After nearly two years of planning, conversations, and an extraordinary amount of work, I’m pleased to share a milestone: A4LE and EDmarket have completed the legal and operational steps to merge into a single association.
We are now A4LE + EDmarket — one association, one staff team, and one membership community. As we prepare for our full public launch in early January 2027, we are bringing our programs, communications, and member experiences together around a shared purpose: serving the people who shape learning environments.
My sincere thanks go to the volunteer leaders from both associations who devoted their time, judgment, and patience to this effort. I’m equally grateful to our newly combined staff, who have put in some very long days while continuing to serve our members. Bringing two associations together takes vision, persistence, and attention to detail — and, apparently, more meetings than anyone thought possible.
Beginning in 2027, LearningSCAPES will become A4LE + EDmarket’s sole official annual conference.
One topic on many members’ minds is the future of LearningSCAPES and EDspaces. Following discussions about future collaboration opportunities, FORGE, a private, for-profit firm and the owner of EDspaces, has decided not to continue its educational programming partnership with our association. As a result, beginning in 2027, LearningSCAPES will become A4LE + EDmarket’s sole official annual conference.
This gives us a clear opportunity to build something we have been working toward for some time: the premier conference and exposition for the learning environments industry. By bringing the expertise, relationships, and resources of our combined association together, we can create an experience that serves the full breadth of our membership. I’m excited about what comes next—and about building it with you.
Exhibit space for next year’s conference in Orlando, September 29-October 2, will open soon. We look forward to welcoming exhibitors who will help bring this expanded vision to life.
As we prepare for Orlando in 2027, we have an opportunity to return to a truly member-driven event. As a non-profit association-owned conference, manufacturers, dealers, architects, designers, and education leaders will shape LearningSCAPES. Your feedback, expertise, and participation will guide what we offer, from professional learning and product discovery to the connections that help you do your work. Our responsibility is to listen and deliver an experience whose value reflects what you need — and makes your investment of time and resources worthwhile.
LearningSCAPES has long brought together education leaders, architects, planners, manufacturers, dealers, and designers who are committed to creating exceptional learning environments. With the combined experience of A4LE and EDmarket, we have an opportunity to build on that foundation and make the conference even more valuable to everyone we serve.
That means expanding professional education, creating more opportunities to connect, and making product and service discovery a meaningful part of the learning experience. We want attendees to explore ideas in a session, see how they can take shape on the exhibit floor, and talk with the people who can help put them into practice. Manufacturers and dealers bring knowledge that helps members make informed choices about the products and services their learning environments need.
Focusing our efforts on a single annual conference allows us to channel more of our collective resources into making those connections possible. My goal is for every attendee and exhibitor to leave LearningSCAPES with useful ideas, stronger relationships, and a clear sense that their time was well spent. That is the kind of conference our combined association can build —and one that reflects this community’s talent and breadth.
We are also establishing our new volunteer leadership structure. That structure, including a new Board of Directors, will take effect at the conclusion of LearningSCAPES in Seattle, November 4-7, 2026. This is another important step in bringing the voices and experience of both associations into our shared future.
For members, the most meaningful changes will be the opportunities this combination makes possible. Bringing our services, offerings, and programs together means more benefits for members of both organizations, with expanded value beginning immediately and continuing to develop over time.
Throughout this nearly two-year journey, we have worked to honor that history while preparing an association that can meet your needs well into the future.
Our volunteer leaders and staff will be communicating with you about those advantages, including near-term opportunities and the longer-term possibilities we are working to deliver. We want you to understand what your membership includes and how to make the most of it.
A new website will launch at the beginning of 2027 as part of our public introduction. Along with it, we will provide clear information about our combined offerings and how to access them. Please watch for updates in the weeks and months ahead.
Combining two associations, each with more than a century of history, is a substantial undertaking. We are bringing together generations of traditions, relationships, and professional pride. Those things matter because they reflect the people who built these organizations and the members they have served.
Throughout this nearly two-year journey, we have worked to honor that history while preparing an association that can meet your needs well into the future. Our goal is a stronger member experience, with the personal attention and longstanding service you have come to expect.
I’m proud of what our volunteer leaders and staff have accomplished, and I’m excited to help carry this work forward. Thank you for your patience, your participation, and your belief in what we can achieve together. A4LE + EDmarket is now a reality, and I look forward to building its future with you.