Women in Camp Goes Virtual

It’s 2020 and, like all of you, we are adapting and changing to take care of our people.

The 2020 Women in Camp Summit is going virtual.
​Our primary concern has always been the well-being of our camp community.  After thoughtful consideration, many discussions, the mulling over of all your survey results, and looking at all the possible outcomes, we have made the decision to hold our Women in Camp Summit 2020 online.

Why did we choose to move to an online program for 2020?
First and foremost, we believe in the coming together of women camp pros, the space to share and nurture our creative selves, and the importance of professional development.  

We did not make this decision lightly.  Instead, we took the time to really think it through, to survey our participants (and thank you so very much for all your answers), and to make certain we do what’s in the best interest of our people.  After all of your responses, we are anticipating that the economic impact to our camps might be a barrier to folks being able to travel to the Summit in December. And we would hate for any of you to have to miss it!

By making our decision now, we are allowing ourselves time to plan with great intention. And this way, even more women can participate - a real global sisterhood! 

Why did we make this determination so early? The summit is in December.
Conferences like this one require contracts with hotels for sleeping rooms, meeting rooms, and food. As we were finishing up contract negotiations for this event, we were in a place to be able to make this decision with everyone’s financial feasibility in mind.

Making the decision now also allows us more time to plan and execute these new ideas to the best of our ability.

Does this mean ACA Illinois has information about travel restrictions that they haven’t shared?
No. This decision was based on the survey responses we received from our community and their concerns about finances and travel expenses at the time of the Summit. 

Does this mean the Women in Camp Summit will be online forever?
We continue to be adaptive and innovative with how we deliver our programming. Each year, we work hard to be intentional about meeting the needs of our people.  Our hope is to gather together in person in 2021 but we are also open to whatever the new lessons this current situation is teaching us.

What will be the cost?
As we will not be responsible for food and hotel rooms, the cost will obviously be lowered.  After we do our research to provide the best possible platforms to make this online Summit an outstanding experience, we will be able to announce the new cost.

What will the online program look like?
That’s a very good question! We are currently working on this very answer. However, it’s important that everything that we do virtually is meaningful and grounded in our mission. We are looking into ways to bring all the parts you love about the Summit into a virtual experience.  As always, our goal is to deliver quality content and create connections.

Will this be an online program from 12:00 on December 2 until 12:00 on December 4?
We all know these days what it’s like to look at a screen for hours on end!  We are in the planning phase now of how to help us feel connected in the best way possible.  We are excited for all the creative conversations and dreaming to come.

How can I help?
If you are interested in volunteering to make WICS 2020 an outstanding event, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/XqnChryYUzwi4GTK7 ​