Marketing Matters
How marketing can help tell your story and build community support.
Reimagine school marketing.
September 30th - October 1st, 2024
Little Rock, Arkansas
Robinson Center + DoubleTree Hotel
Robinson Center + DoubleTree Hotel
Register for SchoolCEO Conference!
The role of the school leader is rapidly changing. To compete for your community's attention, students, and teachers, you need to take a second look at how you're marketing your schools. SchoolCEO Conference is dedicated to helping you do just that. You'll learn how to shape the narrative of your district through strategic framing principles, storytelling, and marketing best practices.
“Hands down the best conference
I’ve ever been to.”
Topics of discussion
Marketing and branding
We'll dive deep into core marketing principles like messaging, storytelling, creativity, and brand building.
Strategic framing
Together, we'll explore how to use strategic framing to have more productive conversations around complex topics and issues.
Storytelling
Amazing moments are happening in your schools every day. You'll learn how to empower those closest to the stories to become effective storytellers through collective authorship.
Past attendees
SchoolCEO Conference is designed for:
Superintendents
As the visionary leader of your district, SchoolCEO Conference will not only equip you with practical ways to grow your community but also challenge the way you think about marketing and workplace culture.
I learned more in one day of the SchoolCEO Conference than any conference I've attended.
Communications & Public Relations Directors
As a communications leader, SchoolCEO Conference will inspire you to think differently about how you reach both internal and external audiences. You’ll learn out-of-the-box ways to get people to talk about your schools.
If you're not at this conference, you're not doing it right. This is exactly what educators need right now.
Human Resources & Recruiting Directors
As someone that sets the tone for culture in your schools, SchoolCEO Conference will challenge what you know about recruitment and culture. You’ll learn how to motivate your team and recruit the best people to your district.
SchoolCEO Conference is a great opportunity for school and school district leaders to think differently about their culture and brand, and listening to speakers and being surrounded by others that will push and challenge your thinking.
Family Engagement & Retention Directors
Families are at the heart of what makes your district special. But how do you engage them to take part in the great things that are happening in your schools? That’s a question we’ll dive into at SchoolCEO Conference.
We just feel empowered and excited to go back and implement what we learned.
All new speakers
All of our speakers are experts in their fields from storytelling to strategic framing to branding and marketing.
Julie Sweetland
Julie Sweetland is a sociolinguist and senior advisor at the FrameWorks Institute. She has over a decade of experience in education as a teacher, instructional designer, and educator focused on issues of language, race, learning, and professional development. Sweetland is an expert on how leaders and advocates can use strategic framing and communications to have more productive conversations around complex issues.
Karen Eber
Karen Eber is a global leadership consultant and keynote speaker. Her book, The Perfect Story, teaches you how to turn a merely good story into a great one. As the CEO and Chief Storyteller of Eber Leadership Group, Karen helps companies build leaders, teams, and culture, one story at a time.
Neal Foard
Neal Foard is an award-winning marketing and creative professional with leadership experience in advertising, experiential marketing, and brand development. Today, he is a popular storyteller on YouTube and Instagram. He has consulted on creative messaging for Fortune 500 companies and universities and has been a featured speaker at TEDx conferences.
Michael Bonner
Michael Bonner is a renowned leader, innovator, and performance booster, who is a trailblazer in leadership development and organizational culture. He is a dynamic keynote speaker as seen on The Ellen Show, NBC Nightly News, and Time for Kids and a recent recipient of Atlanta's 40 under 40 awards. He is the CEO of Bonnerville, a business that promotes the value of self-care and a highly respected team member at the famed Ron Clark Academy.
Dr. Jeffrey Collier
Dr. Jeffrey Collier is the Superintendent of Michigan’s Saginaw Intermediate School District, where he champions student-centric, experiential learning cultures. With over 25 years in education, he has held leadership roles in Essexville-Hampton, Bay City, Tawas Area, and Au Gres-Sims School Districts. Dr. Collier has received numerous accolades, including Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators’ 2024 Superintendent of the Year.
Coty Kuschinsky
Coty Kuschinsky is the Chief of Staff and Communications Supervisor for Saginaw Intermediate School District, where she implements revolutionary communication strategies to enhance the district's brand identity and collective voice. Her career began as an on-air reporter covering stories in the Great Lakes Bay Region before transitioning into community relations and corporate communication. Coty got her start in education at Hemlock Public School District.
Schedule
Day 1 - Pre-Conference
September 30th, 2024
Registration
10:30 - 5:30 PM
Conference check-in at Double Tree
Pre-Conference Sessions at Apptegy HQ
11:30 to 5:00 PM | Sessions at 12:30, 2:00, and 3:30pm.
Lunch at Apptegy: Must register in advance for lunch + sessions
Session 1: What Teachers Want: How Your Website Can Help Achieve Your Recruitment Goals
Session 2: Supporting Enrollment Goals: Telling Your Story to Prospective Families
Session 3: The Five Stage Bond Campaign
Session 4: Marketing You: Building Your Personal Brand
Session 5: Super Comms: Strengthening the Working Relationship between Superintendents and Communications Directors
Session 6: Layers of Leadership: Principals and Building-Level Marketing
Session 7: Rock Your Rebrand: How to Win Internal and External Stakeholders When Rebranding
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Welcome dinner & drinks.
Day 2 - Conference
October 1st, 2024
08:00 AM
Breakfast at Robinson Center
08:30 AM
Opening Session
09:05 AM
Karen Eber: The Perfect Story
10:30 AM
Karen Eber: The Perfect Story Workshop
11:45 PM
Lunch at DoubleTree
01:00 PM
Neal Foard: Unlocking Your Ingenuity In Marketing
01:55 PM
Julie Sweetland: Reframing Your District's Narrative
03:10 PM
Saginaw ISD: Collective Authorship
04:00 PM
Michael Bonner: The Storytellers Influencing Your School Culture
04:50 PM
Closing session
06:00 PM
Dinner & live band karaoke
Register now
“We attend lots of conferences, we have never felt more welcome.”
This conference is different from others you've attended. Why?
Get a head start.
Read a few of our Apptegy and SchoolCEO resources on topics about school marketing, effective storytelling, and building a powerful district brand.
About SchoolCEO
SchoolCEO is a research and perspectives magazine for superintendents and other K12 leaders. Published quarterly in print and online, SchoolCEO is the only magazine focused on marketing in K-12 public education. This publication equips educators with the unique and actionable ideas they need to brand and market their schools in a highly competitive environment. With more than 20,000 readers, SchoolCEO is leading the conversation on communications, recruitment, and branding in public education. For past issues and more information visit schoolceo.com .
Why Little Rock?
Little Rock is where we're from and we'd love to bring you one step closer to our culture and our people!
Plus, you'll get first hand views of the beautiful Arkansas River and enjoy some delicious Southern comfort food in the bustling downtown River Market.
Hotel information
DoubleTree by Hilton, Little Rock
424 W Markham St
Little Rock, AR 72201
Register now!
The best one-day conference school leaders can attend*
*Technically, it’s a day and a half.