The National Student Show & Conference
Helping students become successful creative professionals
The National Student Show & Conference (NSSC) is a professionally judged creative
competition and three-day conference built for students and their educators.
The Show
Five judges select the best student work and
award $20,000 in scholarships and cash prizes,
including a $1,000 prize for best school.
Call For Entries
February 15th, 2020
Categories & Rules
The Conference
1 show | 3 days | 4 keynotes
12 studio tours | 15 breakout sessions
30+ companies at portfolio review and job fair
Save The Date
April 2 - 4, 2020
Get your ticket
Judged by industry leaders
Ben Berry
Ben is an American graphic designer living in Portland, Oregon where he leads the design studio Nonlinear. Previously, as one of the first communication designers to join Facebook’s team in California, his focus was on developing Facebook’s internal culture, voice and brand. Most notably, he cofounded the Facebook Analog Research Laboratory, an internal print studio and art program. Before Facebook, Ben, a graduate of the University of North Texas, worked for the design firm and screen printing shop The Decoder Ring in Austin, Texas. There he honed his skills working with a range of clients, designing packaging, merchandising and a lot of screen printed posters. He is also an alumnus and advisor of John Bielenberg’s experimental design education program, Project M, where he explores the role designers can play in encouraging social change.
The Conference
Three days of exclusive content
Keynote speakers who motivate and inspire
Past speakers
Tad Carpenter
Designer, Illustrator + Partner of Carpenter Collective
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Tad Carpenter
Designer, Illustrator + Partner of Carpenter Collective
Tad Carpenter is a designer, illustrator, author and educator based in Kansas City, Missouri. Carpenter co-runs the design and branding studio, Carpenter Collective with his wife, Jessica Carpenter where they focus on bringing powerful messages to life through branding, packaging, illustration, and design. They have worked with clients ranging from Target, Coca-Cola, Macy's, Old Navy, Conan O'Brien, Adobe and MTV among many others. Carpenter has worked with numerous bands on posters and tour campaigns for over 10 years, including John Mayer, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Paul McCartney, and Dave Matthews Band to name a few. Carpenter has written and illustrated over twenty children's books in our marketplace today intended for adults and children of all ages.
Graham Douglas
Freelance Creative Director
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Graham Douglas
Freelance Creative Director
Graham Douglas grew up in Fort Worth, TX with an identical twin brother named Britton and an obese beagle named Sam. His porn star name is Sam Constitution.
He spent the formative years of his life playing music and hockey and avoiding all forms of writing before going to the University of North Texas. There, Graham completely backed into advertising and has been stuck ever since.
He landed his first job in Dallas but eventually left for stints in Miami, Minneapolis, Chicago, Amsterdam and L.A., where he spent several sunny years at 180. Most recently, Graham worked for three years and some change at Droga5 in New York where he was a Creative Director.
In his career Graham has been recognized by Cannes, The One Show, The TED Global Conference, Creativity, The Clios, The Webbys, The FWA, D&AD, The Effies, AICP and the Advertising Softball League of Los Angeles. Most notably, he was lucky enough to be named one of the “World’s 50 Most Creative People” by Creativity, one of Forbes Magazine's "30 Under 30" and take home both the Cannes Grand Prix for Good and the D&AD White Pencil.
Graham has worked on things like adidas, Puma, Spotify, Prudential, DKMS, UNICEF, The New Museum, Sony, Boost Mobile, Kraft, Activision, BMW, Ford, Coca-Cola, Seventh Generation, and countless candies and liquors.
Graham is currently freelancing as a creative director. The world is his home.
David Waingarten
Creative Director
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David Waingarten
Creative Director
David’s extensive storytelling background draws on his experiences as a feature filmmaker, musician, editor, and writer. As Creative Director, David works with clients to develop high-level narrative and storytelling strategies that capture the heart and DNA of studio projects, laying the foundations for engaging, intuitive, and inspirational visitor experiences. David ensures that the core creative and narrative goals of a project are met, from early concepts through installation. He leads team members across disciplines, guiding the creative force within the studio and inspiring excellence and laughter.