Maryland students who earn gold medals at the 2026 State Championship are eligible to represent Maryland at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) in Atlanta, Georgia, June 1-6, 2026. 

The NLSC is a five-day / five-night conference experience, arriving Monday morning or afternoon, June 1, 2026, and departing anytime Saturday, June 6, 2026.

The 2026 NLSC registration fee for Maryland participants is $340. This fee includes both the National SkillsUSA conference registration cost and Maryland-specific extras including, T-shirt, trading pins, conference gifts, Monday evening Welcome Dinner and Orientation and Friday evening Maryland Awards Reception/Refreshments (immediately following National Awards Ceremony). The fee does not include housing or air and ground transportation to and from the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, GA.

Hotel rooms are $246 per room / per night. To ensure accurate rooming/roommate selection and billing for advisors and students attending the national conference, advisors will assign and pay for rooms for their own chapter delegations. Students will be assigned to double-double rooms, 2-4 per room (2 double beds). Adults (only) have the option of staying in single rooms (1 King bed).

Rooms are prioritized for registered students, advisors and instructors. Once all Maryland delegation members have secured rooms the remaining room block will be made available for friends and family members.

Participants will use the SkillsUSA Conference Management System (CMS) online platform to register for this conference. 

Online registration closes early this year! Tuesday, April 28, 2026.