Dear Marmamers, Marine mammal conservation inevitably involves a human dimension as it is the people involved that make the difference between life and death for individuals, and even entire species. Despite scientific evidence of declines in many marine mammal species, bycatch and other impacts are allowed to persist while stakeholders squabble over details and regulations. Targeted application of social science, psychology and marketing techniques may offer an innovative solution to many of these problems. This is why the Society for Conservation Biology Conservation Marketing and Engagement Working Group (ConsMark) is hosting the 1st International Conservation Marketing & Engagement Congress (ICMEC), to be held in the Washington DC Metro area in October 2018. We have extended our abstract deadline to accommodate government review processes. We are *accepting proposals for contributed presentations* *here <http://birenheide.com/scb2018/proposal.php>. * *The Call for Abstracts will be open until the end of 18th May, Eastern Time.* Instructions for submitting via the online system, along with further details about ICMEC, can be found at: *http://www.consmark.org/ <http://www.consmark.org/>*. A provisional program will be online soon. *Topics for workshops, symposia, action groups and presentations could include, but are not limited to:* - Case studies of effective outreach efforts - Innovative conservation campaign ideas and strategies - Advice and case studies for engaging with specific user groups (hunters, fishermen, policy makers) - Using social media, such as Twitter podcasting or Youtube to highlight a conservation issue and to engage the public - Interpreting conservation science for diverse audiences For all the latest ICMEC updates follow our social media accounts and *#ConsMark2018*. Twitter: @SCBConsMark <https://twitter.com/SCBConsMark> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCBConsMark/ We hope to see you there, *The ConsMark 2018 Team* *consmark2018@gmail.com <consmark2018@gmail.com>[image: Inline image 1] *
