2026 New England Camp Conference call for speakers/presenters/sessions
We invite you to submit a proposal for a workshop session that will share new knowledge or a new perspective, push conference attendees to think differently, address topics relevant to the camping industry today (and in the near-future), enhance the work of camp professionals, and build community among peers. Please read through the following information to ensure you craft the strongest proposal possible.
The 2026 conference will take place March 26 - 28 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Our committee aims to create a diverse program with a variety of topics covered each session block and day, so in addition to content, your listed availability is taken into consideration when proposals are selected.
For a one-page PDF overview of this proposal submission form (so you can know what to expect and prepare in advance), click HERE.
Target Audience: The New England Camp Conference will draw camp professionals from all experience levels throughout the six New England States and beyond. The conference will have attendees who are directors, owners, executives, mid-level managers, year-round program staff, and seasonal staff (both experienced and new to camp). We look for general, intermediate, and more advanced level workshops to offer a balance to attendees. We will ask you to indicate which level your session is designed for during the submission process. We anticipate having more than 800 attendees at our 2026 conference.
Categories: We strive to create a schedule that provides attendees with a balance of sessions from a variety of different topic areas that might serve their professional needs or the needs of their camps. These include:
- Leadership (designed for the people in the room, rather than those they supervise; typically intermediate or advanced level)
- Activities (hands-on, active sessions focused on doing; limited tech needs)
- Program design & development (related to the creation, execution, and evaluation of programs, including specialty areas)
- Business (such as finance, budgeting, marketing, fundraising, board development, strategic planning, human resources, and technology)
- Operations (such as facility & site management, insurance, emergency planning, food service, transportation, and purchasing)
- Staff (such as recruiting, hiring, training, management/supervision, evaluation, retention)
- Health and wellness (such as physical, mental, and social-emotional health and well-being of staff and campers and health services)
- Youth development (such as working with children and youth, trauma-informed practice, behavioral challenges, neurodiversity, needs of subgroups)
- Trending topics and emerging issues (such as current events and how they relate to camp, technology, research, and other "hot topics" not covered by any of the above areas)
We encourage all presenters to consider how their session content incorporates diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging lenses.
For a one-pager of the topics and their descriptions, click here.
Breakout Sessions: We have several different options for sessions in 2026 and will aim to create a schedule with a blend of all of these opportunities:
- Educational sessions (75-minute or 45-minute options*). We encourage you to think about ways to engage with your audience, even if your primary delivery is a lecture/ presentation. We also encourage leaving at least 10 minutes for Q&A and session evaluations.
- Round tables/discussion-based learning sessions (45-minute duration*). While you may share content in these sessions, you should plan for less presentation and more interaction and discussion around a certain topic. Roundtables, idea sharing (e.g. what did you do for XX topic last summer?), and brainstorming sessions are a great fit for this format!
- Affinity/special interest group gatherings. If you'd like to be point for a meeting of like-minded camp folks from a certain area, please indicate this type of session and we will work to find time/space during the conference for you to gather (e.g. day camps, BIPOC camp professionals, special needs camps, independent school camps, etc.). Please note that it may be during or separate from session blocks, depending on time and space that is available.
*45-minute sessions and round tables may take place during lunch & learn blocks.
All sessions should be educational in nature with learning outcomes for attendees. Presentations must not have a commercial message for a particular organization or business, or be perceived as a "sales pitch."
Speakers are encouraged to submit multiple proposals if they have several workshops they would like to present or if they have multiple versions of the workshop for different audiences (e.g. fundamental v. advanced). Please submit one complete proposal per session that you’d like to be considered for. Each session may be reviewed by different sets of readers/volunteers, so we want to be sure all information is included.
As you prepare your proposal, some things to keep in mind that we have heard through experience and feedback, are that the most successful sessions:
- Align with the description you provide below so attendees know what they are "walking" into.
- Balance lecture and information time with engagement, discussion, and a level of interactivity.
- Have presenters who are prepared and have accounted for the variety of experience and levels of the attendees in the audience.
- Include the right amount of material for the time you have to share.
Throughout our planning and program delivery, we commit to paying attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including, but not limited to: affordability, accessibility, diversity of speakers, and varied learning styles and session formats.
Please have your form submitted by Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
We typically receive more submissions that we can take, so late submissions are typically not accepted.
For samples of previous sessions, please see our 2025 Conference Session & Speaker Details.
Notification of accepted or rejected presentations will be sent no later than early January 2026.
*Attention: We highly recommend saving your submission as a Word document for future reference. Please proofread as this form funnels directly to the program book, website, and conference app.*
Questions may be directed to Kerry Salvo, Director of Programs & Strategic Parnterships, ACA, New England, kerry@acanewengland.org or 781-541-6080, ext. 104.
All related expenses for conference registration and session preparation andgland.o delivery will be the responsibility of the presenter unless otherwise requested by the presenter and agreed upon with ACA, New England. We do not want cost to be a barrier for first-time speakers or camp professionals looking to lead a session, so please reach out if you have questions about this.
On behalf of the New England Camp Conference Committee, thank you for your interest in being a part of our event!