The New Jersey School Boards Association has achieved a landmark milestone in event production, claiming top honors at EXHIBITOR Magazine’s 2026 Corporate Event Awards for its annual conference, Workshop 2025.

The victory distinguishes NJSBA as the only non-Fortune 500 entity to win the award, breaking through a competitive landscape dominated by international corporations. Making the feat even more remarkable, NJSBA earned the recognition as the only winning show that conceptualizes, designs, and executes all event marketing and creative direction entirely in-house.

Winning EXHIBITOR Magazine’s honor, which recognizes strategic execution, design, and engagement—serves as a testament to the internal team’s ability to produce world-class creative work that competes directly with multimillion dollar budgets and outside agencies.

“Our Workshop team went up against the largest corporations in the country, and they won. They did every bit of it in-house, with care for our members’ resources and their eyes on the board members who serve New Jersey’s students,” NJSBA Executive Director/CEO Dr. Timothy Purnell said. “That is service, and I could not be prouder.”

“Our success is a direct result of our team’s exceptional creativity, and relentless focus on serving our members,” said Lauren Cuervo, senior director of connection at NJSBA, who oversees the management and execution of Workshop.  “By keeping member needs at the heart of every strategy, staying within budget, and maximizing revenue opportunities, we proved that a small, committed team could lead the industry in both innovation and fiscal responsibility.”

Rigorous Judging Criteria

Evaluated by an independent panel of leading marketing, event-industry, and design experts, EXHIBITOR Magazine’s Corporate Event Awards subject entries to an extensive scoring system. To secure top honors, NJSBA demonstrated excellence across the competition’s core judging pillars:

  • Strategic Impact and Measurable Results
  • Design Quality and Aesthetics
  • Innovation and Creativity
  • Operational and Execution Excellence

A Growing List of National Accolades

The EXHIBITOR Magazine award is the latest in a series of major industry recognitions for NJSBA’s premier event. Workshop has solidified its position as an industry leader across multiple design, growth, and marketing competitions:

  • Trade Show Executive’s Fastest 50: Recognized for rapid growth and operational expansion, naming Workshop among the fastest-growing trade shows in the nation.
  • The Stevie® Awards: Awarded Gold recognition for excellence in marketing collateral and exhibitor strategy.
  • The Trendy Awards: Earned Silver honors for cutting-edge design, creative strategy, and communication campaigns in the association sector.

In-House Vision, National Impact

While most trade shows of this scale rely heavily on high-cost external creative agencies, NJSBA’s self-driven production model sets a new standard for efficiency and creative independence. From branding and interactive digital campaigns to exhibitor engagement strategies, the event’s internal design leadership continues to outperform corporate peers.

By delivering agency-level creativity on an association budget, NJSBA not only secures high-value sponsor and exhibitor participation but ensures that the benefits ultimately return to supporting public education across New Jersey.

Register for Workshop 2026

Workshop 2026, taking place from Monday, Oct. 19 to Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Atlantic City Convention Center, is the most extensive training event for New Jersey’s local school officials. It is not too late to register for this year’s event.

NJSBA offers a group registration rate of $2,400 for 25 team members, which may include the school board, business administrator, superintendent, facilities managers, curriculum professionals, IT staff, principals, human resource professionals, librarians and other district staff. Individual registration is $550. Registration must be handled online by the district’s school business administrator.