The Camp Consultant

I recently had the pleasure of presenting at and attending the Western Association of Independent Camps (WAIC) annual conference, and I’m inspired to quickly conduct a retrospection on the experience. While this blog post focuses less on the intersection of business and camping, one of my goals for my blog is to “document my unique and evolving perspectives on the camp industry” so listing my personal learnings from WAIC feels appropriate. My hope is that this post underscores some of the benefits of conference attendance and compels more camp professionals to register for and contribute to camp conferences.

Three key takeaways from the conference:

Putting on a conference is incredibly complex (huge shout out to the organizers!)

The WAIC constituency is diverse and planning programming for all isn’t easy. WAIC’s member camps span nonprofits and for-profits, sleepaway camps, trip camps, and day camps, summer-only and year-round programs… hosting varied educational sessions so that there’s something for everyone is no small task but the conference organizers nailed it. Further, the conference planning team got all the small things right – audio & video technology went off without a hitch, each meal was on time and delicious, and the raffles in the vendor hall were fun and engaging. Hats off to all those involved in this complex operation!

I have room to grow as a summer camp presenter

Though I’ve routinely presented to larger crowds, speaking at my first summer camp conference generated a whole new set of nerves. As the room filled up, I felt my mouth going dry and my stomach fluttering in a way that was altogether foreign. Ultimately, I rushed through some of my material at the top of the presentation, resulting in perhaps more time drinking from a firehose than constructive discussion. While the content was well-received and structured uniquely, I plan to allow more time for attendees to work through the material with one another when I next present.

The camp industry is as welcoming as advertised

I consistently heard over Zoom about the warm and inclusive culture at WAIC, but it was an entirely different experience  to see that in-person. The welcoming began from the get-go, where a “conference newbies” session introduced newcomers to one another and all members of the WAIC board. Events such as “White Elephant Bingo” and “Dinner Not On Your Own” went further in cementing the feel-good vibes.

Beyond the conference’s structure, it’s also the small moments that I’ll remember fondly. Tommy Feldman waving me over to his table the first night at dinner, playing pickleball with Clay Colvig, discussing our shared Latnix heritage with Cora Ligori, seeing my childhood camp director Sarah Horner Fish showered with praise as she won the Grant Gerson WAIC Service Award… these memories and many more I’ll treasure.

I look forward to attending the WAIC conference next year and, once again, a huge thank you to everyone who made this first experience so enjoyable!

Keep an eye out for my next post, perhaps a podcast appearance is on the horizon…

-Mario