Registration

We are thrilled to announce that professional registration is now open for Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference: Stronger Systems, Better Outcomes—for Every Student. This year’s conference will take place August 18–20, 2026, with preconference sessions on August 17, at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort.

Registration

New this year, each seat request must be accompanied by an active ADE Professional Learning & Development (APLD) Learner ID. This number is required to confirm the APLD account that will be associated with the payment for each seat request.

If you do not have an APLD account, you will first have to create your APLD account. If you already have an APLD account but need help accessing your account, please check the APLD FAQs page or request your APLD account password. Once you have your APLD account established you can proceed with the registration process. 

Registration is a multi-part process that includes:

  • Make a seat request that will be reviewed by the IDEA Conference Committee.
    • Anyone interested in participating in the IDEA Leadership Preconference—whether as a single‑day experience or in addition to the full IDEA Conference—must apply using the preconference application only.
      Do not submit a standard professional seat request for preconference participation.
  • If your request is approved for payment, you will receive instructions to complete registration by submitting payment through the Arizona Professional Learning and Development System (APLD). Please note: payments submitted without an approved seat request will be canceled.
  • If notified by email, submit the Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference Supplemental Form to complete registration.

Required information for each seat request:

We will not be able to accept placeholder information.

To ensure equal access to the conference, we may reduce the group size per district or charter organization to accommodate the attendance of more districts/charters; therefore, you must first make a seat request by or before July 27, 2026. 

Registration fee: $425 per person. Payment may be made by MasterCard or Visa, check, or purchase order. 

Event Disclaimer – Photography & Media Notice 

By attending this Arizona Department of Education (ADE) event, participants acknowledge that photographs and/or video may be taken throughout the program for use in ADE-related publications and communications. These may include, but are not limited to, brochures, newsletters, digital media, websites, and other informational or promotional materials.

Participation in the event constitutes an understanding that images or recordings captured during the event may be used by ADE in print or electronic formats. ADE may also share these materials with external partners for educational or informational purposes.

Attendees understand that ADE is not required to provide advance notice, seek additional approval, or offer compensation for the use of event photos or videos. ADE strives to use all media responsibly and respectfully.

If at any time an attendee prefers not to be photographed or recorded, they may notify event staff, who will make reasonable efforts to accommodate the request.

APLD Resources

Create your APLD account

Check the APLD FAQs

Request your APLD account password 

APLD Learner ID - Learn how to retrieve your APLD Learner ID (opens in a new window).

IDEA Registration Support

Have a question? 

Please do not hesitate to email the IDEA Conference inbox or join the IDEA Conference Planning Committee during an upcoming office hour to ask questions about Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference Registration. Please register in advance during an available Virtual Office Hour timeslot. 

Lodging

We are excited to welcome you to our upcoming Conference, which will take place over two and a half days: Tuesday, August 18, Wednesday, August 19, and Thursday, August 20.  View our general daily agenda  for each day’s events and start and end times. A more detailed schedule will be announced in August.

In addition, we will be hosting a Pre-Conference session on Monday, August 17, exclusively for invite-only groups. More details about the Pre-Conference will be shared soon.

Hotel Accommodations at the Grand Hyatt Resort in Scottsdale, AZ

Room Block Availability

A room block has been reserved for conference participants at the Grand Hyatt. Rooms are available for:

  • Check-in: Monday, August 17 (after 4:00 PM)

  • Check-out: Thursday, August 20 (by 11:00 AM)

This means participants may reserve accommodation for the nights of Monday, August 17; Tuesday, August 18; and Wednesday, August 19. Please note, guests booking outside the room block dates will be solely responsible for parking fees, service charges, and any other expenses incurred during their stay. 

Conference Room Block Rate: $199 per night (excluding taxes) 

Reservations must be made through the ADE/ESS IDEA Conference Grand Hyatt Scottsdale booking site to receive the $199 rate. 

Last Date to Book at Conference Rate: July 27, 2026 

Important Lodging Notice 

The conference room block rate for Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference is $199/night (not including taxes), which exceeds the state rate of $113/night. This price may mean that your organization will not reimburse the full amount of your lodging expenses unless you request an exception prior to the conference. Participants are encouraged to clarify any lodging reimbursement policies with their respective employer. 

Typically, when rooms at a conference hotel are contracted at a higher rate than the State allowable nightly rate, supplemental documentation may be necessary to request an exception. Please use this document to support an exception. 

Revised 4.9.26 LM