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NORTHEAST CAMPUS STORES ASSOCIATION

Upcoming events

    • 8 Oct 2026
    • 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
    • Virtual (Zoom)
    Register

    SHOW & SHARE

    Marketing That Worked: Holiday Promotions & Campaigns

    Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 2:00 PM ET | Virtual via Zoom

    FREE for store members! You must be logged in to register.

    The holiday season brings opportunities to reach students, families, alumni, and other gift shoppers through creative promotions, campaigns, events, and in-store experiences. Before this year’s holiday season gets underway, let’s look back at ideas that have already proven successful!

    Join fellow NCSA members for a Show & Share featuring successful holiday marketing, promotions, sales, events, and campaigns from previous holiday seasons. This session is focused on ideas that have already been put into practice and delivered positive results — giving other stores time to learn from those successes and potentially adapt them for their own holiday plans this year.

    Participants are encouraged to bring real examples from past holiday seasons, including promotions and sales, gift guides, email and social campaigns, signage and displays, events, giveaways, contests, or other creative marketing efforts. Share what you did, how customers responded, what made it successful, and whether you plan to repeat, expand, or update the idea this year.

    The goal is to leave with proven, practical ideas that stores can still put to use this holiday season, while learning how fellow members are building on strategies that have worked for them in the past.

    Format: Member-led show-and-share session featuring real examples, discussion, and idea exchange. Participation is encouraged but not required.

    • 14 Oct 2026
    • 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
    • Virtual (Zoom)
    Register

    Campus Store Connect

    Beyond the Store: Pop-Ups & Mobile Retail

    Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 10:00am ET | Virtual via Zoom

    FREE for store members! You must be logged in to register.

    Pop-up shops and mobile retail can create valuable opportunities to reach customers beyond the traditional store, increase visibility, and generate additional sales. But taking the store on the road also comes with unique decisions and challenges — from choosing the right opportunities and merchandise to managing staffing, technology, transportation, and setup.

    Join fellow NCSA members for a collaborative discussion focused on planning and operating successful pop-ups and mobile retail locations. Together, we’ll explore topics such as selecting the right opportunities and locations, merchandise and inventory planning, mobile POS and technology, staffing, transportation and setup, and evaluating whether an off-site selling opportunity was worth the investment.

    This session is designed as an open exchange of ideas and experiences, guided by participant questions and shared examples. Members will discuss how they approach off-site selling, challenges they’ve encountered, solutions that have made temporary retail easier to manage, and lessons learned from taking their stores beyond their traditional locations.

    Connect with colleagues from stores of all sizes to compare approaches, ask questions, and take away practical strategies for making pop-ups and mobile retail more manageable and successful.

    Format: Interactive round-table discussion and idea sharing — participation is encouraged.

    • 1 Nov 2026
    • 9:00 AM
    • 2 Nov 2026
    • 4:00 PM
    • Amherst, MA
    Register

    november 1 & 2, 2026

    Campus Center, UMass Amherst | Amherst, MA

    REGISTER

    You must be logged in to register as a member. 

    Connect. Learn. Explore. Together.

    The Northeast Campus Stores Association (NCSA) Fall Conference & Trade Show is back—and this year, we're bringing the conference experience directly to one of our member campuses.

    Built around NCSA's mission of connecting and empowering members to create success, this year's event has been thoughtfully shaped by the feedback, survey responses, and conversations we've had with members since our last conference. We heard what you wanted more of, and we've worked hard to deliver a conference that provides greater value, more opportunities to learn from one another, and more ways to strengthen your operations.

    Whether you're a campus store director, buyer, marketing professional, operations leader, frontline manager, or vendor partner, this conference is designed to help you Connect, Learn, and Explore alongside peers who understand the unique challenges and opportunities of educational retail.

    View Agenda

    Subject to change. Updates will be reflected in real time.

    More Programming. More Learning. More Value.

    This year features our most robust educational lineup yet, including two bonus sessions newly added to the schedule to provide even more opportunities for discussion, idea sharing, and practical takeaways. From industry trends and operational best practices to merchandising, marketing, technology, and campus partnerships, our programming is focused on the topics that matter most to today's stores.

    A Unique Member Campus Experience

    For the first time in recent years, attendees will have the opportunity to experience the conference on a member campus. This setting creates a unique opportunity to see another store operation firsthand, gain fresh perspectives, and strengthen the connections that make the NCSA community so valuable.

    Expand Your Network and Discover New Opportunities

    One of the greatest strengths of NCSA is the willingness of members to share ideas, successes, and lessons learned. Throughout the conference, you'll have dedicated opportunities to connect with fellow store professionals, exchange strategies, and build relationships that continue long after the event ends.

    The trade show remains one of the most valuable parts of the conference experience, giving stores the opportunity to meet with vendor partners, explore new products and services, discuss industry trends, and take advantage of conference specials and purchasing opportunities. A strong turnout from both stores and vendors creates value for everyone—helping members maximize purchasing opportunities while strengthening the network that supports campus retail across the Northeast.

    Join Us

    If you've attended before, you'll notice the enhancements. If this will be your first NCSA conference, there's never been a better time to join us.

    Visit the Fall Conference page to explore the full schedule, educational sessions, trade show details, registration information, and everything else you'll need to plan your visit.

    We hope you'll join us as we come together to Connect. Learn. Explore. and continue building a stronger future for campus stores across the Northeast.

    REGISTER

    hotel information

    Hotel UMass

    Start Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026

    End Date: Monday, November 2, 2026

    Special Group Rate: 169.00 USD per night

    Last Day to Book : Friday, October 2, 2026



    BOOK YOUR ROOM



    Hotel UMass

    Campus Center, UMass Amherst

    1 Campus Center Way

    Amherst, MA 01003

    hotel@umass.edu

    (413) 549-6000



    GET DIRECTIONS


    THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

    Conference Program Sponsors




Past events

24 Sep 2026 CAMPUS STORE CONNECT Making the Most of Key Campus Weekends
15 Sep 2026 SHOW & SHARE Marketing & Student Engagement: Ideas That Worked
20 Aug 2026 CAMPUS STORE CONNECT: Fall Rush Planning & Store Readiness
6 Aug 2026 VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: Summer Product Showcase III
29 Jul 2026 SHOW & SHARE: Products That Worked
14 Jul 2026 VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: Summer Product Showcase II
7 Jul 2026 VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: Summer Product Showcase I
30 Jun 2026 CAMPUS STORE CONNECT: Value-Priced Merchandise and Vendor Strategies
16 Jun 2026 Annual NCSA K-12 Meeting
9 Jun 2026 CAMPUS STORE CONNECT: Graduation Regalia and Campus Partnerships
28 May 2026 CAMPUS STORE CONNECT: Summer Reset & Strategic Projects
7 May 2026 CAMPUS STORE CONNECT: Physical Inventory Strategies
5 May 2026 CAMPUS STORE CONNECT: K–12 School Store Round Table
28 Apr 2026 WEBINAR: Unlocking Psychological Messaging and Pricing
21 Apr 2026 CAMPUS STORE CONNECT: Special Orders: Process & Partnership
7 Apr 2026 WEBINAR - GM Assortment Planning: Strategies & Tactics
31 Mar 2026 WEBINAR - From Ideas to Impact: What’s Hot & Trending in Campus Retail
24 Mar 2026 CAMPUS STORE CONNECT: Visibility, Awareness, & Campus Presence
10 Mar 2026 CAMPUS STORE CONNECT: Systems, Software, & Tools
17 Feb 2026 CAMPUS STORE CONNECT: Additional Revenue Streams & Growth Opportunities
10 Feb 2026 Campus Store Connect: Campus Store 101
20 Jan 2026 Campus Store Connect: Spring Launch Planning Exchange
13 Jan 2026 Campus Store Connect: Hot Topics & Pain Points
18 Nov 2025 Making Space Work: Smart Merchandising & Storage Strategies for Every Campus Store
26 Oct 2025 Fall 2025 Conference & Trade Show
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