Pando PR Tips No. 77

Number 1 Recommendation

Future Focus Forums (F3) by EdTech Digest — June 27 in Orlando (near the Convention Center)
​F3 connects edtech companies with experienced K–12 tech leaders through structured, in-depth panel discussions held around major education conferences (ISTE, FETC, CoSN). They provide candid feedback on products, marketing, funding, and district challenges, helping companies refine solutions, strengthen market fit, and build relationships with education decision-makers. This is a great chance to get feedback about your products at a fraction of the cost for a custom developed focus group. Register soon because Victor Rivero tells me that this week (and maybe a bit of time next week) will be the final deadline for companies to register. Reach out to Victor directly (and please mention me). Victor and I talk often and each have long histories in EdTech. victor@edtechdigest.com

EdTech Awards and Conference Submissions

Best of STEM Award — Final deadline is June 4
​This is the only K-12 and higher education EdTech awards program judged exclusively by credentialed STEM educators. New this year: several Best of AI for Education categories.

HR Executive of the Year and HR Leader of Distinction — Deadline is June 12
​HR Executive's annual awards recognizing the HR leaders driving impact, innovation, and strategic transformation across their organizations. Nominations must be submitted by a company representative and the final submissions require a CEO recommendation letter, resume, and a headshot.

Training 2027 Conference & Expo — Call for speakers due by June 14
​This conference is designed for training professionals who seek to improve their own knowledge and skills about workplace learning, instructional design, learning content development, and learning technologies. Apply by June 14.

Medium Day 2026 — Speaker applications due June 19
​Medium Day focuses on bringing together a community speakers alongside external experts for a full day of sessions dedicated to two things: learning from people who genuinely know their subject, and becoming a better writer. Medium day is all virtual on September 18, 2026.

ACTE Impact Awards — Nominations accepted through June 30
​These awards recognize groups and individuals from the education, business, and industry communities who enhance career and technical education (CTE) by contributing to the improvement, promotion, development, and progress of CTE.

HR’s Rising Stars of 2026 — Applications accepted until July 6
​This competition recognizes rising HR leaders who have demonstrated leadership excellence, and an ability to innovate, and who have a proven record of driving HR success through effective strategy and program development. ​ ​

Forbes 30 Under 30 List (US) — Nominations close on Sept 1
​To source candidates for the list, Forbes writers and editors comb through thousands of online submissions, as well as tap industry sources and list alumni for recommendations. I recommend that for all of the awards in this class — those that recognize founders and innovators — ​ is to make sure your submission has a spectacular photo. This is a good time time to hire a professional and build up your image library of the key executives at your company.

Call for Sponsors of the CODiEs

2026 CODiE Awards Sponsorship Opportunities
​Sponsors can choose to support a specific category or the program as a whole. I spoke with the management team of the CODiEs and am impressed by their vision and direction. These are no longer attached to SIIA, however the same rigor applies. There are dozens of categories in general tech as well as the education vertical. It would be a smart investment for a service organization engaged with tech companies.

Education News and Social Pegs

My Latest LinkedIn Article

A Simple Formula for Thought Leadership

Here is a formula for solid thought leadership in EdTech. It isn't complicated. In fact, less complicated writing often makes effective thought leadership.

LinkedInEditors

QueryScope is Now Available!
​We are very excited by QueryScope and the insight it gives about a brand's visibility in AI search. With a QueryScope analysis, we can identify where a brand or product ranks against its competitors. We can also identify the sources that the model used when it constructed the authority signals that caused those products to show up in its answers. We can tell you where you rank — and why — in OpenAI, Gemini, and Claude (with more models to come). That is heady and powerful information.

Pando's PR work for established clients now includes a benchmark QueryScope report, however we are offering QueryScope as a stand-alone service, too. It is our proprietary software and intelligence system that we developed here at Pando, and I've yet to find any service like it. Email me to learn more or set time on my calendar. jennifer@pandopublicrelations.com

I’m the founder and CEO of Pando Public Relations, recently named the Best EdTech PR Firm by EdTech Digest. If you liked this issue of PR Tips, subscribe here. New issues publish on Thursdays alternating between articles with insights and advice on the PR profession and PR in EdTech Tips.