Create
Compete
Connect
4.9.26 thru 4.11.26
Aloft Downtown Dallas
The National Student Show & Conference 2026
Questions? Reach out to nssc@dsvc.org
Create
Compete
Connect
The National Student Show & Conference is the largest dedicated student creative conference and competition, recognizing and inspiring college-level design, advertising, illustration, and photography students. Create career-defining memories, compete for a share of over $20,000, and connect with creatives and professionals from across the country.
Grab your conference tickets and join us April 9–11, 2026 in Downtown Dallas for a weekend full of world class keynote speakers, professional portfolio reviews, exclusive studio tours and so much more! Scroll below for additional schedule and location details.
03
days in Dallas, TX
04
keynote speakers
$20k+
awarded in scholarships & prizes
Keynote Speakers
Kelli Anderson
Designer
Author
Lecturer
Matt George
The Georges
Creative Director
Matt George is an Executive Creative Director at Landor, where he turns ideas into design systems people can understand and use. His 20-year career spans technology, hospitality, fashion, sports, and museums.
Talia Cotton
Founder
Creative Director
Cotton
Talia Cotton is a designer, coder, educator, and leading specialist in the intersection of branding and technology. She is Founder & Creative Director at Cotton, an award-winning design and technology agency pioneering design through data and custom code.
Rich Tu
Partner
Creative Director
Sunday Afternoon
Rich Tu is an award-winning artist and creative director residing in New York. He is a Partner and Executive Creative Director at Sunday Afternoon. In addition, Rich has held creative leadership roles at Jones Knowles Ritchie, MTV Entertainment Group, and Nike Inc.
Judging Panel
Chase Kahn
Creative Director
Tractorbeam
Creative Director at Tractorbeam, Chase is a Dallas native who has honed his branding, design, and typography over the past decade through work for clients like Samsung, Dave Campbell's Texas Sports, Oklahoma State University, Stetson, and The Pittman Hotel.
Matt Johnson
Creative Director
White Unicorn Agency
Matt found his start in the architecture scene and quickly found a niche in Brand + Environmental design. He has scaled ideas from environmental systems to brand worlds and now leads the charge as Creative Director at White Unicorn Agency.
Andria Kushan
Creative Director
Johnson & Sekin
Andria is a seasoned Creative Director and narrative architect with 25+ years of experience helping brands find their voice. Building brands with the kind of strategic rigor and writing precision that turns insight into longevity, she currently leads as Creative Director at Johnson & Sekin.
Manny Rodriguez
Commercial Photographer
For over four decades, Manny has been making food and products look borderline transcendent for brands like PepsiCo, Burger King, Chili’s, Target, and American Express. His lighting is surgical. His compositions are locked in. And he’s known for getting the shot exactly as envisioned, scary fast.
Hosna Quraishi
Senior Art Director
Belmont Icehouse
Hosna is an award-winning Senior Art Director shaping the Dallas design scene with her razor-sharp conceptual mind. Leading her team at Belmont Icehouse, she has built brands big and small while also spreading the gospel of good type as an adjunct professor.
NSSC Ticket Sponsorship
Pros, pass it on
The NSSC Ticket Sponsorship helps remove financial barriers for students who might not otherwise be able to attend. With direct support from professional creatives, this need-based program gives eligible students access to the conference and the opportunity to advance their creative careers.
For Professionals
Sponsor a student’s conference ticket
Each sponsored ticket sends a student to NSSC and lets you audit the conference as well.
Applications close March 30, 2026
Sponsor NowFor Students
Apply to attend NSSC at little to no cost
If eligible, the NSSC Ticket Sponsorship can help cover the cost of your conference ticket.
Applications close March 30, 2026
Conference Schedule
10:30 am
1 hr
Studio Tour Registration at Clampitt
11:00 am
45 min
Clampitt Tours
11:45 am
15 min
Load Buses & Take Off
12:00 pm
5 hrs
Studio Tours
5:00 am
30 min
Buses Return to Clampitt
7:30 am
1 hr
Registration
8:30 am
3 hrs
Upperclassmen Portfolio Review
11:45 am
1 hr
Underclassmen Portfolio Review
12:45 pm
15 min
Break
1:00 pm
1 hr
Round Tables
2:00 pm
15 min
Break
2:15 pm
30 min
Kick Off Conference Day 1
2:45 pm
1 hr
Keynote: Kelli Anderson
3:45 pm
15 min
Break
4:00 pm
1 hr
Breakout Sessions 1 - 3
5:00 pm
15 min
Break
5:15 pm
1 hr
Keynote: Rich Tu
6:15 pm
15 min
Ceremony Announcement & Break
6:30 pm
1 hr
Award Ceremony
7:30 am
1 hr
Registration
8:30 am
30 min
Kick Off Conference Day 2
9:00 am
1 hr
Breakout Sessions 4 - 6
10:00 am
15 min
Break
10:15 am
1 hr
Keynote: Talia Cotton
11:15 am
1.5 hr
Break for Lunch
12:45 pm
1 hr
Breakout Sessions 7 - 9
1:45 pm
30 min
Break
2:15 pm
1 hr
Breakout Session 10 - 12
3:15 pm
30 min
Break
3:45 pm
1 hr
Emerging Creative Panel
4:45 pm
30 min
Break
5:00 pm
1 hr
Keynote: Matt George
6:00 pm
30 min
Dismissal / Closing of Conference
Activities
Breakout Sessions
Participate in group sessions led by industry professionals. Learn about their career paths, take part in hands-on workshops, and get real answers to your questions through interactive discussions.
Studio Tours
Visit award-winning Dallas design studios and learn what life in a professional agency is like. This is your chance for a behind-the-scenes look at process, craft and culture.
Portfolio Reviews
Agencies hire you for your work, not your GPA. Refine your portfolio with one-on-one feedback from experienced design professionals. Tighten your work and get ready to show off your book!
Round Tables
Sit down with a seasoned creative professional for an open conversation about their career and the realities of working in the industry. Ask your questions, get real advice and walk away with insight you can use.
Volunteers
Looking to help make NSSC 2026 happen? Please visit and fill out our volunteer form and we will contact you about how you can get involved!
Location & Parking
Aloft Dallas Downtown
1033 Young St, Dallas, TX 75202
Aloft is offering $8/night parking for guests, with some size restrictions (check with the hotel for large vehicles). There’s also a public lot next door for $16/day, and the Dallas Public Library offers free parking down the street.
Questions?
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the show and conference.
More FAQsThe NSSC is a national creative competition awarding over $20,000 in scholarships and cash prizes. Helping undergraduates become successful creative professionals, The National Student Show & Conference is a professionally judged creative competition and conference built for students and their educators.
Tickets are $299. All ticket sales will end on Mar 30, 2026.
We offer a Cyber Sale between November 27 to December 1, 2025. Early bird tickets are offered at a discounted rate from November 10, 2025 to January 12, 2026. Additionally, educators with students attending the conference receive a free ticket (must be marked at checkout). NSSC does not offer discounts on bulk orders.
As of this time, keynotes will not be recorded and therefore would not be available to watch after the event.
