th WCH will be hosted in Dunedin, New Zealand, 5-10 January 2020 and this will be the second time of these meetings in the region of Australasia.
Considering the year and location of previous WCH meetings, the following list provides a basis for global rotation from 2024 onwards:
Palearctic Europe
Africa
Oriental Asia
Neotropical America
Nearctic America
Palearctic Asia
Australasia & Pacific Islands
A flexible rotation will allow WCH to ensure congresses are fairly and evenly rotated around the different zoogeographic regions of the world. The rotation is flexible and acts as a guide only, and may not be strictly adhered to, however the position on the rotation list will be considered when assessing bids for future WCH congresses. Once a region successfully hosts a WCH congress its region will be placed at the bottom of the table, and will not be eligible to bid for the subsequent congress until it moves higher up the list.
Bids should include information on the proposed WCH including:
the conference director
the organising committee members
technical organiser company
the chair and members of the scientific program committee
hosting institution(s)
proposed dates
detailed information on the location (transport & accommodation available) & venue (conference facilities)
proposed registration and accommodation fees
proposed optional study/field tours and social programs
an informative budget
a letter from each hosting institution's leader to declare the willingness to participate in organising the congress
Bids will be distributed amongst the WCH Executive and International Herpetological Committees for feedback and consideration, and the venue and date of the Congress will be determined by the Executive Committee.
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