Editor’sLetter I
The Future of Camp
n the camp industry, the first three months of the year is confer- ence season. From January all the way through March, there are numerous educational and training opportunities for camp pro- fessionals to attend from coast to coast.
In Ontario, the Ontario Camps Association (OCA) runs its
annual directors’ conference, while in Western Canada, the provincial camping asso- ciations in British Columbia and Alberta host their own events. And if that isn’t enough, Canadian camp owners, directors, administrators and senior staff can head south to attend either the American Camp Association’s National Conference (this year in San Diego, CA) and/or the ACA’s Tri-State Conference held every year in March in Atlantic City, N.J.
After reviewing the conference program guides of each of these wonderful camp get- togethers, it is easy to see where the leaders of this industry believe its members should pay particular attention to as they approach the Summer of 2011. Some topics to keep in mind include: the growing use of social media and its pros and cons; how to attract new campers, especially from new Canadian and immigrant populations; programming options: what is hot and what is not: using technology to streamline operation and camper enrollment: and staying fresh when it comes to staff training. To help Ontario camp professionals get a better handle of the current camp trends and issues impacting their respective businesses, Canada Camps magazine recently held its inaugural The Future of Camping panel discussion at the OCA’s director’s conference held this past January.
Moderated by me, the panel featured six camp professionals who provided incredible insight into current industry trends and how these trends of today will shape camps of tomorrow. The panel consisted of Eric Shendelman, Crestwood Valley Day; Camp, John Friesen, Muskoka Bible College; Jackie Pye, Camp Wapomeo (Taylor Statten Camps); Iain Lovatt, Muskoka Woods; Matthew Bernardo, Camp Wabikon; and Justin Gerson, Canadian Adventure Camp. With approximately 75 camp professionals in attendance, we spent just under 90 minutes participating in an open and lively discussion. Over this time, our esteemed group of experts espoused their opinions and thoughts on issues ranging from cell phone use by campers to how to best communicate with parents in today’s world to how does the industry explain to people who do not have knowledge or a history with the camp experience how camp helps their children. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I definitely learned more about some of the chal- lenges today’s camps face and what they need to consider (and change) to ensure busi- ness viability in the years to come. Specifically, I learned that camps, at the end of the day, are a business. And similar to every business, they need to evolve and constantly adapt to current day market and consumer demands. More importantly, I learned that the Canadian camp industry needs to unite as one and begin to proactively promote itself to the general public. We all know the benefits of a positive camp experience on Canadian children, youth and young adults, but does everyone else? Greater public awareness is the future, and it needs to start now.
Contributors
Publisher/Editor Editorial Assistant Advertising Sales
Editorial Advisory Board
Paul Grossinger Angela Rotundo Dave Douglas
Larry Bell
Jeff Bradshaw Michael Brandwein Nancy Brown Rob Carmichael Owen Fraser Sara Middleton Quentin Richardson Catherine Ross Chris Thurber
Marc Hoberman Nancy Shenker Chris Thurber
Canada Camps is the primary source of information for people working in the Canadian camp industry. It is pub- lished three times a year (Winter, Spring, Fall) by KAP Publishing Limited.
The views expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of Canada Camps. All editorial submissions will be subject to editing. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without written permission.
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