How to Get the Most Out of CBI 2026 in Philadelphia
You registered. You booked the hotel. You figured out how you’re getting to Philadelphia.
Now what?
The National Student Media Convention is almost here, and whether this is your first CBI convention or you’ve been joining us for years, a little preparation can make a big difference.
Yes, you’ll spend four days attending sessions, learning new skills and hearing from media professionals. But some of the best parts of CBI happen between the things printed on the schedule.
- The conversation after a session
- The person you meet in the hallway
- The idea you bring back to your station
- The unexpected connection that continues long after everyone leaves Philadelphia.
Here are a few ways to make the most of CBI 2026.
1. Download the app and let people find you
If you haven’t downloaded the NSMC app yet, start there.
Search the App Store for: CBI NSMC 2026
The app is where you can explore sessions, build your schedule, find convention information and keep up with what’s happening throughout the week.
But don’t stop at downloading it. Make your profile public.
CBI brings together students and advisers from media organizations across the country. Let them know you’re there. Browse the attendee list. See who else is doing radio, television, film, journalism, podcasting, photography, social media or whatever corner of student media you call home.
You don’t have to wait until you arrive in Philadelphia to start making connections.
2. Make a plan, but don’t plan every minute
There will be a lot happening at CBI.
Take some time before the convention to look through the schedule and identify the sessions you absolutely don’t want to miss. Build yourself a plan so you’re not standing in the hallway five minutes before a session trying to decide where to go.
Then leave some room in that plan.
Go to something you didn’t expect to attend. Follow a friend into a session about something you’ve never tried. Stick around after a presentation to continue a conversation.
Sometimes the session you almost skipped becomes the one you’re still talking about when you get home.
3. Bring your work
Someone is going to ask what you do.
Be ready.
That doesn’t mean carrying a formal portfolio around the convention. Just make sure you can easily pull up something you’re proud of.
Maybe it’s your reel. An aircheck. A podcast. A documentary. A photo gallery. A news story. Your station’s website. A social campaign. A live production. Something weird and wonderful you made at 2 a.m. because somebody at your station said, “What if we tried this?”
Keep it on your phone. Bookmark the link. Know where to find it.
You never know when “What do you do?” will turn into “Can I see it?”
4. Talk to people you didn’t come with
Come to Philadelphia with your people.
Just don’t spend four days only talking to your people.
Sit next to someone you don’t know. Introduce yourself before a session begins. Ask another student about their station. Talk to the people standing next to you in line.
One of the great things about CBI is discovering how differently student media organizations operate. The problem your station has been trying to solve all semester may be something another school figured out last year.
And you may have the answer to something they’re struggling with.
Share what you know.
5. Ask questions
This may be the most important one.
For four days, you’ll have access to professionals, advisers and students who know things you want to know.
Ask them.
Ask the speaker the question you were afraid might sound too basic.
Ask how someone got their first job.
Ask another station how they recruited new members.
Ask how that filmmaker got the shot.
Ask how that newsroom covers breaking news.
Ask how that podcast sounds so good.
Ask someone how they made the thing you wish you knew how to make.
Nobody arrives at CBI knowing everything. That’s why we’re here.
6. Get out and experience Philadelphia
You came for the convention.
But you’re also in Philadelphia.
Find some time to get outside the hotel and experience the city. Grab some food. Walk around. Take pictures. Explore with people you just met. See something you’ve never seen before.
Student media is fundamentally about paying attention to the world around us.
So go look at some of it.
And yes, comfortable shoes are a very good idea.
One more thing: leave some room
Leave some room in your schedule.
Leave some room in your bag for swag.
And maybe leave a little room in your expectations, too.
You may arrive in Philadelphia thinking you know exactly what you want to learn and who you want to meet. Four days later, you might go home excited about something you hadn’t even considered before you came.
That’s part of the point.
Bring your phone. Bring a charger. Bring your headphones. Bring something to take notes with. Bring some work you’re proud of.
Bring your people and make room for some new ones.
Most of all:
Bring your curiosity.
We’ll take care of the rest.
We’ll see you in Philadelphia October 14–17 for the 2026 National Student Media Convention.
AskCBI.org | #CBI2026
