The Finalsite team is heading to New Orleans for the 2026 NSPRA National Seminar, and we can’t wait to connect with school communicators from across the country.

From July 19–22, 2026, NSPRA will bring school district communicators, marketing, and PR professionals, district leaders, superintendents, and education partners together at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside for four days of learning, networking, and fresh ideas for stronger school communications.

You’ll find Finalsite at Booths 207 and 209, at the Opening Reception at Grand Oaks Mansion, in the Finalsite Solutions Lab, and on stage for a fast-paced presentation featuring 15 bold communication hacks to help busy school communicators work smarter, earn trust, and stand out.

What to Expect at the 2026 NSPRA National Seminar

The NSPRA National Seminar is the largest professional development event for public school communications professionals. Each year, attendees come together to sharpen their skills, build stronger networks, and bring new ideas back to their districts.

This year’s Seminar features 150+ breakout sessions, networking events, regional meetups, and hands-on learning covering AI, crisis communications, marketing, leadership, strategic planning, and more.

For school communications teams, it’s a chance to step away from the inbox, connect with people who understand the work, and return with ideas to strengthen connections with families, staff, and communities.

Bring Your Energy to the NSPRA Opening Reception, Sponsored by Finalsite

Sunday, July 19 | 6:30–8:30 p.m. | Grand Oaks Mansion

Start your NSPRA week with Finalsite at the Opening Reception at Grand Oaks Mansion, one of New Orleans’ most iconic venues.

The reception is a great chance to reconnect with peers, meet new colleagues, and ease into the week with the energy that makes NSPRA such a special event for school PR professionals.

And this year, Finalsite is adding a little extra fun: a complimentary aura reading station.
Stop by, see what color your aura is, and enjoy a memorable New Orleans evening with fellow school communicators.

Stop by the Finalsite Booth

Throughout the conference, swing by the Finalsite booth (207 & 209)  for conversations, demos, giveaways, and hands-on experiences built to make your NSPRA experience more helpful and a lot more fun.

Whether you’re thinking about your website, AI, family engagement, mobile communications, accessibility, enrollment, or a better way to manage district communications, the Finalsite team will be ready to talk.

Get an Ask AI Chatbot Report Card

So you want an AI website assistant, but is your website ready for it?

Visit Booths 207 and 209 to request a free, detailed report card on your website’s readiness for Finalsite’s AI-powered chatbot, Ask AI. 

Protip: You can also request your report card in advance for faster service at the booth!
It’s a helpful way to see where your website content is working, where families may need better answers, and how AI can support your team when the right foundation is in place.

Available Monday and Tuesday, July 20–21.

What’s in Your Future?

Need a break between sessions? Stop by for a fortune reading and a complimentary palm reading! It’s a fun way to recharge, bring some New Orleans energy into your conference schedule, and maybe see whether more from Finalsite is in your future.

Available Monday, July 20.

Create a Custom Laser-Etched Luggage Tag

Take home a one-of-a-kind keepsake from NSPRA with our live laser engraving activity.
Stop by the booth to create a custom laser-etched luggage tag you can use long after the conference wraps up.

Available Tuesday, July 21.

Bring Your Questions to the Finalsite Solutions Lab

Prince of Wales Room | Same floor as the exhibit hall

Have a website challenge? A communications workflow you want to improve? A question about AI, accessibility, enrollment, or mobile engagement?

Bring it to the Finalsite Solutions Lab!

Located in the Prince of Wales Room, conveniently on the same floor as the exhibit hall, the mini-lab gives you a chance to talk with Finalsite experts about your most pressing needs.

You can stop by with questions or book dedicated time with a Finalsite Solutions Engineer for a 1:1 conversation. It’s a helpful option if you want focused guidance, a product walkthrough, or feedback tied to your district’s goals.

Attend Finalsite’s NSPRA Presentation

"Burn the Playbook: 15 Unhinged Hacks for School Communicators"

Tuesday, July 21 | 12:45–1:25 p.m. | Grand Salon 9 and 12, Floor 1

School communicators are overloaded, understaffed, and still expected to move the needle every day.

This session is for teams that are tired of playing it safe and ready to make a bigger impact without adding more work to their plates.

Join Finalsite’s Joshua Sauer, APR, Director of Sales, and Morgan Delack, Senior Director of Communications, for 15 bold, unconventional, and highly effective tips to help you cut through the noise, build trust, and rethink your district communications strategy.

Discover new ideas that you can bring back to your team, including ways to sharpen your messages, strengthen your website, support families, and stand out when every district is competing for attention.

Let’s Connect and Celebrate in New Orleans

One of the best parts of NSPRA is the chance to reconnect with people who understand the work you do every day, and Finalsite is hosting several regional gatherings during the Seminar, including:

• Texas Happy Hour
• West Coast Happy Hour
• Midwest Mixer
• Northeast Mixer
• Mid-Atlantic Mixer

RSVP to the mixer that works best for your schedule, and come see the Finalsite team and fellow NSPRA attendees from your area while you enjoy the energy of New Orleans with good drinks, great food, and even better company.

4 Ways to Make the Most of Your NSPRA 2026 Experience

There’s a lot to take in at NSPRA, especially with four days of sessions, networking, events, and conversations. A little planning can help you get more from the week.

1) Choose sessions around one or two main goals

Before you arrive, decide what you most want to bring back to your district. Maybe you’re focused on AI, crisis communications, family engagement, staff communications, marketing, enrollment, or website strategy. With more than 150 breakout sessions, choosing a few focus areas can help you build a schedule that feels useful instead of overwhelming.

2) Build in time for booth conversations

The Marketplace is a great place to ask questions, compare ideas, and find tools that can support your team.

When you visit Finalsite at Booths 207 and 209, bring the challenge your team keeps coming back to. It might be website content, staff workload, accessibility, parent engagement, mobile app adoption, AI readiness, or enrollment communications.

Our team can help you think through what’s possible.

3) Meet people outside your usual circle

NSPRA is known for its community, and some of the best takeaways come from the informal conversations during the breaks and quiet moments.

Attend a regional gathering, introduce yourself to someone after a session, or join a mixer. You may leave with a new idea, a helpful contact, or a colleague you can call when the next communications challenge pops up.

4) Save space for follow-up

The best conference ideas are the ones that make it back home.

Before the week ends, write down your top three takeaways, who you want to follow up with, and one thing you can act on when you return. That small step can help turn a busy week into stronger communications for your district.

See You in New Orleans!

Finalsite is proud to support school communicators at NSPRA 2026, and whether you join us at the Opening Reception, visit our booths or The Solutions Lab, attend our presentation, or connect with us at a regional mixer, we’d love to hear what you’re working on and help you find the next right step.

Bring your questions, your energy, and your biggest communications goals. We’ll see you in New Orleans!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Joshua Sauer, APR, is a proud #SchoolPR champion who’s spent his career lifting up public education — whether serving districts directly or helping them thrive through better communication tools. Before joining Finalsite in 2021, Josh spent six years as a communications pro for a large public school district in Oklahoma and a year as a freelance webmaster supporting schools big and small.

A former national executive board member for NSPRA and past president of OKSPRA, Josh also founded the #ROAD2NSPRA campaign in 2017 — a grassroots effort that’s raised thousands of dollars for the NSPRA Foundation and its Seminar scholarships. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s in public administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. With close to 15 years in marketing, PR, and edtech, Josh remains focused on one thing: helping schools build strong, lasting connections with their communities.