The city of João Pessoa was chosen as the venue of this important event, which will also congregate members of the Brazilian Society for the Study of Elasmobranchs (SBEEL), the American Elasmobranch Society (AES) and the Squalus Foundation from Colombia. João Pessoa, founded in August 5, 1585, is the capital of Paraíba state, northeastern Brazil. It is located in the easternmost point of the Americas, where a cape named Ponta do Seixas enters the Atlantic Ocean. Its coastline extends for 24 kilometers, with nine beaches. The downtown area and neighbouring municipalities present many historical and tourist sites.