ISTELive 22 was more than just a conference. It was a homecoming of sorts, as more than 14,000 participants descended on New Orleans for the first in-person ISTE conference in three years.

And judging by the engagement, it did not disappoint!

“#ISTELive is a conference like no other,” tweeted Rachel Lemansky, an elementary library coordinator at the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District in Massachusetts. “You feel connected, engaged and involved. I learned more in four days than I would learn from traditional PD in 10 years.”

Judging from the enthusiasm shared on social media, she was not alone. There were 31,486 social posts using the #ISTElive hashtag shared throughout the four-day event, and more than 182 million engagements on those posts. All told, the posts reached more than 283 million social media users.

ISTELive 22 was the first hybrid conference ISTE had ever put on. After two years of virtual events that each drew thousands of participants, ISTE doubled down and put on both a live event in New Orleans and a hybrid event on ISTE’s custom-built platform. Both NOLA attendees and those tuning in virtually also will have access to streaming and session recordings for six months.

That flexibility pushed the number of participants to 14,282 for the live show, plus 2,299 virtually. They traveled or tuned in from 88 countries and every U.S. state.

To support that number of participants, the conference offered 1,086 learning opportunities made possible by 1,618 presenters, including 279 students. There were 444 companies exhibiting edtech products in the expo hall.

More than a dozen inspiring Mainstage speakers packed the theater at the Morial Convention Center each day of the event, including digital illusionist Zach King, author Cornel West, and artist and storyteller Taryn Southern, to name a few.

Attendees enjoyed innovative presentations, such as the AR/VR Playground and an esports demonstration and panel discussion. In the playground, attendees tried out the latest augmented and virtual reality technology and talked to educators experienced in how to use the tools to drive engagement and deepen learning for students. During the esports event, participants watched students play live Smash Brothers and Rocket League matches while learning from educators and students about the many ways esports builds skills and engages kids in learning and community-building.

Attendees enjoyed innovative presentations, such as the AR/VR Playground and an esports demonstration and panel discussion. In the playground, attendees tried out the latest augmented and virtual reality technology and talked to educators experienced in how to use the tools to drive engagement and deepen learning for students. During the esports event, participants watched students play live Smash Brothers and Rocket League matches while learning from educators and students about the many ways esports builds skills and engages kids in learning and community-building.

While the conference was big on learning and inspiration, there was plenty of fun, too! Live and virtual participants completed challenges, searched for eggs and ticked off activities to earn points for a shot at a prize. Kyle Perri finished on top of the individual leaderboard with 4,230 points. Participants could also pick one of seven mascots to compete as a team. The octopuses led that competition, nudging out the foxes.

Check out the graphic below to see all the ISTELive 22 numbers.