ACA Winnekota Leadership Summit

Date

March 17-18, 2027

Location

University of Wisconsin - River Falls
University Center
River Falls, WI 54022

Cost

See pricing below.

CECs

6.50

Plan to join fellow camp and youth development professionals for top-notch education and networking opportunities at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in River Falls, WI. Bring yourself, your full-time teams, and your seasonal leaders to this can't miss leadership summit. It promises to get you fired up for summer 2027!

Call for Proposals

The conference planning team is now accepting dynamic and relevant breakout sessions. Lectures, interactive presentations, and panel discussions are welcome. Submit a session today and help us build a program that educates, connects, and sparks ideas. The deadline to submit is January 8, 2027.

Submit a session proposal

Registration coming in November!

Your registration includes the full conference program, lunch on Thursday, networking events, and lunch on Friday.
Not an ACA member? Join today for FREE and get the best rates for this event!
Scholarships are available! Please reach out to [email protected] for more information.

Consultants may not self-promote at the conference and must register under the consultant rate unless they are a confirmed speaker at the conference.

Type	Early-Bird	Regular	Final Wave
Member	$190	$209	$229
Non-Member	$260	$286	$314
Additional person from same Organization - Member	$138	$151	$166
Additional person from same Organization - Non-Member	$188	$206	$226
Consultant Member	$332	$332	$332
Consultant Nonmember	$455	$455	$455
Speaker	$108	$108	$118
Student / Seasonal Staff	$108	$108	$118

Understanding Registration Pricing:

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

Early Bird: Lock in the best rate by registering early! You'll get the lowest price and the best deal.

Standard: This is our standard registration rate, available after the Early Bird period ends.

Final Wave: Begins two weeks before the event and includes onsite registration.

As the conference gets closer our team is finalizing all the details, including meal numbers, room setups, and materials. Our host site needs final numbers well in advance of the event. We are always happy to welcome last minute registrations when possible. Registering early helps us serve everyone better!

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 - Preconference

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Preconference Workshops
6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. EPIC Social

Wednesday, March 17, 2027

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Conference Check-In
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Welcome to Winnekota!
11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Opening Playnote
12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. Lunch & Exhibit Hall
1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Educational Breakout Session #1
2:40 p.m. - 3:40 p.m. Educational Breakout Session #2
3:40 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Exhibit Hall
4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Educational Breakout Session #3
6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Networking & Conference Social

Thursday, March 18, 2027

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Kindred Group Meetups
10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Educational Breakout Session #4
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Lunch
12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. Educational Breakout #5
1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Closing Keynote
2:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Closing Message

Information coming soon!

Check out all the great sessions from 2026! Check back in spring 2027 for a full schedule.

Competition is Not a Bad Word!
Setting Yourself Up for Year Round Fundraising in the Summer
Emergency Preparedness at Camp: Beyond the Dusty Binder
Infusing Environmental Education into your Camp Program
Resilience Building at Camp
Projects on a Nickel
Coaching Gen Z to Success!
Feedback that Fuels: Reframing Staff Evaluations into Growth Conversations
So...Your Shop Just Burned Down. Now What?
Were we Lucky, or Were We Good? Everyday Debriefing to Improve Risk Management
If They Can, I Can Too! Fostering First-Gen Retention through Representation
Reimagining Camp Leadership: How to Make Your Camp Not Suck
Camp Concierge: Elevating the Parent Experience
Leave No Trace at Camp
Innovative STEM: Designing High-Impact, Low-Prep STEM Experiences for Camp Programming & Staff Training
Know Your Why
2025 ACA Crisis Hotline: Lessons Learned for Camps
Beyond Good Camp: Creating Optimal Youth Experiences
Staffers Unite: Enriching Your Camp Culture
Your Camp Game Expansion Pack!
It Gets the People Going
Grant Writing 2.0: Through the Reviewer's Lens
Songs on the Move: Using Camp Songs and Ambulators to Build Energy, Connection, and Culture

The Winnekota Leadership Summit will be held at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls in the University Center. The University Center is in the heart of campus and is a vibrant and welcoming gathering place where meaningful connections and lasting memories are made.

Hotel Information

Lodging arrangements will need to be made on your own. There are many hotel options that you can check out between River Falls, Wisconsin and Hudson, Wisconsin.

1. It's Professional Development With a Return on Investment (ROI)

Attendees gain practical tools, strategic insights, and peer-driven solutions they can bring directly back to camp operations, staffing, risk management, programming, and more.

2. It's Affordable

Quality professional growth without the high price tag. The Leadership Summit is one of the most budget-friendly ways to build staff capacity and bring fresh, actionable ideas back to camp.

3. It Helps Retain Great Staff

Want to keep passionate, talented team members? Invest in their professional development. Giving your staff space to connect, learn, and be inspired increases loyalty, motivation, and creativity.

4. Bring Back Ideas, Tools, and Renewed Vision

You'll return not only with new strategies and best practices - but also with renewed clarity about why we do this work and how to do it better. Your team benefits from that kind of energy and direction.

5. It's Time to Debrief and Grow After the Busiest Season of the Year

Let's be real - summer at camp is nonstop. This gives camp pros the space to pause, reflect, and regroup alongside people who truly get it. That time to process, share lessons, and reset leads to clearer strategy, renewed energy, and stronger planning for the year ahead.

Exhibits

Member booth $400

Exhibit Hall Schedule - Wednesday, March 17

The exhibit hall will be open at 12:00 p.m. and throughout the conference! Participants will be able to visit in between sessions and during unopposed exhibit hall time.

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Exhibitor Setup
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Unopposed Exhibit Hall Time and Lunch
3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Unopposed Exhibit Hall Open
4:30 p.m. Exhibitor Tear Down

Sponsorship opportunities

$3,000 Title Sponsor*
$2,000 Keynote sponsor*
$1,500 Meal sponsor*
$1,000 Session sponsor
$500 Snack/Break sponsor

Sponsorships with an (*) come with a booth and two minutes to address the participants.

Register to Exhibit

A Quick Note About Registration: ACA has launched a new exhibitor registration platform! When you click the link, you'll see the ACA National Conference floor plan in the background.

Registering for a Winnekota Event only? No need to select a booth on the map! Simply choose your registration type below the map, then click “Skip Map” to continue to checkout.

Please contact Kim Fitzgerald, [email protected], with any sponsorship inquiries.