ACA, Southwest Fall Campference

Date

October 22-24, 2025

Location

Natural History Museum of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT

Register Here!

Cost

Registration and scholarship details below.

CECs

6.75

The Southwest Fall Campference is built for camp pros at every level—directors, leadership staff, and anyone who wants to grow in their role. Whether you're recovering from a wild summer or gearing up for the year ahead, you belong here.

At the regional gathering, you’ll have the space to:

Unpack your summer – Celebrate wins, reflect on challenges, and share creative solutions with peers who’ve been in the trenches with you.
Plan for the off-season – Dive into collaborative sessions on marketing, staffing, risk management, programming, facilities, and more.
Connect with your camp people – Build your community, swap ideas, and return home with fresh energy and real support.

What’s a Campference? It’s not exactly camp, and it’s not your typical conference. It’s something better. We’re reimagining how we gather—more connection, more creativity, and more of the camp magic we all love.

This event is for camp directors, assistant directors, year-round staff, and emerging leaders who are looking for a refreshing space to think deeply, share openly, and reconnect with why they do this work.

2024 Southwest attendees posing for group photo.

Register Here!

This is a bargain—and we mean it. Your Campference registration includes:

All educational sessions, workshops, & facilitated discussions
A delicious lunch on Thursday, October 23
Coffee + snack breaks
Community building, networking, and time to reflect with other amazing camp pros
Camp Tours on Friday, October 24

For the cost, it’s one of the best professional development investments you can make all year. You get time away to recharge, tools to take back to your team, and a chance to grow alongside people who get camp life.

Let this be your fall reset—you’ve earned it.

Register Here!

Not an ACA Member? Join today for FREE and get the best rates for this event!

Type	Early-Bird (Ends 9/17)	Standard (Ends 10/15)	Final Wave
Member	$175	$200	$230
Nonmember	$225	$250	$275

Why Registration Costs Go Up

We encourage you to register early—not just to save money, but to help us plan the best possible event!

As we get closer to the conference, our team is busy finalizing meals, lodging, room setups, materials, and more. We’ve contracted with our host site in advance and must submit our final participant numbers well before the event begins. Late additions are always welcome when possible—but they add extra complexity during an already busy time.

Registering early helps us serve everyone better—and ensures you get the full experience without the scramble. Thanks for helping us make it all happen smoothly!

Looking for a Place to Stay?

ACA has a room block at the Salt Lake City Marriott at University Park. Book by September 30th to secure a discounted rate.

Marriott Group Rate for ACA

Wednesday, October 22 | Campference

1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Check in for "Unpacking the Summer"
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Facilitated workshop "Unpacking the Summer" Lessons Learned + The Road Ahead
Happy Hour + Connection at a local spot! TBA

Thursday, October 23 | Campference

9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Check in + Breakfast Roundtables
9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. Welcome to the Southwest Campference!
9:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Opening "Playnote" by Tobin Paap
11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Facilitated Roundtable Discussions
12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. Explore the Museum
12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Lunch + Conversations + LCOL Announcements
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Educational Breakout Sessions
3:00 p.m. - 3:20 p.m. Continue the conversation | Network
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Educational Breakout Sessions
4:30 p.m. - 4:50 p.m. Continue the conversation | Network
5:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Closing + Awards
6:30 p.m. - onward Dinner at Desert Edge Brewery (Everyone will order and pay for their own food and drinks.)

Friday, October 24 | Camp Tours

End your Campference with an inspiring day of exploration! Together, we’ll visit two unique properties to learn about their programs and facilities.

What to bring: a brown bag lunch for our group picnic.

Meeting point: Gather in the Natural History Museum of Utah parking lot between 8:45–9:00 a.m. to load into vans. You’re also welcome to drive yourself—we’ll help coordinate carpools on Thursday during Campference.

Schedule

8:45–9:00 a.m. | Meet at museum parking lot + load into vans
9:30 a.m. | Arrive at Clark Planetarium (110 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101)
9:45–10:45 a.m. | Tour Clark Planetarium Day Camp
10:45–11:45 a.m. | Travel to Camp Tuttle (S Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84121)
11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m. | Tour Camp Tuttle
12:45 p.m. | Group lunch at Camp Tuttle (bring your brown bag lunch!)

"Playnote" Speaker- Tobin Paap

Throughout his 35 years working with young people at summer camps, in classrooms, and in after-school spaces, Tobin Paap has sought balance — balance between solidity and freedom, between learning and unlearning, between work and play. His company provides an array of research-based trainings to strengthen organizational culture by shifting the mindsets and building the skill sets of young people and those who support them. Tobin believes that shared joy and vulnerability build meaningful connections. Through song, dance, and games, his playnote will create a container of relaxed alertness in which participants can engage in the productive struggle of reflection and planning.

Each Local Council of Leaders (LCOL) in the ACA Western Region has set aside funds to help make our Fall 2025 events more accessible. These funds are intended to make professional development more accessible by offsetting registration costs—which, for many events, also include meals and lodging.

Scholarship Form

Eligible Applicants:

ACA members who live or work in the Western Region (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY).

ACA membership is required unless you are a currently enrolled student.
If you’re not yet a member, you can sign up for a free one-year membership at acacamps.org/membership/individuals. Once you receive your membership number, you can return and complete this form.

Previous recipients of Western Region PD scholarship funds are welcome to apply, but first-time applicants may be given priority.

Application Deadlines: Scholarship applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with priority deadlines listed below. We encourage you to apply at least 4 weeks before your event to ensure full consideration.

Northern California Campference (Oct. 14–16): Apply by Sept. 16
Southwest Campference (Oct. 22–24): Apply by Sept. 23
Cascadia Campference (Nov. 3–5): Apply by Oct. 4
Rocky Mountain Fall Conference (Nov. 12–14): Apply by Oct. 14

Applications submitted after the priority date may still be considered if funds remain available. Applicants will be notified a week after the deadline if not before.

Application Tips:

Please complete all questions in the application form.
Be thoughtful and thorough in your response to why you want to attend. This answer carries the most weight in the review process.
Scholarships are meant to support your professional growth and connection within the camp field—don’t hesitate to let us know how this experience will help you lead, learn, and thrive.

Scholarship Form

Southwest Awards

Do you know someone in the Camp World who is doing amazing things? Nominate them for one of the Southwest Awards.

Award Information

It’s professional development with ROI.
This isn't a fluffy retreat—it’s targeted growth. Attendees gain practical tools, strategic insights, and peer-driven solutions they can bring directly back to camp operations, staffing, risk management, programming, and more.
It’s incredibly cost-effective.
At just $150 for three days, registration includes high-quality workshops, a keynote, rich discussions, and guided camp tours. It’s an unbeatable value for meaningful professional development—and a smart investment for any organization.
It helps retain great staff.
Want to keep passionate, talented team members? Invest in their development. Giving your staff space to connect, learn, and be inspired increases loyalty, motivation, and creativity.
It’s a think tank, not a lecture hall.
This isn’t another conference where you just sit and listen. Campference is built for collaboration and real-time problem-solving. Your team member will return energized and ready to lead new ideas.
It’s time to debrief after the busiest season of the year.
Let’s be honest—summer is intense. This gives camp pros the space to reflect, recalibrate, and plan with others who understand what just happened. That kind of processing leads to better strategy, fewer burnouts, and stronger planning for the year ahead.

The Southwest Resource Share

In an industry that’s constantly evolving, we often find ourselves buried in manuals, handbooks, and standard operating procedures. Do you ever wonder what others are doing or wish you could see how their processes are written? Now’s your chance! At the Southwest Campference, we’re introducing a Resource Share where you can explore and exchange policies, procedures, and best practices. Three tables will be set up, focusing on: Overnight Programs, Day Camp Programs, and Facilities & Hospitality.

How the Resource Share Works

If you have manuals, handbooks, or policies that you’re willing to share, simply create a QR code for your document and place it on the front page. Bring one copy of each document to the conference, and they’ll be available on the topic tables for everyone to view. When you find something helpful, scan the QR code to save it for future reference.

What to Bring

Consider sharing materials like summer staff handbooks, employee manuals, retreat center guides, food service manuals, health center standing orders, staff evaluations, emergency policies, job descriptions, or social media policies—anything you think would benefit others.

Creating QR Codes

The easiest way to generate a QR code is to copy the document link from Google, Box, or Microsoft, ensuring it’s set for public viewing. Then use a QR code generator (like Canva or QR Code Generator), add the code to the first page of your document, and print it (or attach the printed code to the front).

For this to work, we encourage everyone to bring at least one document to share!

Perched in the foothills above Salt Lake City, the Natural History Museum of Utah is more than a backdrop—it’s part of the experience.

Housed in the striking Rio Tinto Center, this architectural gem offers panoramic views of the valley, immersive exhibit galleries, and a true sense of wonder. During the Southwest Campference, you’ll have time to explore the museum and spark new ideas for your own camp through nature, science, and culture.

Get ready to connect, learn, and be inspired in a setting that celebrates curiosity and creativity.

Support the camp community while showcasing your brand to engaged youth development professionals from across the region. To learn more about this specific event, click here.