Department of Education lays out exhibitor registration, logistics for 2026 Teacher Leader Summit

Reagan Lincoln, deputy adviser in the Department of Education’s Office of Teaching and Learning, outlined exhibitor registration, deadlines and on-site logistics for the 2026 Teacher Leader Summit education expo, scheduled for May 26–28 at the New Orleans Convention Center.

Lincoln said the Department expects roughly “8,000 attendees for this year’s Teacher Leader Summit,” and walked attendees through registration, booth staffing, lead-capture options and vendor services during a recorded briefing. Organizers emphasized that final payment for exhibitors is due March 2 and that the Department does not accept checks; payments must be made by credit card.

Why it matters: The expo connects Louisiana educators with professional-learning partners and nonprofits outside scheduled sessions, so registration, floor plan placement and lead-capture choices affect exhibitors’ ability to meet and follow up with educators during the conference.

Organizers’ instructions and key deadlines

• Registration and payment: Exhibitors who received the Jan. 16 registration PDF should use the link inside to complete registration and payment. Lincoln said final payment is due March 2; after payment an invoice is emailed for records. Each exhibitor receives two complimentary admissions; additional attendees will be charged $249 per person via the registration link.

• Modifications and transfers: Registrants can modify or transfer admissions after registering by using the registration link’s modify-registration option to add or replace attendees.

• Booths, classroom labs and playgrounds: The registration link also lets exhibitors choose booth type and add classroom-lab or playground sessions. Booking links for classroom labs and playgrounds will be sent March 3 and will operate on a first-come, first-served basis; organizers said they will maintain a waitlist if all slots are filled.

• Exhibitor portal and lead capture: Exhibitors will update profile items (logo, company bio, booth staff) in the Cvent exhibitor portal. The Department cannot provide an attendee list “legally,” Lincoln said; the recommended alternative is Cvent’s lead-capture product, which is optional and priced and managed by Cvent.

• Vendor services and floor plan: Freeman Event Services is the contracted exhibitor logistics vendor; shipping, electricity, carpeting and other booth services and fees are handled through Freeman. Organizers said they will wait for final registration totals before releasing a Freeman-designed floor plan and enabling exhibitors to select booth locations on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Outreach and after-hours events: The Department is compiling exhibitor-sponsored after-hours events for display in the Cvent app; submissions are due May 8 and must be relevant and outside Summit hours.

Schedule and on-site logistics

Lincoln said setup is scheduled for May 25, with facility access expected earlier that morning. Expo hours are May 26 (8:00 a.m.–5:15 p.m.), May 27 (8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.) and May 28 (expo extended through noon with teardown afterward). Lunch will be provided on Tuesday and Wednesday. Organizers warned that while parking will be available, unloading windows are constrained and exhibitors should plan to move vehicles promptly after unloading.

Questions from exhibitors

During the Q&A, Mia — who identified herself as helping to coordinate presenters and exhibitors — asked whether resources (the PDF/slide deck) could be sent to both presenter and exhibitor contacts; Lincoln said yes and asked Mia to drop the secondary contact in chat. Lincoln said presenter notifications will go out Feb. 23 and that presenters should use the presenter registration link (free) rather than the exhibitor link to avoid extra charges.

Morgan raised concerns that Freeman’s prior check-in location was far from the event and that communications about where to check in were unclear; Lincoln said the Department will press Freeman for clearer logistics and expects to clarify check-in and parking details at the March planning meeting. Cheryl asked about rolling carts; Lincoln said the convention center does not provide rolling carts, that rolling items is allowed through the back expo-hall unloading route, and that rolling items through front entrances is discouraged.

Next steps

Organizers asked exhibitors to complete registration by March 2, noted optional office hours at 4 p.m. for registration help, and scheduled logistics meetings for March 23 at 1 p.m. and March 25 at 4 p.m. The Department will email the slide deck and a recording of the briefing to participants.

Clarifying details: final payment due March 2; presenters notified Feb. 23; classroom-lab booking links sent March 3; after-hours events submission due May 8; expo setup May 25; expo May 26–28; extra exhibitor attendees $249 each; two complimentary exhibitor admissions.

The briefing closed after organizers reiterated where to direct logistical questions (email for events) and thanked participants.