The XII International Aroid Conference will take place at the Campus of the Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia from July 6-10, 2017. Cali is a metropolitan area of approximately 2.5 million people. It is located in southwestern Colombia, in the Valley of the Cauca River, between the Western and Central Cordilleras. Cali is the capital of the Department of Valle del Cauca which is one of the most diverse areas of Colombia with ecosystems ranging from the endangered Dry Tropical Forest to mega diverse Tropical Rainforest, including the Choco Biogeografic region, one of the most diverse regions in the world. The city is located 458 km from the capital (Bogotá) and is served by an international airport (Alfonso Bonilla Aragon, airport code CLO ) located 17 km from the city in the town of Palmira. Cali is known as the world capital of the salsa and Colombia was rated second in the list of top countries to visit in 2017 by Lonely Planet.

• First Circular and Call for Registration ( 01DEC2016 )
• Second Circular and Call for Registration ( 01MAR2017 )
• Registration Page - The official Conference Website and Registration Form
• Contact: xiiaroidconference@gmail.com
• Travel Information
  • Travel information and Accommodation recommendations from the official conference website
  • Bus Route Map for Cali
  • Basic Travel Information for Cali from WikiTravel.
  • Find Flights to Cali on Kayak
  • Hotels Near Universidad del Valle on Google Maps
  • Hotels in Cali on Tripadvisor
• Conference Fees
  • Registration ( includes lunch ) : $150 USD Professional / $50 USD Student
  • Banquet and Awards Ceremony ( optional ) : $30 USD
  • Field Trips : TBD

9:00 AM: Opening Remarks, Welcome: Alejandro Zuluaga
9:10 AM: Welcome: Maria Camila Pizano: Universidad ICESI
9:15 AM: Welcome: Universidad del Valle Official
9:20 AM: Plenary Session: Moderator Maria Camila Pizano
  A Review of the Studies with Araceae: Taxonomy and Ecology
  Thomas B. Croat, Missouri Botanical Garden
10:15 AM: Coffee Break
10:30 AM-12:00 PM: ARACEAE EVOLUTION
1:30 PM-5:00 PM: ECOLOGY AND POLLINATION: Moderator: Marc Gibernau
5:15-7:00 PM: Dinner
Evening Lecture: To Be Announced

8:30 AM Coffee and early morning Mixer
9:00 AM-12:00 PM: MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS: Moderator: Monica Carlsen
1:30 PM-5:00 PM: REVISIONARY AND MORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES

8:30 AM: Coffee and early morning Mixer
9:00 AM-12:00 PM: FLORISTIC STUDIES
1:30 PM-5:00 PM: HORTICULTURE: Moderator: Thomas Croat
6:30 PM–9:30 PM: International Aroid Conference Banquet and Awards Ceremony:

• H.W. Schott Award for Excellence in Aroid Research
• Bette Waterbury Award for Excellence in Aroid Horticulture
• Award for Best Poster Presentation
• Award for Best Oral Presentation

There are two optional field trips being planned.

1. To visit the Parque Nacional de los Farallones above Cali on July 9th.
2. To visit the western slopes of the Cordillera Occidental west of Cali. This trip requires two days to visit the area on July 9th-10th.