ACA, Wisconsin Fall Gathering
Date
Location
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

Cost
Details below.
CECs
4.00Please join us for the Wisconsin Fall Gathering! Join fellow camp and youth development professionals at Easterseals Wisconsin Camp Wawbeek for top-notch education and networking opportunities. The Fall Gathering will feature preconference workshops, camp tours, an interactive workshop, educational breakout sessions, and plenty of networking opportunities.
Call for Proposal - Now Open! We invite you to submit a proposal for the Wisconsin Fall Gathering. Educational breakout sessions are 60 minutes in length. Lectures, interactive presentations, and panel discussions are welcome. The call for proposals closes September 19, 2025.
Awards: Please help us recognize the people and programs doing excellent work in Wisconsin camping by nominating them for an ACA, Wisconsin award. If you know of anyone or any programs that fit one of the categories, show your appreciation by nominating them today! Award nominations are due Tuesday, September 30th.
Pie Auction: Join us for the Wisconsin tradition of buying and donating pies for the Fall Gathering lunch. The pie auction was created to celebrate long-time camp professional and ACA volunteer Duane Hanson. Desserts can be purchased by the piece or by the entire dessert (your family/coworkers will thank you). All monies from the pie auction go toward sending a child to camp.
Save by registering early! Early bird registration is available through September 18, 2025.
Wisconsin Fall Gathering Registration:
- Your registration includes a ticket to the awards dinner on Wednesday and full Thursday conference schedule, including both breakfast and lunch.
- Affordable single and double lodging is available at Camp Wawbeek. See Camp Wawbeek tab for more additional details. Participants are encouraged to register and select their preferred lodging as soon as possible for the greatest selection.
Preconference Event Registrations:
- EPIC Workshop - Your registration includes lunch & networking.
- Camp Tours - Your registration includes exploring two camps + ticket to the awards dinner.
- Executive Workshop - Your registration includes programming & networking + ticket to the awards dinner.
Not an ACA Member? Join today for FREE and get the best rates for this event!
Type | Early-Bird (Ends 9/18) | Standard (Ends 10/16) | Final Wave |
---|---|---|---|
October 29-30, 2025 - Includes Local Camp Tour or Executive Director Workshop, Awards Dinner, & Fall Gathering Registration | |||
Member | $80 | $88 | $97 |
Non-Member | $112 | $123 | $135 |
Additional person from same organization - Member | $68 | $75 | $83 |
Additional person from same organization - Non-Member | $95 | $105 | $116 |
Retiree / Student / Speaker | $60 | $60 | $66 |
October 29 - Wisconsin EPIC Workshop (includes lunch) | |||
Member | $35 | $35 | $40 |
Non-Member | $35 | $35 | $40 |
October 29 - Local Camp Tours Registration or Executive Director Workshop and Awards Dinner (day only) | |||
Member / Non-Member | $35 | $35 | $40 |
October 30 - Fall Gathering Registration (day only, includes awards dinner ticket) | |||
Member | $68 | $75 | $82 |
Non-Member | $95 | $105 | $116 |
Additional person from same organization - Member | $58 | $64 | $70 |
Additional person from same organization - Non-Member | $81 | $89 | $98 |
Retiree / Student / Speaker | $35 | $35 | $40 |
Oct. 29 - Awards Dinner Ticket | $20 | $20 | $20 |
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, October 29th | Preconference Workshops
- 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. EPIC Workshop
- 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EPIC Lunch & Roundtables
- 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Check-in for Camp Tours or Executive Workshop
- 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Executive Workshop
- 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Camp Tours
- Camp Gray
- Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center
- 5:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Wisconsin Awards Dinner
Thursday, October 30th
- 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Check-In & Breakfast Roundtables
- 9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. Welcome to the Wisconsin Fall Gathering!
- 9:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Educational Workshop - Creating Meaningful Connections Utilizing Team Building & Leadership Activities
- 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch & Pie Auction
- 1:00 p.m. - 1:20 p.m. LCOL Announcements
- 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Educational Breakout Sessions
- 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Educational Breakout Sessions
- 3:50 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Thanks for coming!
EPIC Workshop - Wednesday, October 29th | 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
More information coming soon!
Camp Tours - Wednesday, October 29th | 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Camp Gray- Camp Gray is a Catholic summer camp and retreat center that serves over 4,500 people every year with week-long summer camps, guided retreats, and facility rentals. The tour through the property will display the dining hall (built in 2017), gymnasium (built in 2018), and many of our cabin spaces both new and old.
- Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center - Upham Woods, an outdoor learning center managed by the University of Wisconsin - Madison Division of Extension, has been operating since 1941. We serve 10,000 people annually, providing programming aligned with state science standards and offering diverse outdoor recreation opportunities for school, 4-H, scout and conference groups. Join our tour to experience the low ropes challenge course, nature center, dorms/cabins, and our new conference center.
Executive Workshop - Wednesday, October 29th | 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
More information coming soon!
Wisconsin Awards Dinner - Wednesday, October 29th | 5:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
You're invited to an evening of fun and recognition! Help us celebrate the people and programs doing excellent work in Wisconsin camping at the Wisconsin Awards Dinner.
Award nominations for 2025 are open! Show your appreciation and send in your nominations by Tuesday, September 30th.
Brian Kenney is the founder and current owner of Team Extreme. Team Extreme specializes in working with all types of teams, from early childhood to adulthood, to assist them in improving their leadership skills and abilities to harness team cohesion. For over 25 years, Brian has been traveling to schools throughout Wisconsin, creating an environment where teams come together through activities and conversations to grow and succeed. He is very focused on increasing human connections within schools and communities. Brian also cares deeply about inclusion, equity, and diversity. He retired from teaching special education after 25 years in 2022.
Fall Gathering Workshop - Creating Meaningful Connections Utilizing Team Building & Leadership Activities
Developing meaningful and purposeful connections to others is crucial to being a good team player. Learn to connect to others while working on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Learning the value of connecting with others will increase your leadership skills and allow you to maximize team performance. This session will involve hands-on small and large group activity sessions to develop strong team-building and leadership skills. This workshop will be mostly hands-on activities with some informative and instructional material. This is a very activity-focused session with lots of movement and intense focus on bodily-kinesthetic awareness.
Easterseals Wisconsin is located on 400 beautiful and wooded acres near the Wisconsin Dells.
Lodging
Affordable lodging is available at Easterseals Wisconsin. More information is coming soon!
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 Fall Gathering 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.
Sponsorship opportunities:
- $3,000 Title Sponsor*
- $2,000 Keynote sponsor*
- $1,500 Meal sponsor*
- $2,000 Awards Dinner Sponsor*
- $1,000 Session sponsor
- $500 Snack/Break sponsor
All sponsorships come with a table, and logo recognition on signage at the event, and the events web page.
Sponsorships with an (*) also include two minutes to address the participants.
Please contact Kim Fitzgerald, [email protected] with any sponsorship inquiries.
Event Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsoring an ACA event will extend your brand identity and marketing capabilities. For questions regarding sponsorship opportunities, contact Kim Bruno.