Earlier this month, nearly 1200 attendees gathered in Ontario, California for our 53rd (yes, you read that right!) AeriesCon. Our biannual user conferences are the perfect culmination of knowledge-building, networking, thinking outside the box, and fun. With a musical festival theme in tow, the good vibes were everywhere we looked!
Our mornings began with invigorating keynotes. Jerry Almendarez, Superintendent of Santa Ana USD, kicked off our Monday morning by speaking about the power of integrating AI into the education. On Tuesday, transformational performer, Val Vigoda, guided us through the importance of optimism with the help of her accompanist, Ryan, and some fantastic live music.
What would AeriesCon be without our informative sessions? More than 100 individual sessions were offered, ensuring all attendees had plenty of opportunities to learn and expand their knowledge. Our top 3 most attended sessions were:
- Basic Query with Diana Martinez
- Intermediate Query with Diana Martinez
- Aeries Roadmap: An Early View of 2025 & Beyond with Elen Meltonyan and Randy Catiller
Open Forum was packed with collaboration and knowledge-building. Users joined on Monday and Tuesday to connect with Subject Matter Experts on all things Aeries. Some stopped by just to say hi and exchange a hug, while others spent valuable 1:1 time discussing everything from CALPADS to query to gradebook.
Casino Night was extra special this year. Not only were the normal casino games and delicious hours d’oeuvres in tow, but we also celebrated our Jerry Lloyd Golden Legacy Award Winners: Albert Kwan of West Covina USD and Susan Prow of Aeries. Albert and Susan were both nominated by individuals who felt their impact in the student information space deserved to be recognized and celebrated – and indeed, they were! Additionally, we celebrated the retirement of our previous CEO, Barry Lloyd, and our Co-Founder, Rich Lloyd. Speeches by Craig Tschuoff and Sam Defeo brought back great memories of Aeries’ past, with our current President and CEO, Brent Lloyd, speaking of his excitement for the future
Nothing says ‘music festival’ quite like two special live appearances. We are so thankful for Harvest Hill STEAM Academy Concert Band and Menifee Valley Middle School Eagle Band for their fantastic lunchtime performances!
We had a packed house at Day 3 of Aeries, where attendees chose between CALPADS Day or Aeries IT Professional Day, expanding their learning each step of the way. And, of course – there were plenty of M&Ms to go around each day of conference- it wouldn’t be AeriesCon without it!
We are so thrilled we spent the week jamming with so many members of our Aeries community: we truly love seeing, connecting, and supporting our users. While another AeriesCon has come and gone, we can’t wait to see you at other Aeries events! Are you ready to start planning ahead for another set of great conferences? Save the date:
- AeriesCon Fall 2025: November 3-5, 2025 – Virtual
- AeriesCon Spring 2026: March 10-12, 2026 – Monterey, California
On behalf of the AeriesCon Committee, we thank every single attendee, staff member, and vendor who helped make this event such a success!
To stay updated on all things AeriesCon, visit www.aeries.com/aeriescon.