Preparing for Camp Season 2025: Seamless Setup & Sales!

Rosita Bradham

Camp season is just around the corner, and ensuring a smooth registration process is key to creating a seamless experience for families and staff alike. During our recent session, Achieving Camp Success: Seamless Setup and Sales with Blackbaud Altru®, we explored best practices for configuring camps, managing registrations, and maximizing efficiency. Here’s a recap of key takeaways and the next steps to set your camp up for success in 2025.Key Decisions for Camp Registration

Before diving into setup, start by asking:

• Will you offer registration online? Online registration simplifies the process for families and reduces administrative workload.
• What information do you need to collect? Gather essential details like camper age, emergency contacts, allergies, and preferences while keeping the form user-friendly.
• What options or add-ons will you provide? Consider extras like early drop-off, late pick-up, or meal plans.
• Will there be discounts? Member discounts and early-bird pricing can incentivize early registration.

Multi-Day Event Packages vs. Single Scheduled Events

When setting up camps in Altru, you have two primary options:

• Multi-Day Event Packages: Best for tracking attendance across multiple days, reserving locations, and offering flexible scheduling.
• Single Scheduled Events: Ideal when daily attendance tracking isn’t needed. Works well when listing only the first day of camp online for registration.

If using event packages for the first time, start fresh with a new Scheduled Program and limit each package to 10 events for easier management.

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Building Programs and Events

For camps with multiple age groups or themes, structure your events efficiently:

• Create separate Scheduled Programs for each age group (e.g., Barracudas for 1st–2nd graders, Sharks for 3rd–4th graders).
• Assign themes at the package level (e.g., Ocean Week or Everglades Week).
• Name events consistently for clarity, like *Barracudas Grades 1-2: Ocean Week 1*.

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Enhancing Registration & Pricing Flexibility

• Collecting the Right Information: Ensure registration forms capture necessary details without being redundant. Avoid overwhelming parents with too many fields.
• Custom Pricing & Add-ons: Offer structured pricing for early drop-off, late pick-up, and meal plans. Keep pricing simple to prevent confusion.
• Discounts & Pre-Sales: Set up automatic member discounts and allow members to register before the general public through a pre-sale period.

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Managing Waitlists, Waiting Room & Attendance

When camps sell out, waitlists ensure interested families can be contacted if spots open up. Though handled manually in Altru, partner solutions like XtruLink add value with automated wait room functionality.

For attendance tracking, use:

Preregistered Program Rosters for printable attendance sheets.

Mobile Check-In via Altru to streamline daily tracking.

Tracking Revenue & Performance

Ensure you’re capturing valuable insights with reports like:

Total Revenue and Payments Report – Provides an overview of all camp sales.

Program Revenue Report – Tracks revenue and ticket sales per camp.

By using these tools effectively, you’ll not only simplify camp operations but also create a seamless experience for families, ensuring a successful camp season in 2025!

Want to watch the presentation? Click here.

Need more guidance? Explore our knowledge base or connect with your Customer Success Manager!