PoleCon 2025 Updates from the Survey
Thank you to everyone who took our survey! We read every response. <3
*this is REALLY long. Thanks in advance to everyone that reads it!*
This blog addresses some common themes and links to previously addressed issues.
This blog also serves as a “report card” for status of changes we committed to do and for future changes. We were able to improve all of the listed issues from 2024 to 2025!
This year only ~6% of attendees took the survey. Which is really low, and we know does not represent everyone’s opinions or thoughts.
“Honestly, no notes. Another amazing year and it will take me the year to recover 🤣”
The most common theme in the survey is that many people do not read the information provided.
There is A LOT of detail on the website.
I personally really, really want everyone to get the info they need in a way they understand. I have spent a lot of time working to improve and balance the amount of info with how it is presented so that it is as understandable as possible.
Informational updates done from 2024 to 2025:
- The individual event page was new this year to help boil down the info. This link was in your receipt.
- The entire website content was revamped to be more neurodivergent friendly with blocking/chunking info and using different formatting to break up information.
- Screen readers were tested and the most optimal listed on the website. All ALT tags added to all images to be more compliant with Section 508.
- We added detailed info pages for performers, workshop leaders, and exhibitors so people knew what to expect before they even applied to be a part of the event. (all in the FAQs section of the website and in the top of all Google Form applications)
….and some people still said they had no idea what to expect. =(
I received less emails in the lead up to the event so someone is reading this info, but it is not yet reaching everyone. =(
“We are so appreciative that Colleen and her team make PoleCon happen… especially during tough times. We love the hosts (Shay and Crystal)… so wonderful. We also love Crystal McLean and her skillful stage management. True professionals and wonderful people.”
There are a few other common themes found in the survey addressed below:
1. Expensive – Yes, the event is expensive. We’ve written about it before so that you can be prepared (please note, some costs have gone up since this blog was published).
>>this is the same note as last year. THIS INFO (also from last year) is RELEVANT GOING FORWARD: PoleCon will increase prices on passes in 2026. There will be no increase in workshop costs. (we warned you about this in 2024 too)
We understand this event is expensive. It’s still cheaper than many fitness conventions or professional conventions and while some people appreciate the food and some hate it, the value of what you get for a PoleCon pass is often more than many other conventions.
Unfortunately, the world keeps getting more expensive.
The hotel/food/rental costs more. The exhibitor services (the people that make the “booths”) is WAY more expensive. The truss vendor is more expensive. We advertised price increase for workshops which were raised for the first time since 2015. And yes, workshop leaders will also make more money from this increase not just PoleCon (because it costs more money for them to come to PoleCon too!).
We understand if this means some of you cannot attend, or that you can do less things. =(
To try and keep PoleCon affordable(ish) for all involved, prices will adjust slowly on different elements of the convention. For instance, some conventions charge vendors and sponsors a lot so they can charge attendees less. Because the pole industry is entirely comprised of small businesses, PoleCon does not do this and instead tries to spread out the cost of running the event over sponsors, exhibitors, attendees, workshop leaders, performers, etc.
Some people suggested grants or scholarships to the event.
-> That is something we may be able to do in 2025 or 2026.
>>REPORT: We did this in 2025! We committed to 3 grants and two additional donors helped us make it 5. Read more about the grant program here. We are reviewing the program now.
2. Workshop leaders and workshops.
A lot of you really liked the workshop leaders but if you have specific instructors you’d like to see teach, please HAVE THEM APPLY. Applications will be available in October 2025. We ENCOURAGE all workshop leaders to be VERY VERY CLEAR what their workshops entail so that you know what to expect. *This is a work in progress.*
For the 2025 events we will update the levels to remove “All Levels” as a level option and instead have greater granularity in levels to help people make the best decision for their ability. More detailed information will be available to potential workshop leaders when they apply. >>REPORT: we did this and received significantly less negative feedback about level mismatches in the survey! We hope it helped! Read more about levels here
We will not be adding a way to sign up for the free workshops (this was another suggestion that we’ve received multiple times before).
Unfortunately, what we’ve seen from other free events is that folks sign up online months in advance, forget that they signed up, and then don’t show up (or don’t care to sign up day of because it was “free”) so then other people don’t show up.
3. The Food.
The food. I’ve apologized and detailed the vegan food snafu before in this blog. Please, accept my apologies.
For 2026, a few comments from the survey (and the hotel staff) to start breakfast on Sunday earlier. That we can definitely do.
Also, as explained in detail under the “Food” section in last year’s blog, the ticket price would be THE SAME without food because hotels charge you for rental or food. This is unfortunately how it works with large hotels. I am working with them to improve the food however if I remove the food, you will still have to pay the same price.
One report card note from 2024: Expect some form of grab and go lunch and breakfast option to continue that is similar to the 2024 food options at the Live! Hotel (we may be able to make small adjustments, such as a suggestion to add more calories to the salad option with potentially adding a piece of bread). >>REPORT: we did this!
Showcases
We received the same comments as last year regarding showcases: Some people liked that not-well-known pole dancers perform while other people preferred that there be more “pole stars” performing.
Some performers had feedback about pole testing that we will look at improving that process. >> this note is from last year and we did open up more time to pole test during lunch when it was the busiest ever this year. The trouble is, PoleCon staff needs a break too. We are never sure how many people pole test – some years only some performers do, and this year MOST performers did.
“Loved seeing the diversity in performances and everyone is included.”
Report on Changes from 2025
In 2024 we committed to do the following for 2025. I’ve included updates in italics and bold of what we did.
- The AV issues were frustrating but because they were so frustrating, we were able to renegotiate some things with the hotel and will have our “regular” AV crew back! We hope this will keep things running more smoothly. I HATE when things run late (just in general) and it meant that the MCs chatted more (which some folks don’t like), it also meant that the staff running the shows (stage manager, pole cleaners, photographer, videographer, etc.) could not take any of the prescheduled breaks. UPDATE we had a “old crew” back and had much fewer main stage AV issues! Some people noted in the survey that the livestream cutes were better! Staff were able to take (some) breaks!
- There will be new showcase options at PoleCon: West to continue to represent different demographic groups/styles of pole and we’re excited to tell you about them! Just not now =) There will be no change to showcases at PoleCon. YUP! Several new showcases will be debuting at West. Read about them here.
- We will put a PoleCon information desk in the PoleCon “foyer” where the aerial playground is to help direct people. We sure did! With giant signage!
- We did put more signage out this year than previous years, there has been a request to add more, and we likely will be able to. We cannot put any signage in the casino though so if you get lost in the casino, that’s a purposeful design by the venue. The PoleCon info desk helped! …And someone totally stole a room sign (or aliens abducted it <shrug>)
- Work on improving pole testing experience for performers. We will still not be able to have a stage pole backstage though. We did open up pole testing during lunch, but it was not advertised in advance. Next year we will advertise it in advance.
- CPR certification provider. Last year we had a subpar experience so this year (2024) we tried a new provider who was even worse! We are committed to provide CPR certification and are looking for another new provider. New provider this year with no complaints! They also did the NARCAN booth which people liked!
- Work on creating scholarship opportunities (how to run it, vet people, administer, etc.) for 2025 or 2026 events to improve financial inclusivity at the event. We did! Read more about the program here.
- Work on improving accessibility (in marketing and during the event). We spent a lot of time during the summer of 2024 to update accessibility on the website including testing screen readers, updating alt-text, and working with the IPIA to book several neuro-divergent webinars so we could all learn how to work together better.
- Update the levels to remove “All Levels” as a level option and instead have greater granularity in levels for workshops. We did! Read about it here.
We are not changing:
- The entire event to cost more than you want it to including (but not limited to) the hotel, the flight, the food, the ticket, etc. Expect main PoleCon passes prices to increase in 2026.
- Dress in layers for the challenges of hotel temperature control.
- Plastic wrist bands are here to stay. Please don’t take them off while you are at PoleCon and yes, you can perform with them on. We have tried fabric wristbands, and they frayed a lot. The reason we have wrist bands is so that people cannot share a pass and so they don’t have to check in every day.
- Grab and Go lunch. It’ll be about the same as last year. Hopefully better. If you don’t like lunch, please bring your own or go to one of the many other walkable food options. This will not impact the ticket price and you will not be able to buy a “without food” option.
- Gender neutral bathrooms in the PoleCon area (we’ve been doing this since 2019).
- Physical safety precautions. We added several additional precautions this year (see above). We are considering adding background checks for workshop leaders. This has been done in the circus and other fitness industry events to improve safety. (This note is from 2024, we have not pursued that in 2025, we have privacy concerns about this. We have instead implemented an open-door policy for exhibitors and paid workshop leaders to discuss legal issues that may impact their ability to participate.)
- We will continue to have a livestream for those that can’t attend in person. This year while the livestream did stream live, the playback was blocked for several parts of the livestream. We have no control over this. We will upload individual videos once we have them (which still might get blocked). Because of rising costs, we may have to charge for the livestream in the future.
Proposed Changes for 2026
While options and quality for lunch remains a work in progress (see note above). We have also already explored options for coordinating food donations with a local organization for potential excess food for the 2026 event. We will start breakfast 30 minutes earlier.
Passes to PoleCon 2026 will increase in cost.
If you have other things that you’d like see or do at PoleCon, NOW is the time to talk to me about it. July through December is when the big scheduling decisions get made. January and after, it is hard to fit new things in.
There were other recommendations in the survey that we simply can’t do due to space or money constraints. For instance, we don’t have space at the Live! Venue for a “recovery” or quiet room (and we have concerns about how to manage that because a quiet room could get very full very quickly and not be quiet). And we cannot provide free/included in the ticket snacks throughout the day. Please bring your own snacks <3
Generally, if you want to see more of your community represented in performers, vendors, workshop leaders, etc. PLEASE APPLY!
“This was my first Polecon and it didn’t disappoint.”
- PoleCon 2025 Updates from the Survey - June 20, 2025
- PoleCon Hub Page: MORE Black Voices - June 13, 2025
- PoleCon 2025: Recap - June 4, 2025
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