If you are preparing for an education job search, the AAEE National Education Career Fair offers a focused chance to meet school-district and university recruiters in Kansas City. The candidate portion is scheduled for Monday, October 19, 2026, from 4–7 p.m. at the Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza, 4445 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri.
AAEE says the broader annual conference brings together educator-preparation, recruitment, human-resources and retention professionals from October 19–21. The organizer expects more than 50 hiring institutions at the career fair. Candidate attendance is listed as free, but registration is required.
This guide focuses on the public-facing career fair. Conference sessions and employer-table access may have different registrations, so use the official AAEE pages for the option that matches your role.
At a glance
- What: AAEE National Education Career Fair
- When: Monday, October 19, 2026, 4–7 p.m.
- Where: Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza, 4445 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64111
- Best for: Education majors, recent graduates and other educator candidates seeking school-district or university roles
- Cost for candidates: Free, according to AAEE; advance registration is required
- Official information: AAEE National Education Career Fair
- Organizer contact: info@aaee.org or 614-800-1722
Who is likely to get the most value
AAEE describes the candidate audience as education majors and job seekers interested in school-district or university employment. That makes the event a particularly good fit for juniors, seniors, recent graduates, licensed educators considering a move and candidates who want to compare employers from more than one region.
It may be less useful if you are looking only for non-education work or if your credential situation is unusually complex and you expect each recruiter to resolve it on the spot. You can still attend, but arrive with a short explanation of your current license, expected graduation date, endorsements and the states where you are willing to work.
Register before you build the rest of your plan
AAEE states that candidate attendance is free and registration is required. Use the organizer's career-fair page rather than relying on a social post, old registration link or third-party listing. Save the confirmation where you can reach it on your phone and check whether AAEE sends a check-in code, ticket or final instruction email.
The organizer's pages contain a few stale or conflicting fields elsewhere on the site, including older Pittsburgh references. The dedicated career-fair page and current main conference page both place the 2026 event in Kansas City. Even so, recheck the official page and your registration message before leaving home.
Prepare a 30-second introduction
A busy career fair rewards clarity. You do not need a rehearsed speech, but you should be able to cover four points comfortably:
- Your current role, program or graduation timing.
- Your subject area, grade band or professional specialty.
- The type of position and location you are considering.
- One thoughtful question about the employer's students, support systems or hiring process.
Avoid opening with something so broad that the recruiter has to interview you just to understand what you want. A specific introduction gives both sides a useful place to start.
What to bring
Bring a small number of clean, current résumés even if employers encourage online applications. A printed résumé can support the conversation, but the employer's application system will usually remain the official path. If you use a portfolio, keep it brief enough to review at a table and avoid including confidential student information.
Also consider bringing:
- A short list of priority employers and questions
- Notes on your licensure status and endorsements
- A pen and compact folder
- A phone charger or small battery pack
- Water, if the venue permits it
- A simple way to record next steps after each conversation
You do not need elaborate personal marketing materials. Accurate contact information, a clear résumé and thoughtful questions matter more than novelty.
Research employers without overplanning
If AAEE publishes a current employer list for registrants, choose a first group of organizations you genuinely want to meet. Review their locations, current openings, licensure expectations and stated application process. Then keep room for unexpected conversations.
A practical target is to prepare two questions per priority employer: one about the role or community and one about the next step. Avoid asking something answered prominently on the employer's homepage. Better questions might cover mentoring for new teachers, timing of hiring decisions, hard-to-fill endorsements or how candidates can learn about a school's culture.
Getting to the hotel
The Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza lists its address as 4445 Main Street. Marriott says the Museum District KC Streetcar stop is at the hotel's 45th Street entrance. Check the current streetcar map and service notices before relying on transit.
The hotel currently lists on-site self-parking at $30 per day and valet parking at $45 per day. Those are hotel rates visible when this guide was prepared, not event-specific guarantees, and they may change. AAEE should confirm whether candidates receive different parking instructions. Do not rely on an older AAEE page that labels parking free.
Allow time for arrival, parking or transit, hotel wayfinding and check-in. The career fair is only three hours, so losing the opening portion can significantly shorten your conversations.
Accessibility and accommodations
Marriott's current property page lists accessible on-site parking, accessible routes from the public entrance, elevators and accessible meeting spaces. Those hotel features do not automatically answer event-specific accommodation questions. Contact AAEE before the event if you need an accommodation, and call the hotel at 816-531-3000 for property-access questions.
Service animals are addressed on Marriott's property page, but general pet permission for an event should never be assumed. Confirm any question that affects your visit directly with the organizer or venue.
During and after each conversation
Ask how the recruiter wants you to follow up. Some will want an online application first; others may offer a recruiter email, QR destination or specific job posting. Follow that instruction rather than sending the same generic note to everyone.
Right after a conversation, record the person's name, employer, role discussed and promised next step. Keep sensitive personal information out of casual notes. Later that evening or the following morning, complete the requested application or send a concise follow-up while the details are fresh.
A restrained local print note
Recruiting teams participating in AAEE—not job seekers—may need approved table signs, handouts or application cards. 2 Friends Printing's AAEE recruiter-printing page explains a local, custom-quoted approach. 2 Friends Printing is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by AAEE or Marriott.
Before you go
Recheck the official career-fair page, your registration confirmation, the final time and room, transportation and parking information, and any employer list supplied to registrants. Event details can change. If a page conflicts with your registration email, ask AAEE at info@aaee.org or 614-800-1722 before making assumptions.
The best outcome does not have to be an immediate offer. A clearer understanding of several employers, a well-matched application and one useful professional connection can make the evening worthwhile.
