Camp Rahh: summer Camp for Adults 
My Role: Co-Founder, Head of Marketing, Project Management and Ops
Time on Project: September 2014 - September 2017
Counterparts: Fellow Co-Founders with function of Design, Sales, Partnerships, and Guest Relations
Deliverables: Marketing and Brand Strategy, Project Execution, Management of Personnel, Onsite Event Management
In 2014, four friends and I started Camp Rahh as a response to what we felt was a dire need for a new type of experience in the Pacific Northwest.
We saw the lack of human connection that came from technology addiction and a reliance on substances to feel social. So while holding our full-time jobs in Seattle tech companies, we crafted an experience that not only entertained attendees, but brought them back to a simpler time: being a kid again. And so Camp Rahh was born! (P.S. you can read a full story about how Camp came to be in a story I penned for Do206. )
We originally launched the event as a kickstarter campaign, and it went from a a little idea that could to being covered in national press, including in USA Today.
Attendees are able to enjoy Camp Rahh just as they enjoyed summer camp as kids with the amenities they desire as an adult. They stay in beautiful cabins, have camp counselors, can go horseback riding - but also get to eat gourmet meals prepared by a renowned Seattle chef, can take meditation courses, and even see live concerts from local musicians. The caveat? There is no technology, networking, alcohol, or drugs allowed. A full detox from every day life.
As a co-founder and head of marketing and project management, I was responsible for ensuring all programming, design and marketing efforts were seamless. I handled the overarching strategy, but be because we were a small team, I was usually taking care of the execution too. I not only collaborated regularly with my fellow core planning team, but also the counselors, instructors and onsite staff that supported in the execution of the event. Since this rotated each year, it meant building trust and clear communication with a new group of folks each year.
One the biggest challenges we faced was balancing our work load. We all had full time jobs and planned Camp on the side. As part of my role, I mitigated this by creating workflows with basecamp and other PM programs, enabling us to work asynchronously. We also met IRL once a week in the evenings, which helped us catch up on important topics leading up to the camp each year. Communication ended up being the key to our success. We had to build trust with one another that tasks would get done - and also rely on each other for support when other commitments were taking up too much bandwidth. In the end, it made us a stronger, more collaborative team. And - it also made us better at our FTE jobs!
Another challenge: getting people sold on Camp! An adult Summer Camp was not an easy concept for folks to grasp at first. And because we were “just” five good friends putting it on, we had a lot of people worried it was a scam. We had to give people a reason to trust us. We leaned into experiential marketing; instead of just telling poeple about what they could do at camp, we showed them! We did pop up events at local shops where folks could do candle making, see live music performances or meet people in a sober environment. We also collaborated with well-known brands that built brand trust. And we reached out to bloggers who were willing to promote the event to their followers in exchange for a ticket. These actions together helped us build a solid reputation in the first year, enough for folks to take the leap and join in. After the first year - and once we had content and testimonials about the experience, it was much easier to sell. Since the first year, Camp Rahh has sold out almost every year.
The Result: Camp Rahh changed my life - and the lives of many others. It is now one of the premium adult camp experiences in the world, still running today in the Pacific Northwest. Being a part of the team that made this event a reality is one of the biggest joys of my life.
Though conventional wisdom says you’re not supposed to go into business with friends, that is why we worked well together - it wasn’t just a business for us. Camp Rahh was a way for us to give back to the community that raised us - the one that taught us to appreciate the arts, to think about the impact we can have on each other, our friends, and the city at large.
If you’re interested in attending Camp Rahh, being a partner or sponsor (or are curious about launching it in your city) check out the website or shoot the team an email: hello@camprahh.com.
