Who is this for?

It might be for you.

"Who is this for?" is the primary question I've been asked about Make.Do.Camp. And any good marketer will tell you that a defined demographic will earn you more interest because you can speak directly to that group's needs and desires.

But I'm taking a leap of faith here. I'm setting the stage, booking the speakers and designing a format (with Brave Space) for a creative, off-grid business conference in such a way that I hope people will respond to it like a ball of clay. What do you want it to be? What could it mean to you? What do you need? 

The setting is Big Cove YMCA in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. It's the oldest overnight camp in Canada. The sun sets over the water and the bay is as warm as it is in North Carolina. The cabins are rustic and campers will sleep in bunks. The meals will be family-style at giant tables in the main hall. There will be canoes to paddle, hikes to take and high ropes courses to challenge you. This is not for everyone, but it might be for you.

The buses to camp will depart Halifax on Friday, September 2 and will return on Monday, September 5. This will mean the majority of campers will enter this adventure together with a road trip - like a class trip - and leave their cars at home. That means campers will be in cabins, in the woods, by the ocean and fireside for 72 hours without needing to go anywhere else. This is not for everyone, but it might be for you.

The speakers are diverse - from an award-winning architect to a community activist, a theatre actor to an engineer, an innovation specialist to a storyteller - the range of knowledge and experience is vast. The goal is to talk about how we do what we do, why we do it and how we make change so that we may learn from one another in a way that we cannot learn from those in our own field of work or study. This is not for everyone, but it might be for you.

The event is tech-free. That means at the beginning of the camp, you will put your cell phone in a little bag and say goodbye to it until the end. (Listen to how CAMPers in California dealt with this.) There will be no internet. There will be no Power Points. You will take notes with a pen and paper. You will have nothing buzzing in your pocket. This is not for everyone, but it might be for you.

The event is alcohol-free. This is a requirement of the YMCA and I decided it was a good thing. I'm not against drinking, but I do know the pleasure of a deep, sober sleep after a long day in the sun, water and forest. I also know that it can be challenging for people to socialize without alcohol, but that's why we have expert facilitators in place to ease you along. We will all be in the same boat. This is not for everyone, but it might be for you.

I know this will be a tough sell for some. For others, they get it right away and know it's exactly what they need and want - even though their reasons for signing up are completely different. For those who cannot afford the cost, I am working to find sponsors who will help make spots available to those who will benefit greatly from the experience, but do not have the resources to take part.

Take a look. Ask me questions. Who is it for? It might be for you.

Website: makedocamp.ca
Twitter: @make_do_camp
Instagram: make.do.camp
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