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.

Chris Bell runs technology for Huntington Beach City School District, a K-8 public district with about 4,700 students. John runs tech at a K-8 private school in DC. Same grade levels, completely different procurement realities.

We put them side by side to show vendors what actually changes when you're selling into public vs. private. Budget cycles, approval chains, decision speed, and who holds the checkbook — almost none of it transfers cleanly. Chris needs cabinet approval and board consent. John can buy overnight from an innovations fund.

Where they align is what matters most: both dislike cold outreach and pressure tactics, both talk to other tech directors behind the scenes, and both want vendors who lead with the problem, not the product. Chris shares a story about an AI startup that never pitched — just asked for feedback — and earned his trust. John wants self-serve content so he can evaluate on his own terms before ever scheduling a demo.

Our first guest episode. Ryan Patenaude co-founded FEV Tutor, built it from zero to $50 million in revenue with no outside funding, and scaled to 5,000 employees before the company was acquired in 2022. He now runs RP Impact Partners, helping mission-aligned EdTech companies accelerate growth.

Ryan tells the story of an early Zoom call with the CEO of a 200,000-student district where he led with a 15-slide feature deck and learned the hard way: in K-12, you sell results, not features.

We dig into why free pilots train districts to invest nothing, and how FEV's ICP evolved from "anyone who would buy" to a disciplined filter on district size, Title I status, and decision-making speed. Ryan walks through a pricing journey that took 15 years, from pay-as-you-go tutoring hours to a subscription model that finally cleaned up their books. He also reframes the "we don't have budget" objection: a former chancellor of NYC schools told him that if a superintendent sees value, they can find any money they want.