5 Reasons to Attend iCon This Year

#Events

Lauren Gilchrist

by Lauren Gilchrist

Lauren Gilchrist Edtech Thought Leader

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iCon, Skyward’s international conference, is just a couple months away! If you’re not familiar with iCon, want to learn more about it, or just want a sneak peek into this year’s event, this message is for you. Here are 5 of the many reasons to attend this year:

1. The Keynote

For the first time in a long time, we’ll have a keynote speaker at iCon, and we couldn’t be more excited. Dr. Joe Sanfelippo, the superintendent at Fall Creek School District in Wisconsin, will be inspiring us with words of wisdom on school branding and telling your district’s story. If you’ve never heard of Dr. Sanfelippo, here’s a glimpse at his résumé:

Honored twice at the White House by the US Department of Education for being a Future Ready Superintendent and a Personalized Learning Leader
Named one of five K-12 administrators to watch in 2018 by Education Dive
Co-author of three books, including The Power of Branding: Telling Your School’s Story

2. The Theme

What’s your story? If you don't tell it, someone else will.

In line with Dr. Sanfelippo’s message, this year’s conference will have a storytelling theme. Much like every school system has a story to tell, we strongly suspect every iCon attendee will have unique experiences, takeaways, and "Aha!" moments. Whether you're sharing existing stories or making new ones, you'll be in exactly the right place.

3. The Sessions

iCon is structured so all attendees can build schedules that suit their interests and their districts’ needs. Create your own schedule by choosing from 40+ sessions on a variety of topics including parent engagement, security best practices, and fee management. Some sessions are led by Skyward staff, while others are taught by Skyward users like you who have found ways to improve their districts and want to share that knowledge with their peers. Check out the preliminary agenda here.

4. The Networking

Three days of mixing and mingling with your K-12 peers and Skyward staff: that’s what you’ll experience at iCon. From formal one-on-one sessions in the Help Room to an informal beach-side cocktail social, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to connect with new friends whose advice and experiences can help you become better at what you do. You’ll also have a chance to shape the next generation of education technology when you chat with our developers. This is a premier networking event for K-12 Skyward users across the globe; don’t miss out!

5. The Venue

The conference is held at the beautiful TradeWinds Island Resorts in St. Pete Beach, Florida. The beachy-vibe conference center is located just steps from the Gulf. When sessions wrap up for the day, you can enjoy fresh seafood at RumFish Grill (its 10,000-gallon fish tank was built on the TV show Tanked), go for a stroll in the sand, or take a trip down the three-story inflatable slide (it was fun—see my video below!).

Bonus: 6. The New Conference App

We’re all about improving the overall experience for our conference attendees and exhibitors. With our new app, you’ll be able to access the event schedule with session descriptions, speaker bios, and a list of exhibitors. You can also use the messaging feature to network with other attendees, stay up to date with a comprehensive social media wall, and offer real-time feedback to presenters using surveys and polls.

iCon proves one thing without a doubt: deep, valuable learning can be fun. Join us this year and find out what makes this conference so special!