First Time Attendees
There’s a lot to do at CEC 2025 and if it’s your first time attending, don’t worry—we’re here to help! Here are some suggestions on what not to miss, how to plan your time, and how to make the most of your experience.
Where Do I Go?
First stop will be registration located in the Expo Hall at the Baltimore Convention Center to pick up your conference badge.
Registration will be open beginning Tuesday, March 11th from 2 – 8pm. Registration will re-open on Wednesday, March 12th starting from 7am – 6:30pm.
What to Wear?
The weather will be in the mid 50s during the day in Baltimore, MD. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes for walking and wearing layers as meeting rooms can get cold.
Where is everything?
Registration, the CEC Hub, Store, Exhibitors, Sponsors, Posters and Keynote Presentations are all located in the Expo Hall on the lower level. Workshops, concurrent sessions, Teacher Slams and Data Blitzs are located on level 300 of the Baltimore Convention Center. You can take the escalators or elevators from the Expo Hall.
First Time Attendee Orientations
First time at a CEC Convention? Join fellow first-time attendees on Wednesday, March 12 at the Baltimore Convention Center (Learning Stage located in the Expo Hall) to learn more about the program and guide you through the first timer conference experience.
| Wednesday, March 12 | 1:30 – 2:00 pm (followed by 30 minutes of networking) |
| Wednesday, March 12 | 3:30 – 4:00 pm (followed by 30 minutes of networking) |
Planning Sessions
With hundreds of sessions, it can be hard to know what to do! Use our session browser and download the conference mobile app (coming late February) to search for sessions by topic, professional role, students' grade level, and more.
The Expo Hall
Visit with exhibitors March 12 – 14 in the Expo Hall to learn more about the different types of products and services designed to help you. For an immersive hands-on experience stop by the CEC-ISET Technology Playground where you can interact with vendors, educators, and students who will share current assistive and instructional technology that can support your students.
Stop by the CEC Hub to get your questions answered on membership, divisions, units and giving. You can also stop by the CEC Store for new resources and gear.
Social Events
New this year we will have the Welcome Reception on March 12th at Power Plant Live, about a 10-minute walk from the Baltimore Convention Center, following the Opening Keynote. The Welcome Reception is included with your registration for Convention.
On Thursday, March 13th we will have Division Connect at the Baltimore Convention Center from 5 – 6 pm where you can learn more about all the different Divisions and how to get involved. On Friday, March 14th we will be holding CEC Celebration at Maryland Science Center starting at 6pm. This is a great way to connect with your fellow attendees and share conference experiences from the past week. Remember to add a ticket to our CEC Celebration on Friday night to your registration. Food, drinks, and music will be provided.
Social Media
Follow @CEC_Headquarters on Instagram to connect with professionals and fellow students, receive Convention updates, and learn about other social media activities taking place during the Convention. Use the hashtags to connect with other attendees during the event. Tag your posts with the hashtags #CEC2025 to connect with the special education community.
