CampMinder camp: "if CampMinder were an airplane, then CampMinder Camp would be the engine that keeps us flying.".

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That's how Dan Konigsberg, founder and CEO of CampMinder, describes the two-day event that takes place every January. This isn't your typical camp conference.

"It seems like there's a conference every other week, yet none of them directly focus on how camps use technology to improve their businesses," said Paul Berliner, COO of CampMinder. "We created CampMinder Camp to fill this void."

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The event, which is free for CampMinder clients, focuses on developing innovative solutions to problems all camps face. There is no exhibit hall with vendors trying to peddle their wares. Instead, it's about working together as a camp community. The interaction between attendees and CampMinder leads to the creation of new systems that make camp administrators' lives much easier.

What other camp conference can claim that end result?

A short history

The first CampMinder Camp was held in 2009, at Camp Greystone in Tuxedo, N.C. Thirty local camp professionals joined CampMinder for the unveiling of the Cheyenne Framework. The release of the framework offered an opportunity for open discussion about solutions to age-old camp management challenges and ideas about how we might tackle future issues as the industry continues to evolve.

Each year since then, the program has expanded to include trainings, brainstorming sessions, and panel discussions.

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In 2010, the attendance grew to more than 60 camp professionals, as the event (again held at Camp Greystone) was opened up to camps nationwide.

In 2011, Camp was moved to Boulder, Colorado, CampMinder's hometown, and more than 100 camp personnel were in attendance.

"This was a much more useful and practical conference than any other I've attended in the camp industry," said Brandon Himoff, director of Point O'Pines Camp in Brant Lake, N.Y. "I left CampMinder Camp with concrete ideas about how to use CampMinder's technology to improve our day-to-day operation. I also felt like I was able to contribute to the process."

The process begins with a keynote address from Dan Konigsberg, who talks about what came out of the prior Camp, as well as current and future developments.

"So many good ideas are generated each year at CampMinder Camp, and our challenge is to consolidate or boil down this information and choose specific projects on which to focus," Konigsberg said. For example, Konigsberg said, the plan going into the 2010 Camp was to discuss revamping the staff system. However, due to the economy at the time, recruiting staff wasn't a top priority. Camps were receiving more staff applicants that year and fewer camper inquiries. Instead, an alumni system that might lead to more campers became a priority.

Konigsberg's keynote sets the tone for more collaboration by clearly explaining what CampMinder learned, how that directed development, and what applications were created in response.

Following the keynote, group training sessions allow attendees to get detailed information on how to use the new systems. Konigsberg said that aside from providing clients a basis of understanding, these sessions tend to generate valuable information about how to further improve and refine CampMinder.

An idea is honed

In 2010, for instance, a training session was held on a new resident camp transportation system. While the system addressed almost all concerns, additional information came to light that had not been considered.

For example, seasoned transportation experts mentioned the importance of knowing whether a camper is flying with an e-ticket or a paper ticket. It seems like a minor point, but it's actually very important. Camps need to know about paper tickets so that they can collect them right away. Otherwise, there's a risk that the ticket will be misplaced.

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Another one: is the camper an unaccompanied minor? If so, is the unaccompanied minor fee paid? All airlines charge for that, and there are different age requirements for each airline. These small details are crucial. Obviously, the system had to track arrival and departure dates and times. Of course flight connections had to be accounted for. But it's these small details that elicit an "Oh, that's great!" from clients. They provide peace of mind for camps and eliminate problems before they can ever occur.

More collaboration takes place in brainstorming sessions, small group breakouts, and panel discussions.

Personal touch

At a brainstorming session in 2010, CampMinder presented a prototype of a new health center management system. Blue Star Camps in Hendersonville, N.C., suggested a personal touch to make the system even better. Parents sometimes have very specific information on how minor health issues are treated at home. In response, the online health history form can now ask parents how they treat minor health issues when they occur. A question like that can help a camper feel more comfortable at a time when he or she is injured or sick.

Small group discussions allow camps to bounce ideas off each other and get a good grasp on what other camps are doing. In 2011, retention and camper recruitment were topics of discussion.

Play time

When work is done, it's time to play. Each day closes with a social event during which camp professionals relax and mingle. At the 2011 Camp, CampMinder unveiled its new office for a Thursday evening Happy Hour. While some attendees opted to stick around Boulder on Friday night, others joined the CampMinder team for a ski outing in Breckenridge.

"One of the great things about CampMinder Camp is that CampMinder tends to attract camps that think outside the box and take pride in running a streamlined operation," said Andy Pritikin, owner/director of Liberty Lake Day Camp in Bordentown, N.J. "The social events provide an opportunity to meet camp professionals from other circles, whose paths we would not ordinarily cross."

Everyone wins

Camp personnel stand to gain a lot from attending, yet CampMinder itself benefits just as much.

"CampMinder Camp creates a reciprocal relationship," said Berliner. "We learn from camps what they need, we build it, and then we teach them how to use it. They give us the feedback we need to create systems they want. Everyone wins."

CampMinder Camp is just one more way that CampMinder brings together the best minds in camping. So reserve your spot early ... last year's camp sold out!

This article is an excerpt from CampMinder Magazine. Check for it in your mailbox in late September 2011.