Membership
Professional Learning
Advocacy
Partnerships
Skip to content
Innovation Summit 2024
August 1-2, 2024
Branson Convention Center
200 Sycamore Street in Branson MO 65616
#GOInnovate24
Why Attend?
Join us at the GOCSD Innovation Summit, the ultimate educational conference in Southwest Missouri, that is designed to empower and inspire educators like you.
Immerse yourself in the wisdom of renowned international keynote speakers who will ignite your passion for education.
Discover innovative practices that have been successfully implemented by our Member Districts, equipping you with practical and sustainable strategies that truly make a difference.
Forge invaluable connections and expand your professional network by engaging with colleagues from all over SW and SE Missouri.
Don't miss the opportunity to connect with our esteemed Vendor Partners and Sponsors, who offer exclusive GOCSD discounts to enhance your teaching resources and tools.
Join us in celebrating the noble profession of education, recognizing the dedication and impact of educators like yourself.
Make the most of your summer break by concluding it with an unforgettable and enjoyable experience in the vibrant city of Branson.
Attendee Registration
To ensure your participation in our event, all attendees are required to register. Due to the immense interest in our conference, we'll be closely monitoring registrations. Once we reach the venue's capacity, registration will close, most likely in July. Secure your spot by registering now! We kindly ask that you register only if you're certain you'll attend, as seats are limited.
Exciting news for this year's educational conference registration process! We're offering a new level of flexibility: selecting sessions during registration is now optional. Instead, attendees will have the freedom to curate a personalized wishlist of sessions tailored to their interests. We highly recommend creating a wishlist to craft your ideal conference experience. Additionally, this allows us to better understand the demand for each session, helping us optimize room placements. Please note that seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis, ensuring everyone can join their preferred sessions, provided there are available seats.
Identify your role below and follow the steps to register.
GOCSD Member Districts
1️⃣ Access our Registration site and sign up using your school email address.
If you are a new teacher or are working in a different member district next school year and don’t yet have an email address for that district, use your personal email address and enter the name of your new school district in the Company field of your profile.
At the registration site click the "Sign up" link if this is your first time to use Sched, or click "Login" if you already have a Sched account.
Click the Register button below to get started.
Attendees from one of our Member District do NOT pay when registering.
An Innovation Summit Fee is listed on each district's membership invoice that is sent in July. This fee provides seed money to fund the conference. It specifies a seat allotment for the district. Districts pay this fee, even if the seats are not used. The seat allotment is 1% of enrollment, at a rate of $30. The minimum seat allotment is 5. If a district’s registrations go beyond their allotted number, each additional seat will be billed at $30 each after the event.
Educators from Member Districts should register and will count toward the district's seat allotment.
Presenters from Member Districts should register and will count toward the district's seat allotment.
Students who are considering education as a profession and currently attend a Member District may register. Student registrations count toward the district's seat allotment.
GOCSD Member Universities/Colleges
1️⃣ Access our Registration site and sign up using your school email address.
At the registration site click the "Sign up" link if this is your first time to use Sched, or click "Login" if you already have a Sched account.
Click the Register button below to get started.
2️⃣ Access our Payment Portal and submit the registration fee. Substitutions are encouraged as refunds will not be provided. Please contact us before the event to complete the substitution process.
Faculty from a Member Universities/Colleges: $30
Presenters from a Member Universities/Colleges: $30
Teacher Education Students attending a Member University: Free
Nonmembers
1️⃣ Access our Registration site and click the "Sign up" link if this is your first time to use Sched, or click "Login" if you already have a Sched account.
Click the Register button below to get started.
2️⃣ Access our Payment Portal and submit the $250 registration fee. If payment is not submitted within 7 days of registering, the registration will be deleted. Substitutions are encouraged as refunds will not be provided. Please contact us before the event to complete the substitution process.
Lodging ~ Venue ~ Food
The Branson Convention Center is located on the Branson Landing. It is connected to the Hilton Branson Hotel.
We have secured a group rate for attendees at the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel and the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing.
When arriving at the venue for the conference, you can park for free at the south end of the Convention Center. You will have to pay to park in other lots.
To check in at the conference, stop by the registration tables outside the ballroom where you will get your lanyard which is your ticket into all the sessions.
Due to the high number of attendees, 4 breakout sessions will take place at the Old Glory Meeting room at the Hilton Promenade Hotel on Branson Landing Blvd, a short walk from the Branson Convention Center.
A continental breakfast will be provided each morning on the concourse from 7-9AM. Click the button above to view the menu.
Attendees may choose to purchase snacks, beverages, sandwiches and more from the Food Cart. It will be available on Thursday from 6:30AM-3PM and Friday from 6:30AM-12PM. Click the button above to view the menu.
Attendees can enjoy a wonderful lunch nearby, choosing from the many available restaurants on The Landing or on Historic Main Street. We encourage you to explore the options and make a lunch plan.
Conference Schedule
Thursday, Aug 1st
7-9 AM | Continental Breakfast Available |
8 AM | Registration |
8:45 AM | Welcome |
9 AM | Opening Remarks & Keynote |
10:30 AM | Breakout Session 1 |
11:15 AM | Lunch on Your Own |
1 PM | Breakout Session 2 |
2 PM | Breakout Session 3 |
3 PM | Breakout Session 4 |
Friday, Aug 2nd
7-9 AM | Continental Breakfast Available |
7:45 AM | Registration |
8:30 AM | Breakout Session 5 |
9:30 AM | Breakout Session 6 |
10:30 AM | Opening Remarks & Keynote |
12:15 PM | Closing Remarks & Door Prizes |
Accessing Your Schedule
Each day of the event, attendees will receive an email with the conference schedule and any sessions on their wishlist. Other options for accessing your personal schedule include:
From the GOCSD App
Search GOCSD in the Apple Store or Google Play Store to install our app, which provides access to the conference schedule. Just access the menu and select "My IS Schedule." Then log into your Sched account.
From our Sched Site
On any device, access our Sched registration site and login.
You can print or email your schedule to yourself, or add it to your calendar all from our Sched registration site.
Enter the Drawing
Be sure to download the GOCSD App so that you can enter the drawing for a free stay at the Branson Hilton. Just search for GOCSD in your app store.
The winner will be announced after the Friday morning Keynote at the Innovation Summit.
You must be present to accept the prize.
Submissions will be accepted until 9:30 AM on Friday.
Get a T-Shirt
Celebrate your experience and show your GOCSD spirit with the official Innovation Summit T-Shirt! Snag a limited-edition conference T-Shirt featuring the conference theme front and center, and the valued sponsors on the back. It's not just a comfy conversation starter, it's a lasting memento of your time at Innovation Summit.
Missed the pre-order deadline? No worries. You can still order at the event. Just stop by the Creator Designs sponsor booth.
Questions?
Contact Janetta Garton, GOCSD Director of Communications & Digital Learning.
📸 From time to time GOCSD uses photographs of events in its promotional materials, on the website and social media channels. Unless this permission is revoked in writing to GOCSD, by virtue of their attendance all conference attendees agree to the use of their likeness in such materials.
🛎 In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, participants who have any condition, either permanent or temporary, which might affect their ability to participate in this opportunity, are encouraged to contact GOCSD staff to request reasonable academic and accessibility accommodations.
❌ If this event has to be canceled due to inclement weather or for any other reasons, attendees will be notified via email as soon as possible.