Are K–12 EdTech conferences actually worth it for vendors—or just an expensive field trip? In this episode, we break down how to show up at conferences so buyers actually want to talk to you.

EdTech marketer Peter Polygalov and school tech director John Faig share real stories and hard-won lessons from both sides of the booth. They unpack why conferences still matter in 2025, why the real ROI comes from prep and follow-up, and how to think about conferences as brand-building and qualification, not quick closes.

You’ll learn how to:

• Decide which K–12 EdTech conferences to attend (and which to skip)
• Use conferences to deepen warm relationships instead of chasing cold traffic
• Ask simple, BANT-style questions to qualify leads quickly
• Spot the difference between buyer-heavy and PD-heavy events
• Measure success beyond badge scans and swag grabs

🎧 Listen if you’re:

• An EdTech founder, marketer, or seller betting big on conferences this year
• A K–12 leader who wants vendors to use your time more wisely

👉 If this episode helps you rethink your conference strategy, follow K12 EdTech Connection on your favorite podcast platform and share it with someone on the other side of the booth.

Most EdTech vendors either blast the same generic message to everyone, talk to only one person, or try to leapfrog the tech director straight to the superintendent. All three approaches fail.

K-12 purchases aren't made by a single buyer—they're made by informal coalitions. Curriculum directors, tech directors, teacher champions, principals, and sometimes counselors all have to align before anything moves forward. And here's the uncomfortable truth: "Every vendor feels like a stalker," says John, "unless their brand building has piqued my interest to the point where I reach out to them."

We break down which channels actually reach which personas, why your touchpoint strategy might look like an incomplete charcuterie board (all cheese, no meat), and the expensive mistakes we keep seeing—like the higher ed vendor who sponsored an after-hours event at a K-12 conference. Great for free drinks. Terrible for pipeline.

We also cover what signals you should actually be capturing, why awards don't mean much in 2026, and why John hasn't had a single salesperson reach out after changing companies in 15 years.

Episode 3, Part 2: Make Your Website an Inbound Lead Generation Machine

Traditional SEO still matters, but it's declining. In 2026, your content needs to answer questions, not just rank for keywords. Welcome to AEO—Answer Engine Optimization.

In Part 2, we get into what actually makes buyers give up their email (hint: not "The Future of K-12 Education in 2026"). John shares that out of ~100 cold email CTAs he received, exactly 2 worked. The difference? Tangible value—ROI calculators, implementation templates, standards alignment guides—not generic ebooks full of stock images.

We also cover why your website needs to serve the whole buying committee (not just your ICP), why asking the same form questions twice is "data collection so rudimentary it's rude," and the uncomfortable truth that this takes 6-18 months to pay off. But when it does, it compounds—Peter shares how one site hit 70-80 qualified inbound leads per month, driving 40-50% of ARR.

Plus: a lightning round of do's and don'ts to audit your site this week.

Related: John's breakdown of good vs. bad EdTech CTAs: https://johnfaig.medium.com/outbound-edtech-marketing-c1cc194c8eec