InstructureCon 2016 Post-Conference Feedback

[jordan]

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tl;dr: This is an open discussion where you all can publicly share your qualitative thoughts and feedback about InstructureCon 2016! Please post before reading the comments from others. Then feel free to reply to others!

Once again we were stunned by another kumbayawesome InstructureCon! Fortunately the great sessions, ideas, and connections we made, can live on within our Canvas Community and in the InstructureCon 2016 community space! Remember that you can keep the conversation alive, around each breakout session, by adding comments! This is a great way to connect with the presenters and share thoughts/ideas with other participants.

Please be sure to take that survey that our marketing team sends out, so we can make instcon even better next year. That quantitative feedback is invaluable.

In addition we wanted to have an open discussion where you all can publicly share your qualitative thoughts and feedback about InstructureCon 2016!

Here's some things you might want to talk about: the sessions, the keynotes, the activities, the online schedule, the app, the booths, the venue, opportunities to connect, ideas for the Community Team to improve community interaction and engagement.

Thanks for your help Canvas Community...  We ❤️ you!

Onward and upward!

PS... Don't forget to add all those kumbayawesome photos you took, to the Camp Canvas Photo Gallery...

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In your responses please @mention other community friends or use the "Share" tool to encourage others to offer their feedback as well!

Let's kick off this discussion with some @mentions:

 @KristinL ​,  @jward ​,  @tom_gibson ​,  @kub26 ​, kdfrench​,  @rseilham ​,  @ckofeldt ​,  @ktesterman1 ,  @roush_94 ​, amber_morse​,  @dlyons ​,  @mjevins ​,  @hyrum ​, lalevesque​,  @mfgu ​, kbeimfohr​,  @jasond ​,  @britain_woodman ​, regina_mccurdy​,  @hsiao_62 ​, shortridge​,  @stuart_ryan ​, lambj​ @lindalee ​, awilliams​,  @thatcher_bohrma ​,  @crystal_trotter ​, Deactivated user​, 985706039​, bsargent​,  @bwalters ​,  @travis_cox ​,  @beth_ritter-gut ​,  @tmercer ​, mouldera​, Deactivated user​, sblyth​,  @tawnya_means ​,  @michellemeazell ​,  @mlattke ​, jray11​, Deactivated user​, mlove​,  @colleen_ortega ​, whitney.kilgore​,  @victoria-maloy ​,  @arovner ​,  @kevin1 ​,  @lstark ​, dtheriault​, kmiller​,  @BethCrook ​,  @grahamb ​,  @Chris_Hofer ​, floria​, sphoward​, Deactivated user​, dhawley​, jwhite​, mmorvant​, goodrum​,  @kristie_johnson ​, Deactivated user​, hooker.24​, lydia​, yotebrarian​, A00015317​, catherine_gregory​,  @kyle_johnson ​,  @timothy_mckean ​,  @murphy_1527 ​,  @sbeck1 ​,  @ewilson ​,  @lclontz ​,  @straussi ​, chriscas​,  @candace_girard ​,  @p_bier ​,  @kdscholl ​, bigenhoc​ aharris​,  @dave-long ​,  @kschneider25 ​, 16247​,  @skowlaski ​, msl_adm​, evans.1517​, eanderson3​,  @jbrady2 ​,  @Adrienne_J_Gaut ​,  @np ​,  @ebaker ​, timf​,  @travis_thurston ​, Deactivated user​, jap98y​, seneman​,  @SchaeferG ​, stefaniesanders​,  @Renee_Carney ​,  @scottdennis ​,  @biray ​

[DrNufer]

I agree about the abstracts.  I like the OLC format when the presenters give a quick abstract, but then we can read a more in-depth summary of what the presentation will be.  Also, they typically require that presenters share their slide decks and prezis before the conference starts. 

[raynev]

So I presented last year and they did ask for our slides up front. I think the problem is that it isn't easily enforced? But I am with you on the extended abstract - I find it super helpful to (optionally) view those when prioritizing sessions.

[rseilham]

These are great ideas. I do like the extended abstract. As for getting the slides in early, as you know this isn't an easy task. I have presented at 4 InstructureCons and this honestly was the best year for communicating with speakers. There was a speaker session beforehand and I think the majority of people got their slides in at least a day early.

As for having presentations ready beforehand, this is something I think is great for EDUCAUSE, OLC, and the more academic conferences, but I am continually getting great information from employees and users until the day I present. Plus I always throw in a few surprises because of the nature of this conference.  I do think that all presenters should post their presentation by the end of the day (of their presentation) or at least the end of the conference. I always follow that rule.

Also, I think a more consistent way to share presentations in the community would be great for everyone.

[kona]

Agreed, I've presented two years and both years I was tweaking my presentation based on conversations and feedback up until the day before (or sometimes even that day!).

[DrNufer]

I even email one person a couple of months prior to the conference asking more about what would be covered (well, it was actually a preconference workshop, so I had to try to justify the cost).  I didn't hear back.  If extended descriptions were part of the session evaluation/selection process then I think that would benefit everyone. 

[hansardc]

Love the longer session abstract idea. I, too, ended up in sessions that weren't what I though they would be based on the description. Didn't want to appear rude, so I stayed. Also afraid that moving to another room would mean sitting on the floor or, even worse, not being allowed in at all.

In addition, it is frustrating to sit through a session only to find out that what they are talking about isn't available to anyone outside of their organization. That happened with one of the UCF presentations. People were excited about the product but when asked, they admitted it wasn't available to anyone outside of UCF and they weren't sure if it ever would be. WHAT?! Why am I listening to that then?I want something I can bring back and use.

[raynev]

the comment about proprietary tools is an interesting one, especially given that most of the keynotes really reinforced the idea of "openness" throughout the conference. I of course understand that not every tool will be open source and free, but it would be good to at least gain info on how you could implement these tools at your institution.

[tmercer]

It was my first InstructureCon and I really enjoyed it.  Already plotting how to get back to it next year.  The networking was great! Just meeting in person people who are doing similar things and learning from them is invaluable.  I enjoyed all the sessions.  There was one that wasn't what I expected so I walked out and found something that fit me more.  I do think that eating at the Field didn't work always.  We presented one day and didn't want to get mulch in our shoes so skipped it.  Tents, Tents wifi and tents.  Obviously you can't predict the weather but I wore more ponchos that week then I have my whole life.  But kudos on instantly having ponchos on the ready it was unbelievable how ready and thorough your staff is.  I learned a lot so great work.

[MLentini]

Second the heat issue. I get that's it's a ski resort, but I couldn't cool the place down even with the windows open all night.

[MLentini]

First off, the EdCamp/unconference was fantastic. It was well facilitated, and I had great discussions both during the formal sessions and on the side. It was also a nice way to connect with some people from other colleges around professional topics, then see them again later in the week and follow up.

The backpack: 'm not too big on swag; most of it goes to perks for faculty or tech support folks who do something special. But I'm keepin' the backpack. It's practical and nicely made.

Ski resort/outdoors location - I've enjoyed the ski resort/outdoors locations for the conferences. I think Keystone was a bit rough around the edges (see below), but the idea of getting away from it all to focus on a topic, and getting some fresh air to clear the head between sessions is great. I'll be sad when it ends up in Just Another Conference Center. And home if it ever lands in Vegas. 


The app was really nice this year. The UX on the apps from previous years was rough, but this made it possible to go paperless, at least for those who had a smartphone. I agree with the earlier comments that a paper version on request would be helpful for those who are wi-fi only or don't have a smartphone.


Session tracks/levels - Several of my colleagues have mentioned this as well; some basic leveling would be nice. Even two levels - "Newb" and "Geek" or something like that would be helpful in picking sessions.

More concurrent sessions? - It would take a different kind of venue, maybe, but one possible way to make both tracks and the crowding issue easier would be more sessions at the same time. Also, we could probably thin out the keynotes a bit. I got the same info at the product keynote and the roadmap sessions.

Food allergies - This was a serious bummer. It took until Thursday morning before I could reliably find a meal.  I was able to connect with the chefs, and they tried (shout-out to Stefan and Greg in catering), but this shouldn't be a difficult accommodation for a conference of several thousand people. Generally, some amount of creative menu planning, and some build-it-yourself options at every meal will cover it.  I know that "At Canyons I could..." starts to sound like "In Angel I used to be able to..." a little, but they really did have it nailed. Not only was the food allergy area stocked with lots of ways to navigate around different food allergies, but they were quick on the draw for the one meal I couldn't eat. And the alternatives were *good* - like people in the regular food lines were jealous good - and that's kind of a nice change from the norm.

Room share was awkward - We sent a pretty good size team, but with the mix of arrival times and genders, we were only able to pair up two members of our team. There's only so much sharing that you can do in a professionally appropriate manner. Also, it was unclear who paid how much if one person in a share was there Mon-Fri, and another was there Tues-Thurs. I had funding to send one more person, but we couldn't find a room. Which leads me to...

Cost - This has been a very valuable conference over the years, so much so that we've sent big teams. However, it's getting pricey enough that I'm probably going to send a smaller team next year. I'm looking at total cost: registration is a lot for what amounts to two days, and lodging was super high, even accounting for the great location.

One last note that I heard and (at least in some low-light areas) experienced: The print on maps, schedules, etc was tiny and low contrast, making it hard to read, at least for those of us old enough to sign a travel requisition. Please consider readability over hip colors next year!

[jbrady2]

I just wanted add that the hot rooms must have been building/suite specific as myself and two other members of our group had an end-of-building suite at Red Hawk and my room was freezing at night with the windows open (just the way I like it), and I did not hear any complaints from anyone else in our group.  So, we must have just been lucky with our selection of rooms, or some buildings/suites are better than others.

[rseilham]

My room was freezing, but I'm from Florida. :smileylaugh:

[DrNufer]

Hey fellow Floridian!  I loved being embraced at MCO by my comforting wall of humidity.

[jbrady2]

 @rseilham  snufer I'm also from Florida, but having lived here for most of my life since birth, I have only one use for the warmer climate anymore, and that is the ability to scuba dive year round.  Other than that, I welcome any reprieve from the heat. :smileycool:

[DrNufer]

I think my issue is that I lived many years in Chicago, after living in paradisaical Hawaii.  I endured so many harsh winters, including the apocalyptic blizzard of 2011.  I embrace the crazy summers here being grateful that I don't have to deal with winters. 

[Stef_retired]

Yep, me too. I turned on the heat at night.

[BethCrook]

I actually slept with the windows on every night and slept like a baby!   Arriving back home with 110+ heat index at 7pm at night was not amusing.

[rseilham]

Never thought Delaware got "that" hot, but it seems hot everywhere now! I'm longing for those cool nights again.

[BethCrook]

Sure does!   At least 2x's per summer.  But it's the humidity level that really knocks us down.   We are surrounded by water on 3 sides, and when it could take as little as 30 minutes to drive from east to west Coast-to-Bay, it's a real kicker.

[DrNufer]

I have another suggestion.  I wonder if it is time for Instructure to start giving out awards and have a ceremony at InstructureCon.  These could be formatted similarly (in terms of nominations and criteria) to OLC, DevLearn, Pearson Cite, etc.  We can recognize distinguished accomplishment in online teaching, instructional technology, online administration, etc.

[rseilham]

I agree! These are great at other conferences.

[admin]

Here's the TLDR:

I loved the theme of the conference and learned a lot from the sessions. I'm not worried so much about moving to Canvas from Blackboard but I found the Keystone Resort unable to meet the needs of guests during and after their stay. I think going to a different location would be a good idea.

This was my first InstCon and I really enjoyed the conference. My institution will be migrating from Blackboard and I have had concerns about the move. After attending sessions (specifically the one about what it coming with the new quizzing tool) I feel much better about the move. I still have unanswered questions but I feel much better about the coming change. I am excited to get training for Canvas and be able to really dig in and play with the system to learn how to best use it for our program. Coming to the conference I did not know what to expect with Canvas. I really enjoyed the opening keynote by Josh Coates. I like the open door policy of the company and the attitude of we know we can't do everything so we're let others do the things that we can't.

My negatives have to do with the logistics of the resort and how the resort handled the issues that I had during and after my stay.

Billing: When we checked in on Monday I was told that they needed a credit card for incidentals, but when I gave them my card for incidentals, they charged the entire room to my personal card instead of the corporate card on file. They made me call my credit card company to have the charge taken off. Then on Saturday they charged my personal card again. I have left 3 voicemails and sent an e-mail but I have still not received a response from their billing office. They have refunded part of the charges they made to my personal card, but I haven't been able to actually speak to any one to find out why there are still charges.

The Room Itself: I shared a 2-bedroom condo with a colleague. Our first unit had one double bed, four bunk beds, no wifi, no phone, and a rather disturbing smell coming from the garbage disposal. When they moved us to a new unit we learned that our first unit wasn't owned by the resort itself which explains why it wasn't really ready to be used by anyone. On Tuesday I happened to be sitting at the dining room table of our second unit doing some work for the office when a nice gentleman walked in. At first I thought he was maintenance, but he was actually another guest who had been told that he and his colleagues would be staying where we were now staying. Condo Registration had given him keys to get into our unit. I have no idea what would have happened if I hadn't happened to be there when he arrived.

Transportation: As others have mentioned, the Orange Route was not reliable. It was supposed to run every 20 minutes but several times it was running 20 minutes late. When I called the transportation number I was routinely told that the bus would be there in a few minutes. I was also told that the orange route is the longest and the hardest to keep on schedule. When I asked if they could maybe put another bus on the route I was told there were no available drivers, even through I had seen at least 2 on call shuttles go by while I was waiting. I found it very frustrating that the bus stops didn't have any signs with the name of the bus stop. It took me a day and a half to learn the name of the bus stop that I needed to get back to my unit.

There are other comments that have already been made about conference room size, food, and spotty wifi that I also agree with so I won't elaborate on that.

The content and the theme of the conference was great and I learned a lot, but the venue was a disappointment.

[admin]

I've been fighting with the billing department for the same reason. However, congrats on actually getting through. I'm still waiting to talk to someone.

[Jeff_F]

Many good comments.  We all had a fantastic time and appreciate all the planning, coordination, Herculean efforts, extra innings, etc. that it took to give us this opportunity to learn, unwind, and connect.  Again, many thanks!

To add a request:  for the deeper rooms, ask the audio-visual crew to have an additional pair of speakers positioned at the half way point.  While I could try to sit up front near the pair of speakers instead of in the back, the downside is then I may not get out of the room fast enough so as to be able to get a seat in the next session...

[jnuckles]

Coming from someone who wasn't able to attend the conference in person, in the past, I have enjoyed tuning in live for some of the keynote presentations that were streamed. If they were provided this year, I could not find them. It was nice to be a part of the conference in the past while it was going on even when I wasn't actually there.

[kona]

jnuckles​, Sorry you missed them this year! Three of the keynotes were streamed and I know they advertised this on Twitter and (I'm pretty sure) in the Community. In addition, if you went to the Keynote event page there was a "Live Stream" icon you could click on.

[jnuckles]

I clicked around the conference pages and never did find it in the community this year. You can thank the budget of the great state of Illinois for current travel restrictions.

[kona]

jnuckles​, I didn't realize you were also in IL! Where are you at? And yes, definitely don't get me started on budget issues thanks to the state... I basically have NO budget left. :smileyangry:

Even if I wasn't pregnant and unable to attend, if I wanted to go this year I would have needed to foot the entire bill myself. I actually did this last year because it meant that much for me to attend.

[hansardc]

Thoroughly enjoyed my time at the conference. While this venue was larger than Park City, there was still a space challenge. Many sessions had sitting/standing room only and in others, people were being asked to leave. My suggestion is that for the sessions you already know will be popular either because of interest the previous year or because it is a hot feature (i.e. mobile changes, Office 365 integration, etc...) you offer the session twice. Once in the morning and again in the afternoon. It would also be helpful to have some of them in the keynote room. Conference participants pay a lot of money to come and learn what's new and being kicked out of sessions or not being able to get in at all leaves a bad taste.

Did not mind walking. Shuttles were available for those who absolutely refused to walk.

Loved the backpacks, lunchboxes and cups. If held in Keystone again next year, seems like umbrellas would be appropriate giveaways...they would actually be good no matter what! And while on the subject of rain, please have alternatives planned for outdoor events. Eating in the rain two nights in a row was not fun. And definitely not enough seating for outdoor eating either.

[hansardc]

Also want to add that I like that Instructurecon is not the average stuffy professional conference in a big city. I know that some have complained about it but I think it is a good balance between both. Also loved the swag but agree with some who have said it should have been accessible closer to the conference area....kind of like it was last year near the dining area where everyone had to go anyway.

[fosterl]

Pros: (1) excellent keynote addresses, all of them!

(2) The participants! I met and talked to many inspired and inspirational attendees.

(3) The sessions. As usual, a great mix of Instructure sessions as well as those given by attendees.

(4) The location was very beautiful, and it was so cool that the entire resort was Camp Canvas.

(5) The activities available looked awesome, although I never had any time for riding the Gondola up the mountain,

or kayaking/paddle-boarding on the lake.

(6) The meals were mainly fun with a reasonable selection of food.

(7) The SWAG was awesome as usual.

(8) There was an unconference!

Cons: (1) The location was hard to get to (2 hour shuttle from the nearest airport).

(2) Single rooms sold out way too early. It was a paperwork nightmare getting two different departments at our institution to split

the cost of one shared room.

(3) I was one of the altitude-sickness sufferers, so missed the unconference.

(4) I got shut out of two of the big presentations I really wanted to go to when the room filled up and no one else was allowed in.

I should think with a little planning, talks that look like they'll fill up could be simulcast in other rooms (like the keynotes were).

(5) Presenters should have a way to add an extended abstract to their session page ahead of time. It was hard to tell from the fifty-word descriptions what the real topic was, and thus I attended some sessions I would not have (and missed others at the same time).

(6) There weren't enough Admin track sessions.

(7) The app was pretty good, but sometimes I couldn't get WIFI and then wouldn't know where I was going next! After the first

occurrence of that, I just made sure to have it written down.

[raynev]

I actually printed a paper schedule before I got to Keystone because I figured with the app, there would be no paper schedule this year and was afraid of spotty wifi. So glad I did that!

Also, for whatever reason, my app (Android) didn't display a full list of all available sessions... I even compared it to someone else's (iOS) version and theirs did...so I just gave up on the app after that.

[jbrady2]

 @raynev ​ I actually never compared the online schedule to what I saw on the app, so I was unaware that I was missing information based on viewing only the app.

[admin]

Glows: Staff friendliness; MLentini​'s session on cultural responsive design on Canvas; the CU session on universal design on Canvas; housing was fantastic; Keystone is beautiful; schedule allowed for time in the day to set up meetings with vendors and/or Canvas staff members

Grows: the personalized schedule on the app only allowed you to add sessions, not keynotes or conference-wide aspects (suggestion - allow the personalized schedule to have all-conference options, too, that can be added); more tents/seats for outdoor meals/events; ensure accessibility to all locations (e.g., fields/mulched areas of food weren't accessible to all; the distance between some locations with tight transitions weren't possible for all)

[kschneider25]

This was an interesting InstructureCon.

The Keystone location had some pros and cons.

The pros - the location was beautiful and much bigger than The Canyons and the conference center had larger spaces available for keynotes and session rooms.  The bus schedule and system was awesome.  I liked that different events were held at different locations.

The cons to Keystone - The conference center didn't have enough rooms or wasn't utilized efficiently.   There wasn't enough space to feel comfortable and again some of the sessions were overflowing.  Where were the snacks?  I never figured out when to have hot tea either.  When I got to the conference center for keynotes there wasn't hot tea or coffee.  I never managed to have a snack (I miss The Canyons afternoon candy stations and snacks everywhere).  But the water stations were always available which was good.  While Keystone offered more space I missed the true camp spirit because everything was so far apart.  I went to hack night and game night but I don't know if I would have made it to movies (also the rain) where at The Canyons it would have been possible to pop into all the events.  WiFi at the conference center wasn't great.  Check-in also was interesting because hotel check-in was with registration check-in.  That seemed weird.  Also everyone in our shuttle came back with different bits of information.

There wasn't enough tables, seats or serving stations (outside of the tent although I think the rain again was an issue and factor) at Decatur Field.

River Run Village evening reception was awesome!  I loved the different foods and the lines moved fast for each table. I also loved being able to get some gifts for people at home (and support the shops in Keystone).  Keystone Barn was OK (finally eating tents and seats) but the rain was an issue for this event (outside of anyone's control though).   No s'mores?!?

The sessions that I attended were ok.  I had a take away from each session but I wasn't wowed this time. Maybe that was my mood though.

The Partner Hall was much, much better this year!  More partners and a much larger space this year!

The swag was great (including the rain ponchos)!  I miss the program and I know the possible reasons why they were stopped but I miss them. The mini-program (Field Guides) around my neck was ok and didn't really use it too much. I feel horrible that we littered Colorado "beauty-ness" with our Field Guide clips.  I was used the app and the community a lot.  I noticed that the app was missing a few sessions that I had marked on the community schedule.  I LOVED that popular sessions were repeated in the afternoon and sometimes in a larger location and the app notified us!  One con on the app was you had to go back, back, back, back to find the map for a session (again I had the thing around my neck but looking on my phone in one hand and the map around my neck well...).   Also app quizzes cannot be "the first three who respond" since the app and WiFi issues didn't notify everyone at the same time.  M

Overall it was another great InstructureCon!  I look forward to each one and it will continue to be a conference that I will plan for each year.  I love the networking opportunities and people at each InstructureCon.  It is an amazing opportunity every year.

[admin]

Overall, it was a great experience. I especially liked how close all of the sessions were to each other at this location (no schlepping from Silverado to Kokopelli!).

The bus system worked for the most part, but there was a lot of confusion and differing information between Instructure employees and Keystone employees. During evening events, there should be direct shuttles from the conference area to the event area. It slowed things down to just do the normal routes when everyone was going to the same place from the same place.

The one downside has been interacting with Keystone as a company. They made a big mistake in billing (which is potentially costing me money) and it's been impossible to get it fixed. Unlike a normal hotel, they have a "billing department" which handles all money issues centrally. As far as I can tell they have exactly one employee there. I waited 48-hours for a response and missed the call when they finally called back. I still have not been able to resolve this and it's been almost a week out from the close of the conference.

I'm not sure what Instructure can do about this in the future, except encouraging them to have more staff immediately available after the conference for issues.

[admin]

Perhaps because I lived in Denver 30 years ago, I had a little different take on resort lodgings and how resorts worked. 

I rented a car for the week for $125 bucks at the airport (reserved some months prior), reserved a motel room in Dillon overlooking the shores of the lake for $99 per night tax exempt (and for some reason it dropped to $89), had air conditioning (but we used the heat), and a free breakfast.  I drove the 5 miles to the conference center, parked at the lot there, shuttled or walked to Keystone during all the events I needed to see, then drove back 5 miles to Dillon when I was done with the evening events.  There was always a parking spot in both places, and my stuff had a place in the trunk.

If we are lucky enough to go back next year, the area handles many thousands of more people in the ski season on any given day, so there are many, many alternatives than an expensive rental lodge and shared rooms, odd billings, and no air.   I supposed it is the difference for those of who love staying at any conference hotel, and those who scope out the area for something close, and unique. Of course arranging a conference is complicated, and business for the resorts would include an expected fill rate for the resort- so Instructure certainly can't provide all that information to us- but there are alternatives available online. Both my department budget, and my own pocketbook spent far less than in any urban or metro area- and there was far more to do.

That won't solve all the other issues like accessibility, food tables, etc., and crowded conference rooms, but I did want to note that there were other paradigms for making arrangements that would avoid some of the discomfort some of you experienced with your lodgings and transportation.

[alexander_kark1]

As a Coloradan and former Keystone employee (circa 2003-2004), I was very proud of the way that Instructure and Keystone pulled off the conference. The conference center is lovely and I would guess that Instructure paid a bundle to keep the shuttles running at peak ski season schedules, but it really made the distance between venues manageable. I would echo the sentiment that there were not enough covered places to sit and eat out of the rain/sunshine. The Instructure keynotes were awesome, but the guest keynotes this year were really not up to the standards of previous InstructureCons. :smileyplain: Overall, I had a great time once again and would love to see InstructureCon return to my back yard.

I'm also happy to see that so many of you enjoyed your time in the Colorado mountains, despite the sometimes uncooperative weather!

[rseilham]

I agree with more cover. I also know that these conferences generally bring in EdTech pundits for Keynotes to add to the education quote pile and sell books, but I'd rather see more sessions, Instructure-led sessions, or networking opportunities in the mornings.

[tbunag]

I enjoyed connecting with others and learned many new things, like last year at InstructureCon.

Since my husband and I both were attending, we brought our daughter.  We'd been told it was a family friendly conference (initally the FAQ even said there would be daycare available!), and it's really not.  There were no reasonable care options, the conference was so far from any major city that we couldn't take advantage of existing care, the conference was difficult to navigate with a stroller, and there was little seating and shade/protection from rain/hail if we managed to get there.  We ended up skipping most of the fun events and meals.  InstructureCon staff were helpful in finding work-arounds where feasible, but we spent most of the time exhausted and hungry.  The extreme elevation didn't help.

Overall, although I feel like I learned an immense amount of immediately useful information at InstructureCon this year, I don't plan on going again unless there are drastic changes.