THR: So John, thanks so much for taking some time here. I know you're busy during the DLAC events, the first post-pandemic, or on the first in-person back. Were you guys were remote last year or in person?
John: We were remote and in person. In June 2021, we sold out with 500 people on-site in Austin.
THR: Wow.
John: We had 700 online as well.
THR: Okay. So you are a veteran now of the Hybrid Edtech show experience.
John: I think it'll take a few more years before we can say we've got it nailed. But this is our second one doing this, yeah.
THR: So talk a little bit about how you see shows like this going forward. I mean, you said the show is about four years old.
John: This is the fourth year of DLAC, and it means we're in the third year of a pandemic because the second year we ran it, the effects of the pandemic weren't obvious, but we knew COVID was coming because some shows were starting to cancel. First year we ran in 2019, had about 525 people. We were just on site. Second year, grew by 80% to over 900. Then the pandemic hit. June 2021, we ran it, again capped at 500 on-site and sold out 700 online this year; we're back to 1100 registered for on-site here in Atlanta, just under 500 online.
THR: That's great. During the pandemic, and if you know, Frank Catalano had his Edtech calendar where he was tracking the hundreds of the education events. Not only in this country but around the world, and how they all were forced to remote and which ones have come back and which ones will stay remote and which ones will stay virtual. What are some of the lessons you've learned during this? And where does that put you in terms of where you see shows like yours in the future?
John: We've done a lot of thinking about this and where we're feeling right now is we think about the different types of people who come to a conference like DLAC and, in particular, a couple of different types of personas. There's the type of person who goes to a conference feeling like I want to download a lot of information in three days, right. I want to go to sessions. I want to hear; I want to do those things. Now, at DLAC, we do a lot more conversation-based, discussion-based things you might be seeing here in Atlanta, but still, people who hear I'm here for the sessions. There's another set of people who are here for the networking, and you probably heard it. People say, yeah, I went to DLAC; I didn't go to a single session, it was great. I didn't go to a single session. And obviously, there's overlap between those two.
THR: I like to go to receptions.
John: You and me both. Obviously, there's overlap between those two personas. But what we feel is that for the person who is wanting to go to DLAC for the content, you can do that really well online. We still want some interaction; we're trying to still have online sessions where there's a minimum text chat, if not having some audio and video chat. We have not found any online platform that replicates the networking. And that is the piece that people are really here for. And again, those two things are synergistic because it's not just networking. Hey, you see a random person in the hall and start talking; it's more you have a really good session maybe you meet a person at a table talk.
THR: Yeah.
John: You realize, Hey, you got some things in common let's continue this conversation at the reception at lunch or wherever. Those networking opportunities I just don't see replicated in any online platform. And I can tell you; we looked at a lot, we've dropped into a lot of online conferences. I think maybe it's an issue of the technology is a little bit ahead of society and culture and people's comfort level. There's some platform out there where you're in virtual space; you're an avatar. When you get close enough to somebody, your videos pop up. Okay, I did it; I don't know if that sounds interesting or not. I can tell you, in practice, it's the most awkward thing in the world.
THR: Yeah, and there's a lot more awkwardness that can go on as well. But now talk a little bit... So, a lot of the readers of the Hogan Report are in the industry.
John: Yeah.
THR: So when you talk about the dynamic between, and I was at FETC last week, and I noticed there were good interactions between the educators in the sessions. And there's a lot of interactions amongst vendors on the show floor, which was gigantic, but not so much in between, in terms of strolling the floor sort of thing. Now, that side of the reception was packed, and there was a lot of interaction there. Is there something about the scale of shows do you think going forward in the future in terms of big exhibition halls versus maybe things that are more boutique or more select? Talk a little bit about the scale of shows going forward.
John: Yeah. I think it's critical, and I don't know how big FETC was this year, but we've got 1100 here on-site, and DELAC is focused. We're focused on school and systems-level change. So systems-level could be school, district, state, country, and other countries that have a different education system than we do. And we are really focused on the online space, the hybrid space, the schools, and systems that are breaking down barriers of time and place.
To be clear, there's a real role for that in mainstream district. And we have a huge number of mainstream districts here who are doing that kind of work. But what that means is because we have our 1100 people who are focused on that still pretty narrow niche. It means we can align that with the exhibitors, the sponsors who are here. So there's a lot of interest between the people who are here as attendees from districts school states and the people who are the sponsors and exhibitors. And I say that because of the feedback I'm getting from the folks who were at the reception that you mentioned last night; we have another one tonight. They tell me they're having great conversations.
THR: That's great. And I think everyone, you can see, obviously everyone's just so excited just to be back at all, and communicating with other human beings.
John: People are very excited to be here. It's speaking for myself. My wife and I both work remotely. We have elderly parents who we were still seeing from time to time. We were incredibly careful. We were very locked down. We don't have kids. So we didn't have to think about that. Now we're vaccinated, we're boosted, we're still being careful, but I feel it's time to move on. And I think that's the general vibe here. Keeping in mind, we've got an online option. Keeping in mind, there are people who aren't there, and I totally understand that—a critical member of our team who's not here because of related health reasons. But a lot of people are ready to be back, and we're ready to support that.
THR: But with that short answer, you feel the hybrid option is here to stay.
John: The hybrid option is here to say in some form or fashion, and that will continue to evolve.
THR: Great. Well, John, thanks so much for your time again. I appreciate it.
John: Glad to be here. Glad to have the opportunity and glad that you're here. Thanks for coming.
THR: Thanks for having.
Interview with DLAC founder John Watson, from the Evergreen Education Group on The Future of EdTech Events