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*This is a piece of sponsored content by our friends from Camptivities and Whereabouts. We are so grateful for Ryan and the Camptivities team for their support of many Go Camp Pro podcasts and we're excited to bring you this episode to share more about Whereabouts and it's intentional design - Check them out whereaboutsapp.io*

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In this episode, Travis sits down with Ryan Rosen, a 28-year camp veteran and owner of a premier Los Angeles day camp, to discuss the intersection of "tech-free" camp philosophy and high-efficiency logistics. Ryan shares the origin story of Whereabouts, an innovative app designed to bridge the communication gap between parents and camp offices. From the "Spirit of Kaizen" to real-time attendance reconciliation, this conversation explores how small, iterative improvements in camp tech can lead to massive gains in safety, staff sanity, and parent satisfaction.

Key Takeaways include:

• The Spirit of Kaizen: Success isn't always about massive overhauls; it’s about the "incremental improvement" of systems. By questioning why "we’ve always done it this way," directors can identify stagnant procedures - like where T-shirts are handed out or how attendance is taken - and refine them for a better experience.
• Closing the "Lunchtime Gap": Many camps don't fully reconcile bus lists with group rosters until midday. Ryan explains how real-time widgets allow directors to know exactly who is on-site before the morning assembly even ends, meeting modern parent expectations for safety and transparency.
• Passive vs. Active Engagement: There is a fine line between "convenient" tech and "isolating" tech. Ryan discusses moving away from passive check-ins (like unattended QR codes) toward "human-powered" technology that prompts staff with camper birthdays or medical alerts during the check-in process.
• Empowering Gen-Z and Alpha Staff: Modern summer staff are digital natives. Asking them to manage complex paper-and-pen systems often leads to errors. Providing them with intuitive, mobile-first tools like Whereabouts aligns with their skills and reduces operational friction.
• Tech-Enabled Emergency Safety: Beyond daily attendance, the episode highlights the importance of "Emergency Pods." In the event of a wildfire or evacuation, having a cellular-connected system to track which kids are on which bus in real-time is a critical safety upgrade for any modern camp.

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Thanks to Camptivities and Whereabouts for sponsoring!

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected.

Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time - so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out at whereaboutsapp.io

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Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

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Find the show notes and all of the resources from this episode at: https://gocamp.pro/campahead/scenarios-stakeholders

Planning for the future of summer camp isn’t just about next year, it’s about imagining what camp could look like five, ten, even twenty summers from now. In this episode of Camp Ahead, Joe Richards is joined by Matt Wilfrid for a behind-the-scenes look at a large-scale stakeholder scenario planning event at Pearce Williams. They unpack how bringing community voices together sparked fresh ideas, tough conversations, and surprising clarity about what lies ahead. From role playing future possibilities to navigating challenging “what if” scenarios, this conversation is full of practical insights for camp leaders who want to plan with intention instead of reaction. If you’re curious about how to engage stakeholders, prepare for uncertainty, and build a stronger future for your camp, this is an episode worth tuning into. You’ll walk away with ideas you can bring back to your own planning table right away.

• 02:09 Impressions and Reflections on the Event
• 03:24 Planning and Execution of the Event
• 06:56 Role Playing and Character Development
• 17:23 Scenario Planning and Execution
• 23:36 Day Overview and Participant Experience
• 24:02 Simplifying the Day's Complexity
• 24:14 Understanding Camp's Future Pathway
• 25:23 Community Perceptions and Realities
• 25:50 Introducing Negative Scenarios
• 26:27 Sharing Challenges and Vulnerabilities
• 28:41 Community Response and Creativity
• 31:34 Balancing Love and Reality
• 33:10 Intentional Planning and Stakeholder Involvement
• 37:41 Future Scenario Playtesting

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Joe gave us so many great resources from this episode that it won't fit in the show notes. So head to our blog posts for this episode to see them all: https://gocamp.pro/campahead/scenarios-stakeholders

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Matt Wilfrid, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro

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Jess Elfring-Roberts - Executive Director, Episcopal Camps & Conference Centers

Joe Richards - Executive Director, Pearce Williams Summer Camp and Retreat Facility

KJ Williams - Camp Director, Phantom Lake YMCA Camp

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A huge thanks to our sponsor for making this possible:

Whereabouts:

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected.

Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time — so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out whereaboutsapp.io

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Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/campahead/resilience-travis

Join host Joe and guest Travis Allison, co-founder of Go Camp Pro, as they explore into The Resilient Camp Blueprint. In an industry facing increasing demands, staff burnout, and an uncertain future, resilience isn't just a buzzword - it's essential for survival.

Travis shares his framework for future-proofing your camp, arguing that camp leaders need to create space to think, plan, and enjoy their jobs again. The solution isn't one massive overhaul, but a commitment to small, daily improvements and embracing new tools like Augmented Intelligence (AI) to clear the deck of busy work. This conversation is a must-listen for directors and boards seeking sustainable success and long-term vitality.

Key takeaways include:

• The High Cost of Burnout: The industry is losing senior leadership at an alarming rate, taking irreplaceable institutional knowledge with them. Resilience is about creating systems that capture this knowledge and reduce executive burden.
• The Power of Small Steps: Avoid feeling overwhelmed by focusing on two-second improvements every day. Big changes start with small, actionable steps—a principle mirroring the "one next action" from the Getting Things Done philosophy.
• AI as an Augmentation Tool: Use augmented intelligence (AI) to save significant time on administrative tasks like email, transcription, and data analysis. The goal is not to replace people, but to free up time for human connection with staff, parents, and donors.
• Prioritize Connections Over Clicks: While social media has its place, the most effective ways to secure campers and staff remain: Repeat, Refer, Rally the Community, and Relationships. Use your newfound AI-fueled time to focus on these high-impact connections.
• The Digital Twin Concept: Explore the possibility of creating a "digital twin" of your camp's institutional knowledge—a repository of processes and insights that remains even when key staff members move on.

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Take the next step: Go to camp.mba/ahead to access the Resilient Camp Diagnostic and begin building your blueprint for a sustainable future.

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Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro

Jess Elfring-Roberts - Executive Director, Episcopal Camps & Conference Centers

Joe Richards - Executive Director, Pearce Williams Summer Camp and Retreat Facility

KJ Williams - Camp Director, Phantom Lake YMCA Camp

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A huge thanks to our sponsor for making this possible.

Campttendance:

Meet Campttendance — the first app that makes attendance active. Parents update transportation and attendance instantl

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Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey