IDEA CONFERENCE INFO: Registration Now Open for Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference

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. 

The registration fee for professionals is $425 per person. Payment may be made by MasterCard, Visa, or Discover, check, or purchase order. With procurement deadlines for PEAs approaching, we encourage you to register promptly—spots are expected to fill quickly. To ensure equal access, we may limit the number of attendees per district or charter organization to maximize participation.  

Registration process 

1. Submit a seat request for review by the IDEA Conference Committee. 

2. 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. 

3. If notified by email, submit the Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference Supplemental Form to complete registration. 

New this year: Each seat request must include an active ADE Professional Learning & Development (APLD) Learner ID. This Learner ID is required to confirm the APLD account that will be associated with payment for each seat request. If staff has not yet been identified, or if the identified staff member does not yet have an APLD account, you may still submit a seat request to secure a spot. The attendee’s name and APLD Learner ID can be collected through the supplemental form (referenced in step 3), until July 27, 2026. 

For more information on registration—including how to submit a seat request, lodging options, and FAQs—please visit the IDEA Conference Registration webpage. 

Need help with completing registration? Please email the IDEA Conference inbox or join the IDEA Conference Planning Committee during an upcoming office hour. Please register in advance for a virtual office hour time slot. 

Information regarding the Special Education Leadership Preconference application and registration process will be released in the coming days. Anyone interested in participating in the preconference—either as a single day experience or in addition to the full conference—should apply using the preconference application only. 

We look forward to learning with you at this year’s conference. For the latest announcements please visit the IDEA Conference website.