By Mike McCarthy
Did your parents refuse to send you to summer camp for one reason or another as a child? Were you always the one kid on the block that wasn’t at camp while your friends were off having a great time? Well, it’s time that changed. Leave the husband or wife and kids at home, the cellphones at the door and check out CAMP. The life of an entrepreneur or CEO can be stressful and sometimes you just need to put the phone away and enjoy the outdoors, and that’s what CAMP is all about. It’s not just all shooting bows and arrows like Katniss Everdeen or roasting marshmallows over a campfire. At CAMP you will learn skillbuilding and problem solving for your business along with 200 other like minded people. Unlike summer camp as kids, you will be having cocktails with your fellow campers without having to sneak that bottle in.
Started back in 2013 by Sonja Rasula who was recently named one of LA’s Top 10 Most Inspiring Women by The Los Angeles Times, CAMP has been the place to really let yourself unwind and become more personable with others. In 2008, Sonja was best known for her Unique USA events, the world’s largest made-in-America shopping events. Known for her love of seeing people succeed and grow she started CAMP, a creative business conference.
Nowadays our lives revolve around our cellphones, email and living in the digital world that it makes it very hard to build the personal relationships without having a screen of some sort involved in the process. Networking is key to your business and at CAMP you will network with some of the most innovative people in their fields and learn from the best. Attendees come from all over the world and ascend on Big Bear Mountain to experience what has been called, “an experiential business conference like no other.” Here are the top five reasons to make sure you book your next CAMP experience:
1. The Speakers are the campers!
To be a speaker or workshop leader at CAMP you must also be a camper, it’s a requirement. The speakers have been seen at conferences for everything from TED to How to Design and everything in between. No one can know everything about their area of expertise, CAMP can help you learn new ways to do anything from social media or how to attract top talent to your company.
2. Workshops Galore.
Learning at CAMP is fun and games with the best in their fields. Some of the workshops at this Fall’s event include: Sleep your way to the: Advice & Creative Exercises from an Overachieving Narcoleptic; How to Get Ridiculous Press (Without a PR Company); Search Engine Optimization to Sell among others. These are only a few of the many workshops that you will experience at CAMP and better yourself professionally and personally
3. The Full Camp Experience
You are not staying at a 5 Star hotel and spa. At CAMP you experience camp to it’s fullest. The conference takes place at a converted YMCA camp. You may not be sleeping in tents, but you are in bunk beds in same sex cabins. You will not shower outside or use outhouses, there is actual indoor plumbing. Shooting a bow and arrow, making friendship bracelets and doing some polar plunges are just some of the other events that will occur at CAMP, dress appropriately. And what could be more fun than roasting marshmallows while having a few cocktails with the other campers.
4. The Counselors
Every camp has counselors and this one is no different. At CAMP you will find the counselors are just as crazy as the campers. Actor Chris Redman is a staple at the CAMP events and this year his wife and actress Marguerite Moreau will be teaching a class with him. Freerunner and American Ninja Warrior contestant Frosti Zernow can be seen doing spontaneous dance parties and backflips. And Rachel Mae Furman, a leisure expert will be quick to supply you with a mason jar for the much needed cocktail. A camp counselor is liaison to the world of CAMP, and these counselors will turn your weekend into the time of your life.
5. Solidarity
All of the campers are at CAMP for the same reason; to expand their horizons and cut the cord. You will enjoy an internet-free weekend and learn to become more innovative and think outside the box. Technology is important in business, but nothing is as important as being able to have a brainstorming session with your team. The friendships and business contacts you will make at CAMP are just as valuable as the lessons you have learned and will expand your business.
If you are interested in attending the next CAMP experience, check out the website: www.theuniquecamp.com and book it for you and your team. These sell out quickly and for good reason.