
The one and only online summer camp conference.
Workshops on programming, youth development, administration, marketing and staff.
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
BUT YOU CAN STILL GET THE ALL-ACCESS PASS
Over 40 summer camp experts and other professionals are sharing their insights and knowledge on a variety of topics. You’ll come away with ideas and actionable steps to make your 2019 summer the best one yet!

Summer Camp Con was created out of the desire to provide a learning experience for camp professionals
who may not have the budget to attend a live conference.
It was also created to be a global event, to allow camp professionals from other countries to speak, and to be a learning event that everyone, no matter where they live, can attend. We have a few speakers from outside of North America, and we hope that we’ll have attendees from around the globe as well.
Are you in?

5 EDUCATIONAL TRACKS
ADMINISTRATION
For the big-cheese, the head-honcho, the big-kahuna, and those aspiring to eventually de-thrown the director and plant your flag as king of camp.
We’ve got just the workshops for you!
From advice on building your team, collecting data, and managing records to being more productive and partnering with parents we’ve got everything you’ll need to lead your team to victory… err, we mean a great healthy, non- usurping summer!


YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
THE YOUTHS! With their technology, and tight pants… Who knows what to do with them?!?
Actually, we do.
Yep, the Royal we… that includes you.
We know that you’re awesome and you take what you do really seriously, that’s why we’ve invited some really smart folks with great ideas to help us get EVEN BETTER at supporting the young people we care so deeply about.
From camper autonomy to inclusion, grit & perseverance, our presenters will help you create great CIT programs, normalize relationships with food and body image, and help girls cultivate self-esteem. You don’t want to miss these sessions.
STAFF FOCUS
The very best way to ensure incredible programming, a safe and inclusive camp experience, and campers who feel seen and valued to is to do it all yourself hire and train amazing staff!! (heh. We were kidding about the doing it yourself part!)
Our presenters will share not only interviewing & staff training advice, but tips on building community, creating buy in, and they’ll knock your socks off with how charming and delightful they are!


MARKETING
The wonderful world of marketing. It doesn’t have to feel icky or hard. You’re not wearing going door to door selling vacuum cleaners – you’re selling a life changing experience! (Although, arguably, a great vacuum can be life changing…)
With the clever tips from our presenters you’ll learn how to make your blogs, social media, logos, and photographs look AHH-mazing! You’ll also learn some strategies for that new camp you’ve secretly been planning and how to sell this amazing experience that is not only super fun but is also actually GOOD for THE YOUTHS!
PROGRAMMING
When I was bored as a kid my mom would tell me to go play tiddly-winks… it wasn’t until reciently that I discovered it’s an ACTUAL GAME!
Not only do we believe that we can do better that (it’s a low bar, really) but we believe that the advice from our speakers will help you create and deliver incredible, innovative, inexpensive, other words that start with i, programs!
From program ideas like STEM, aquatics, and pop up museums to program theory like transitions, leveling up, and structure vs control, we’ve got you covered to deliver the best tiddly-winks program your campers have ever seen!!

Get Access to 40+ Expert Workshops
and make this summer better than ever…
For a limited time, get your FREE access.
The 40+ experts you’ll be learning from
during Summer Camp Con…
Get Access to 40+ Expert Workshops
and make this summer better than ever…
For a limited time, get your FREE access.
Why you should attend Summer Camp Con 2019:
1. You’ll learn A LOT.
We are all looking for new ideas, perspectives, and tactics. Attending any conference is going to give you that.
SCampCon gives you the option to watch the recordings over and over again until you’ve absorbed every bit of knowledge from them and can repeat the presentations like the lyrics from a Beyonce song.
But seriously, (as though talking about Beyonce isn’t serious!) even if you find just a couple gold nuggets in these workshops, it could be the information that will take your camp to the next level.


2. There’s no need to travel.
Booking airline and hotel reservations can be frustrating, especially if you’re looking for the most economical solutions. Then there’s the actual traveling, TSA, crying babies, crowded airplanes, waiting… sock feet on a germ filled floor, the paralyzing fear of ending up in a room with no windows… oh, no? Just me? Ok.
Once you finally get to the hotel you have to check-in, find your room, sleep in a strange bed after doing an extensive CSI style search for potential signs of bed bugs… just me again? Ok…
Hopefully, you aren’t near the ice machine or elevator. Don’t forget the return flight home.
Yeesh!
Instead of all that traveling, you can sit back and enjoy the workshops from the comfort of your office, home or local coffee shop if you want. You’ll still be able to ask questions and even chat with other participants.
Learning in your pjs with no bed bugs in sight? Count. Me. In.
3. You’ll save loads of money.
Conferences require a large investment of time and money. After paying for registration, flights, hotel accommodations and all the other little incidentals and add-ons, you could end up spending over $1500. What could you do with that extra money at camp?
$1500 buys a lot of toilet paper and glow sticks, let me tell ya!
SummerCampCon is different. Save your money and travel time. If you claim your ticket today, it’s FREE, thanks to our totally awesome, generous, and all around swell sponsors.

Does learning from other camp professionals and industry experts sound good to you? Is saving time and money important to you and your organization?
SCHEDULE
(Click on the dates to see the workshops for that day)
# | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Track |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Use Your Words: Writing and Presenting Meaningful Reflections | ALANA MATTESON | 10:00 AM (EST) | Youth Development |
2 | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly: Camper Behavior | SCOTT ARIZALA | 12:00 PM (EST) | Youth Development |
3 | SAFE DISCOMFORT: BUILDING CAMP ENVIRONMENTS FOR OPTIMIZED GRIT AND PERSEVERANCE | JEN DUNDAS | 2:00 PM (EST) | Youth Development |
4 | AMPP'd up on conflict resolution | KELLY NAGL | 4:00 PM (EST) | Youth Development |
# | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Track |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Blog Basics - an introduction to blogging for camp pros | KENDRAY RODRIGUEZ | 10:00 AM (EST) | Marketing |
2 | Are we asking the right questions? | MICHAEL GARCIA | 12:00 PM (EST) | Marketing |
3 | Lights, Camera, Action: How to Put the Power of Video to Work for Your Camp | MIKE PERLOW | 2:00 PM (EST) | Marketing |
4 | Year One: Building a New Day Camp | ISAAC BRUBAKER | 4:00 PM (EST) | Marketing |
# | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Track |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Camps in Greece - a model for free 15 day camps for children of the unemployed | ALEXIA SIDERI | 10:00 AM (EST) | Administration |
2 | Race, Racism, & Justice at Camp | COLE PERRY | 12:00 PM (EST) | Administration |
3 | Building a Successful Team: 7 Foundational Elements to Make Your Organization High Functioning, Profitable and Desirable | DAVE MALTER | 2:00 PM (EST) | Administration |
4 | Learn to Create an Enrollment-Boosting Registration Form | ANNABEL MAW | 4:00 PM (EST) | Administration |
5 | Productivity 101: How to Motivate Yourself to Accomplish More Than You Thought Possible | MANDI MILLER | 6:00 PM (EST) | Administration |
# | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Track |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | STEM is Everywhere: Encouraging a Culture of Inquiry to Combat Summer Learning Loss | TARA LAIDLAW | 10:00 AM (EST) | Programming |
2 | Ritualizing the end of summer - smoothing transitions mentally and emotionally | ANGE ATKINSON | 12:00 PM (EST) | Programming |
3 | Kids Need Structure Not Control - Building Sandboxes At Camp | JACK SCHOTT | 2:00 PM (EST) | Programming |
4 | The No-drama approach to a theatre program - and why your camp needs one. | LINDSEY SIGLER | 4:00 PM (EST) | Programming |
5 | Steal This: Ideas of Awesomness for your camp that won't break the budget | CHRISTOPHER KALLAL | 6:00 PM (EST) | Programming |
# | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Track |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Using personality theory to understand and invest in your staff | RILEY PEAK | 10:00 AM (EST) | Staff |
2 | Creating an Interview Rubric for More Effective Staff Hirig | RUBY COMPTON | 12:00 PM (EST) | Staff |
3 | Make it Memorable: staff training that stands the test of time | KIM AYCOCK | 2:00 PM (EST) | Staff |
4 | Inclusion and diversity planning - supporting trans, trans+ and genderqueer campers, families and staff | AMANDA GRASSICK | 4:00 PM (EST) | Staff |
5 | Ghosts are great for halloween, not for staffing a camp | KATRINA DEARDEN | 6:00 PM (EST) | Staff |
# | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Track |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Creating Super Simple & Effective Staff and Parent Training Videos | BECKY DUNLAP | 10:00 AM (EST) | Administration |
2 | The benefits of a camp electronic health record for risk management and emergency planning | MICHAEL AMBROSE | 12:00 PM (EST) | Administration |
3 | Parent-ception: Creating a Foolproof Plan to Answer Parent Questions Before They Even Ask | ALLISON VINING | 2:00 PM (EST) | Administration |
4 | How to Fire a Friend | MICHAEL JACOBUS | 4:00 PM (EST) | Administration |
# | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Track |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | How to take your program to the next level | PHILIP DRAKE | 10:00 AM (EST) | Programming |
2 | Top 10 Aquatic Best Practices | RUBY COMPTON | 12:00 PM (EST) | Programming |
3 | Free Play at Day Camp- Important and Possible | ANDY PRITIKIN | 2:00 PM (EST) | Programming |
4 | Create Trendy Pop Up Museums at Camp | KAREN LOVELACE | 4:00 PM (EST) | Programming |
# | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Track |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | How to Effectively Obtain Buy- In | ASH BOYNTON | 10:00 AM (EST) | Staff |
2 | Building community - it's the most important thing | BETH ALLISON | 12:00 PM (EST) | Staff |
3 | Nurturing Staff and Campers To Be Confidently Self-Resilient | DAVE MALTER | 2:00 PM (EST) | Staff |
4 | We are here: connecting with the next generation | GWYNN POWELL | 4:00 PM (EST) | Staff |
5 | RRV - Work through anything with anyone | RONNIE FERRANS | 6:00 PM (EST) | Staff |
# | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Track |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | What I learned about Inclusion from my campers of different abilities! | SANDRA ‘SAM’ THOMPSON | 10:00 AM (EST) | Youth Development |
2 | CAMPERS DECIDE IT ALL | LAURA JOHNSON | 12:00 PM (EST) | Youth Development |
3 | Creating Leaders … A CIT Program that Works! | ELLEN WEISMER | 2:00 PM (EST) | Youth Development |
4 | Promoting Positive Relationships with Food and Body Image at Camp | NIKKI MISNER | 4:00 PM (EST) | Youth Development |
5 | Fostering self-esteem in teenage girls | BETH ALLISON | 6:00 PM (EST) | Youth Development |
# | Session | Speaker(s) | Time | Track |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Straight-Line Sales, or the Wolf of Wall-Street in Camping | ARCADIE COTRUTA | 10:00 AM (EST) | Marketing |
2 | Doublecheck: the Ultimate Checklist for Your Website and Social Media | STACIE SIMPSON | 12:00 PM (EST) | Marketing |
3 | Camp Photography - How to get the most out of your camp photography | KATHERINE SPENCER | 2:00 PM (EST) | Marketing |
4 | Trust, Then Tools | TRAVIS ALLISON | 4:00 PM (EST) | Marketing |
5 | Your Camp Logo (and other design elements) makes you look sloppy | TRAVIS ALLISON | 6:00 PM (EST) | Marketing |
Get Access to 40+ Expert Workshops
and make this summer better than ever…
For a limited time, get your FREE access.
FAQs
What is Summer Camp Con?
Summer Camp Con is the first virtual (online) conference for camp professionals. It runs for 10 days with 4-5 workshops per day.
Our speakers are camp professionals and leaders in their related industries from the US, Canada, Ukraine and Greece. What they have in common is extensive experience, knowledge and understanding of the summer camp industry.
Who is running this event?
You would think it’s a room full of monkeys on typewriters, but nope! The conference was created by Curt Jackson and Patti Sampson, the co-founders of Artemis CRS. They are the duo who created the Patchwork Marketplace where you can find many of their resources. Curt also runs the SummerCampPro.com blog and Patti runs TheCampNerd.com blog. And on every second Tuesday and Thursday they fight crime.
Who should attend SCampCon?
Camp professionals of every level and type of camp will benefit from the breadth of knowledge these experts are sharing.
Wide eyed and bushy tailed seasonal staff working their way up the ranks will take away a ton, and grizzled ol’ field tested camp directors and ED’s will also find some gems to improve their already awesome techniques.
When can I watch the workshops?
Well, well, well… funny you should ask…
There are two ways to watch the conference. The first is each weekday between January 28-February 8, you can watch the workshops live.
See the full schedule above. It’s gonna be awesome.
The second way to watch the workshops is by slapping your hand on the counter and saying “I want to watch these intelligent, attractive, people delivering valuable information and actionable steps on my schedule and at my leisure, doggone it!”
And then purchase the All Access Pass to watch the workshops as often as you like.
Hi, I’m Curt “Moose” Jackson. I am an author, speaker and entrepreneur who has spent years in the summer camp, outdoor education and parks and recreation industries. I am the co-founder of Artemis CRS (Camp and Recreation Services) and I have a passion for camp programming.
Our goal with Artemis CRS is to help you in your journey as a camp professional. The way we are doing that is by creating online resources, events and more that are unique to our industry. Patchwork Marketplace and SCampCon are just the beginning.
We are so glad you are here and we know you will find value in this event.
Hi, My name is Joe, and I work in a button factory…
But you can call me Patti, or as one of our SCampCon presenters, Andy Pritikin dubbed me “the Canadian giggler from the podcast”.
He’s referring to the Rec Heads and Camp Nerds podcast that Curt and I started a year ago and that I currently co- host with Professor Dave (another of our illustrious SCampCon speakers).
When I’m not giggling into a microphone, I’m serving on the boards of my provincial and national camping associations, growing the camp I started last year, and doing lots of cool things with Artemis CRS. Some of those cool things include this conference, Patchwork Marketplace, and soon, Expo 365, with some other exiting projects coming down the pipeline!
After almost 20 years working in this industry, it is an absolute thrill to give back to the camp and rec community through my Camp Nerd blog and events like this.
We’re excited you’re on this ‘learning adventure’ with us (that’s cheesy… I like it) and hope that you gain TONS from this event.
Now… push the button with your right hand…