I don't go to camp every summer...
But every February and March I go to the two major summer camp conferences. In fact, I wrote my very first blog in March 2006 from the Borgata at the American Camp Association Tri-State conference. (Have I REALLY been blogging for 7 years???!!!)
Like a summer camper, I get excited every year about returning to the conferences. I make new friends, see cool stuff (as evidenced below), and go on neat field trips. I adore the summer camp industry and the people in it.
This year, at the National Conference in Dallas, I led two lively workshops (social media and PR) and I spent a fair amount of time on the trade show floor. In addition to the usual exhibitors (insurance companies, health-related products, registration systems, bunks, yurts, and arts and crafts), every year a few unique booths stand out for me. They fall into a few categories:
- Old things are becoming newer and cooler.
- The camp trunk has evolved into a personal brand statement, thanks to The Erase Case from Kangaroo Cases. It comes in a variety of colors and you can even write on it with eraseable markers. (I'm contemplating buying one for myself for my mid-life gypsy journeys.)
- Tossing around a ball is old school, but games like 9 Share in the Air and Spike Ball are adding funky twists to simple play.
- The camp journal is back! 413camp and 4himpromotions featured good old fashioned spiral notebooks in cool colors and patterns, as well as paper stationery for those camp letters home.
- Healthy eating continues to flourish at camps.Fruit66 had the genius to package its product in colorful cans to appeal to kids and The Soy Nut Butter Company makes a faux Nutella-type product, which tastes like the real thing. Quick n' Crispy was featuring greaseless fryers, which reduce fat by 40%.
- Camp fashion meets camp spirit. Funky printed "sleeves" from Viva Enterprises turn girl athletes into rock stars, Chaco has awesome footwear with a charity tie-in. Xtreme Cooling Gear offers clothes with a different purpose -- keeping campers up to 20 degrees cooler. And Stickers and More showcases bandanas and tee shirts that are clearly not your momma's camp duds. And charms are eternally charming! Campfire Collections has an awesome array that will keep camp memories close to kids' hearts (and necks and wrists).
- Useful technology abounds within summer camp as yearbooks go digital, thanks to companies like Picaboo. And Emmie Chang will soon be revolutionizing the camp search world with Camperoo.
And I have to give a special shout-out to Yellow Day, a film being produced at a camp. The producers creatively used the trade show to promote the film and gave every trade show visitor a bright yellow ball, which contained a unique number for a sweepstakes drawing. The convention center was a sea of yellow!
I also learned that a special Hurricane Sandy relief effort is going on in the New York area, providing "camperships" to kids who were affected by the natural disaster last year. Click here to learn more about what's going on in the camp world in New York.
Compassion, connection, and charitable acts -- just a few of the things I love about the summer camp industry. (And the products are pretty cool too, you must admit!)
I have another camp conference to look forward to in March. If you're around Atlantic City, join me around the campfire!