Hotel

Scholarships

Conference Schedule

Speakers

APHE Marketplace

Exhibitors

2026 Conference Locations

APHE's 2026 Conference will be taking place in the heart of downtown Oakland, CA, at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) April 29th - May 1st, 2026.

Based on member feedback, we will be kicking off the conference with optional pre-conference Learning Labs and Panel Discussion on Wednesday, April 29th, followed by our popular conference mixer that same evening.  Additional registration required for Learning Labs and Panel Discussion; lunch provided for attendees.

Our annual APHE Dinner and Nathania Gartman Heroes Award presentation will take place from 6-9pm on Thursday, April 30th, 2026, at The Fat Lady Bar & Restaurant, conveniently located within walking distance of the hotel! 

Visiting Oakland for the first time?  Get ideas for what to do in Condé Nast's 2025 #1 "Best Food City."

2026 Conference Hotel Information

While there are multiple hotel and accommodation options within a short walk from our conference venue, APHE is partnering with the Hampton Inn Oakland Downtown-City Center to offer a discounted room rate of $149 per night. To reserve your room with the discounted rate, please use this booking link. 

Please note: There are only a limited number of rooms and room types available for the hotel block.  In order to ensure receiving a discount and securing an available room, we recommend booking as soon as possible.

Transportation to and from hotel:

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is available for transportation throughout the area and is often significantly cheaper than Uber/Lyft.  There is a direct BART route (approx. 30 minutes) from the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) to the conference hotel.  The Hampton Inn does not provide shuttle service.

The Hampton Inn Oakland Downtown-City Center offers a variety of accessibility features in order to provide a comfortable experience for all guests. For questions about more information about room options, common areas, or special services relating to a specific disability please contact the hotel directly at +1 510-607-8200 and select the option for the front desk.

What to expect at the Hampton Inn Oakland Downtown-City Center?

This brand new hotel in the heart of downtown Oakland features an assortment of amenities including free WiFi, fitness center, digital key access, hot breakfast every morning, and more.  It's not only a short walk from our conference location (OACC), but also a variety of local attractions including the Oakland Museum of California, Fox Theater, Jack London Square, Lake Merritt, and many others!

Who typically attends the APHE National Humane Education Conference? 

Attendees from all over the world! Our members and registrants hail from both sides of the hemisphere.

Attendees include humane educators from a variety of backgrounds who promote humane attitudes toward people, animals, and the environment. This includes, but is not limited to, anyone who teaches animal welfare, animal rights, animal behavior, environmental education and literacy, social justice, character education, cultural studies, and any combination of the above.

The conference allows staff and volunteers of animal shelters, animal care and control agencies, zoos, museums, park districts, schools, colleges, universities, and other local, regional, and national entities to learn and share together.

2026 Conference Buddies

Is this your first time attending APHE's conference? Are you coming alone? To help enhance the conference experience, registrants can sign up for our conference buddies option! Signing up will connect you with a fellow conference attendee or a small group of attendees who you can attend workshops with, have meals with, etc.! Our goal is to build relationships and foster collaboration and lasting memories to strengthen the humane education community! If you are interested in signing up for a conference buddy, there will be an opportunity to opt in for more information in the conference registration form. If you have questions, please email info@aphe.org.

Continuing Education Units

The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

APHE is an approved provider of content which enhances professional competence and aligns with the CAWA Exam specifications.

National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA)

This conference has been approved for Continuing Educational Units by NACA. National certificate holders can submit for credit consistent with the NACA CEU policy.

2026 Conference T-Shirts

COMING SOON!  Please check back in February for more information about preordering your 2026 conference t-shirt!