Camp NAC Leadership Team Attends the 2019 ACA National Conference

This February, the Camp NAC leadership team had the opportunity to attend the 2019 American Camp Association (ACA) National Conference in Nashville, TN. Each year, the ACA brings together top professionals from around the country in industries including summer camps, education, psychology, fitness and more. The conference consists of educations breakout sessions on a variety of topics including staff training, summer camp trends, specialty program ideas and more.

In addition to the educational portion, the conference also includes a large trade show where our camp team can test out and purchase awesome new games and equipment to be used during the summer. One of our camper favorites, the bubble soccer inflatables, were found at one of the previous camp conference trade shows.

See what our team loved most about this year’s camp conference:

Amanda Brown – Camp NAC Director

This was the first year we were able to attend the ACA National Camp Conference, which was so exciting for us as a team. The national conference is a lot bigger than the tri-state conference we typically attend, so we were able to connect and learn from a more diverse group of camp professionals.

One of my favorite parts of the conference was the trade show. There were hundreds of vendors with cutting-edge camp equipment, new camp gear and prizes like our popular Camp NAC teddy bears, and awesome new games that our campers will love.

The educational sessions are also a great way for camp professionals around the country to get together and share ideas. Even though I have been working at Camp NAC for over 13 years, it’s never too late to learn! I attended workshops where I learned some new ways to train our camp staff to provide even more unbelievable experiences for our campers.

Brianne Feinour – Camp NAC Manager

This was my first year getting to attend the camp conference and I came back with a list of new ideas to make Camp NAC even better.

One of my favorite educational sessions centered around the importance of attending camp. Children who attend camp have an advantage because they get even more time to build relationships with their peers outside of the school-year. For teens, camp is especially important because it helps build skills that are necessary for obtaining jobs. I’ll be taking some of the ideas and insights I gained at the conference to develop our LIT and teen programs.

I also was able to attend a few different marketing sessions which were very interesting. At Camp NAC we love having a diverse group of campers, so learning some new ways to reach even more families throughout our community is a great way to grow our Camp NAC family.