Northeast Campus Stores Association upcoming events

SHOW & SHARE Marketing & Student Engagement: Ideas That Worked (15 Sep 2026)

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Marketing & Student Engagement: Ideas That Worked

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 | 10:00 AM ET | Virtual via Zoom

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

Back-to-school is one of the biggest opportunities of the year to connect with students, drive traffic, and build excitement around the campus store. Now that the rush is behind us, let’s share what worked!

Join fellow NCSA members for a Show & Share featuring successful back-to-school marketing, promotions, sales, events, and student engagement ideas from campus stores across the region. From move-in and Welcome Week to the first weeks of classes, this session is an opportunity to share the strategies that helped generate traffic, sales, awareness, or student participation this fall.

Participants are encouraged to bring real examples from their stores, including marketing campaigns, social media content, promotions and sales, events, giveaways, signage, email campaigns, student partnerships, or other creative engagement efforts. Share what you tried, how students responded, what worked especially well, and even what you might do differently next year.

This interactive session is all about learning from one another and leaving with practical ideas and inspiration you can save for your next back-to-school season.

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

CAMPUS STORE CONNECT Making the Most of Key Campus Weekends (24 Sep 2026)

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Making the Most of Key Campus Weekends

Thursday, September 24, 2026 | 10:30am ET | Virtual via Zoom

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

Homecoming, Family Weekend, alumni events, and other major campus weekends bring unique opportunities for campus stores to connect with visitors, strengthen campus partnerships, and drive traffic and sales. They can also require careful planning to ensure stores are prepared for increased demand and different customer audiences.

Join fellow NCSA members for a collaborative discussion focused on making the most of key campus weekends and events. Together, we’ll explore topics such as event planning and preparation, merchandise and inventory strategies, marketing and promotions, campus partnerships, staffing and store operations, and creating a memorable experience for students, families, alumni, and other visitors.

This session is designed as an open exchange of ideas and experiences, guided by participant questions and shared examples. Members will discuss what has worked at their institutions, challenges they’ve encountered, and strategies they’ve developed to maximize the impact of these important campus occasions.

Connect with colleagues from stores of all sizes to share ideas, learn how other institutions approach their biggest weekends, and take away practical strategies that can be adapted for your own campus.

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

Fall 2026 Conference & Trade Show (1 Nov 2026)

Sun, 01 Nov 2026 14:00:00 GMT

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