Innovation and Marketing Camp to Convene in Breckenridge

Aiming to build economic resilience and establish Summit County as more than just a playground in the mountains, CampSight, a three-day marketing and innovation conference, will bring together innovative marketers and brands from Sunday, Sept. 23 through Tuesday, Sept. 25. The event takes place in concert with the Breck Film Fest and Denver Startup Week. Hundreds of attendees are anticipated, with presenters including folks from Meow Wolf, Esquire magazine, Mammoth Lakes Tourism, Airstream, Carhartt, SmartWool, Outdoor Industry Association and award-winning filmmakers Active Interest Media, among others.

The program, inspired by Camp 9600, will include three days of talks, interactive sessions, group bike rides and hikes, as well as hands-on workshops. Learning sessions are focused on influencer marketing, public relations, sales funnels, marketing automation, event activations, employee engagement and social media marketing. Sunday kicks off with a series of conversations and "Brand Camp" workshops that focus on the power of branded film and storytelling, featuring Otterbox, Mammoth Lakes and others. 

CampSight co-founder, Amy Kemp, described the event as "interactive and immersive," in its format. "If you want to spark creativity and have people connect, the best way to do that is outside," she says, adding, "This is not a spectator sport. "Breck is this living laboratory in which we hope people will engage in different ways."

Kemp, also co-founder of Mountaintop Media and Elevate, hopes participants will be "challenged to get out of your comfort zone and push yourself to engage more, learn more and create something during the three days – whether that's a story, a new campaign, new connections or a new idea."

Sans traditional Powerpoint presentations, CampSight sessions will take place in settings such as campfires, local coffee shops, bars and restaurants, and on-campus in the Breckenridge Arts District. 

"The best collaborations and ideas happen when you're outside … outside of a meeting room, outside in the mountains surrounded by fresh air, outside with inspiring views and, most important, with awesome people and their good energy," Kemp says. "Think about the conversations you have around a campfire or sipping a coffee at your favorite coffee shop. It's those deep, meaningful talks with friends sparked by the magic of a special place and time."

Kemp acknowledges Luis Benitez and the Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation as well as Startup Colorado, for connecting all the dots across the state. "There's a tremendous amount of collaboration and generosity that bolsters well-established communities like Denver and Boulder. Now we're asking how do we support the rest of Colorado?"

Thanks to a partnership with Denver Startup Week, Monday's schedule will feature talks with Jennifer Pringle, vice president of marketing and communications for Outdoor Industry Association, artist and activist Sarah Uhl, followed by a livestream of DSW's opening keynote. John Feins of Meow Wolf will close out the day with a fireside keynote. Day three will invite attendees to listen in on a conversation with leadership from Icelantic Skis and Winter on the Rocks.

"What I love about CampSight is that it's a, 'you had to be there,' experience," says Chuck Sullivan, co-founder of Something Independent and a partner in CampSight. "Truly. The stories. The social media. They just don't do justice to being in the mountains in an intimate setting with the best and brightest outdoor inspired-innovators, entrepreneurs and community builders. And if there is picture that paints the 1,000 words of CampSight, that picture [should] be of Amy Kemp."

"The state of Colorado, as a whole, has really been a hotbed, sparking innovation for not just tech, but creative industries, marketing and the outdoor rec industry, of course," Kemp says. "There's just this convergence."