ASCD Annual and ISTELive 25 Co-location

Information for our Industry Community

We're thrilled to announce a game-changer for your professional learning: we will be co-locating the ASCD and ISTELive annual conferences in 2025! This new offering promises an unparalleled learning experience where participants will be able to connect with some of the brightest minds in education, explore how technology can spark curiosity, and discover opportunities to make learning more meaningful and engaging.

Future Years

General Questions

Q: What is the event called? Are there two separate events or one joint event?
A: We are co-locating our two annual conferences, ASCD25 and ISTELive 25, so each event will continue with their historical names.

Q: When will these events be held?
A: June 29-July 2, 2025.

Q: Where will the events be located?
A: Conference content will be held at the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center, Grand Hyatt San Antonio and San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio, TX. The expo will be held at the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center.

Q: How will the audience size change/increase?
A: The combined event will draw over 20,000 educators from both the ASCD and ISTELive communities.

Q: How will audience demographics evolve?
A: The newly co-located event and combined expo will feature a rich program and exhibit hall to support the ASCD and ISTELive audiences, and we expect both demographic groups to have strong representation. You’ll now find key edtech decision makers and system and instructional leaders in one place. Full demographics for the events are available here: ASCD and ISTELive. More information will be available later in the year.

Exhibitor General Info

Q: Will there be separate expos for each organization?
A: The expo will be a blended experience, shared across both events. This will allow companies to most efficiently capture maximum value of the combined audiences within a single exhibiting experience.

Q: How will I find my core audience within the blended expo?
A: We’re intentionally designing the event to make this easy with a variety of visual and technical strategies, from straightforward opportunities like lanyard color and individual badge designs to social events and a new “Decision Makers’ lounge.” (See more about that below.)

Q: Historically, the ISTELive and ASCD Annual expo halls had different rules and somewhat different purposes. What is the philosophy behind this newly blended experience?
A: We’re designing a new exhibit hall experience that will incorporate some elements from both events, and will also feature some new opportunities. At the core of this experience are three pillars:

• Our expo floor is about learning. That means we do not permit selling, price posting, or order taking on the exhibit floor itself. Booths are learning spaces for demos, sessions, and community engagement around products.
• We create meaningful business value for our exhibitors. We’re introducing some new opportunities where selling is permitted, including a “Decision Makers’ Lounge” to support companies and attendees alike in their procurement goals. This lounge will be located in proximity to the exhibit hall and will be a great place to continue sales discussions in a dedicated area while not changing the feel of our learning-focused expo floor.
• Community is at the heart of our work, and industry participants play an important role in the community. We have new opportunities planned to bring together our industry and educator communities with social events, “lunch and learns” and new programming and feedback opportunities between educators and product designers.
• Bi-Directional Learning and Feedback: This co-located event offers new opportunities for solution providers and educators to collaborate, learn from each other, and generate meaningful conversations that improve effectiveness of solutions. In this co-located event, we plan to expand our programming for product and learning designers through thought leadership, feedback sessions (e.g., focus groups), and Edtech R&D demonstrations.

Q: With ASCD24 taking place before ISTELive 24, how will booth space selection for 2025 work?
A: Booth space for 2025 will happen in two phases with different levels of space availability offered in March during the ASCD Annual Conference and June at ISTELive.

• For ASCD Exhibitors:
  • At the ASCD event in March, ASCD exhibitors will be given the first opportunity to reserve display space in a new area offering 5’ x 10’ booths (not traditional 10’x10’ booth space). These are being offered to ASCD exhibitors to support the transition to the blended expo.
  • ASCD exhibitors interested in larger booth spaces can reserve larger booth spaces (available in 10’x10’ increments) when the full floor plan is available for pre-selection during the combined space selection process held during ISTELive 24 in June. There are three ways to participate:
    • By attending a virtual space selection meeting with one of our team members.
    • By attending an in-person space selection meeting at ISTELive 24 in June (scheduled times will be communicated out to exhibitors in advance).
    • By submitting booth space size and preferences to Exhibits Management, who will proxy a selection on your behalf during your scheduled selection time.
• For ISTELive exhibitors:
  • Meetings will take place at ISTELive 24 as usual. There are no expected changes to the sales process traditionally held onsite.

Q: Historically, ASCD and ISTELive pricing has differed. What will the new blended expo pricing structure be?
A: We’ve intentionally designed a new option to create an easy on-ramp for exhibitor participation featuring a new booth size option to help ensure that pricing from each legacy exhibiting company can remain stable during this transition. See above for more details.

Q: Can exhibitor staff attend sessions?
A: Yes, we encourage exhibitors to participate in the conference. Each contracted exhibitor receives an allotment of complimentary full-conference registrations based on booth size, which will allow the badge holder to attend all conference activities that do not require an additional fee (e.g., ticketed workshops and special fee-based events). Allotments are based on the total number of booths contracted by the company. Additional registrations will be available for purchase at a special discounted rate.

Q: What benefits are included in booth packages?
A: Primarily, we’ll be following the ISTELive standard booth package while adding additional complimentary full-conference registrations and booth staff badges. Booth reservations include the following benefits depending upon size of space purchased:

• 7” x 44” identification sign with company name and booth number (in-line and peninsula booths only)
• Pipe railing, 8’ curtain backwall and 3’ high curtain side rails (in-line booths only)
• Complimentary, full-conference registrations for each contracted company based on size of booth on the following schedule:
  • 50-300 sq. ft = 1 complimentary full registration
  • 400-800 sq. ft. = 3 complimentary full registrations
  • 900-1600 sq. ft. = 6 complimentary full registrations
  • 2000+ sq. ft. = 8 complimentary full registrations
• Special exhibitor discounted pricing on additional full-conference registrations purchased (beyond the complimentary allotment).
• Seven complimentary booth staff (exhibitor) badges per 10' x 10' booth space; four complimentary booth staff (exhibitor) badges per 5’ x 10’ booth space
• Descriptive listing in the conference mobile app, online floor plan and exhibitor search
• General security guard service
• Daily aisle maintenance

Booth rental does not include storage, placement, shipment or reshipment of exhibit materials, special lighting, booth furnishings, tables, chairs, electrical supplies, carpet, individual booth cleaning or any other special services orders by the exhibitor.

Additional Opportunities

Q: Will there be deeper ways to engage with the event, such as sponsorship and advertising opportunities?
A: Yes! There will be a variety of additional sponsorship, marketing, and programming opportunities designed to enhance your event goals and experience. More information will be available about these opportunities in early fall.

Q: How can I learn more about the changes for educator participants?
A: To learn more about plans for the attendee experience in 2025, please see the event educator FAQs.