Inside SPARC 2025 with Wild & Wander
Last week, two members of the Wild & Wander team—Jenn Richey Nicholas (CEO) and Lou Stuber (UX Design Director)—headed to sunny Scottsdale, Arizona for the 2025 SPARC National Conference. As an event sponsor, the team showcased Wild & Wander’s custom WordPress theme for camps and auxiliary programs, alongside camp-focused design packages built to help schools and enrichment programs boost enrollment, streamline marketing essentials, and strengthen their brands.
Our Presentation: Prepare for Launch
Jenn and Lou presented “Prepare for Launch: Build Your Camp’s Brand & AI-Powered Marketing Strategy”—a hands-on workshop designed to equip camp and auxiliary program leaders with the tools to build a clear, compelling brand and use AI effectively in their marketing.
Participants were guided through a Brand Strategy Sprint Workshop, learning how to define their camp’s mission, vision, and values while crafting audience-specific messaging and differentiators. Then, they dove into the COSTAR framework—a proven method for writing effective AI prompts aligned with their brand personality and goals.
By the end of the session, attendees left with a customized marketing prompt, a clear understanding of how to train ChatGPT to speak like their camp, and renewed energy to approach the coming season with focus and creativity.
What Attendees Said
“Excellent planning tools to reset our ‘why’ as we plan our new season of camp.”
— Marco, Auxiliary Programs Coordinator, Dallas, TX
“So professional! Outstanding and clear info.”
— Pamela, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Weston, MA
Their feedback captures what we love most about SPARC—connecting with peers who are passionate about delivering meaningful, mission-driven programs and eager to embrace new tools that make marketing smarter and more human.
Why Brand and AI Go Hand in Hand
As we shared in our session, brand strategy is the foundation for every effective marketing effort. Your mission, voice, and audience insights guide every prompt you give to AI—ensuring that your outputs sound authentic, consistent, and on-brand. When paired with structured frameworks like COSTAR, camps can transform AI from a novelty into a trusted creative assistant—helping teams of any size plan campaigns, write emails, and develop enrollment-driving content that feels uniquely theirs.
Our Takeaways from SPARC 2025
- AI is here to stay, but success starts with clarity—knowing who you are and how you communicate.
- Independent school camps and auxiliary programs are increasingly carving out unique brand identities separate from their parent institutions*
- There’s growing excitement around training AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance marketing efficiency, especially among lean seasonal teams.
- Community and collaboration remain the heart of this industry—SPARC continues to be a vital space for shared learning and inspiration.
Want to Bring This Workshop to Your School or Program?
Wild & Wander’s Prepare for Launch workshop can be customized for your leadership team, helping you clarify your brand foundation and set up AI-powered tools that make your marketing smarter, faster, and more aligned with your mission.
Download our presentation session and schedule a discovery call and learn how we can help your camp take off next season.
*Supported by data from SPARC’s Pulse Report on Summer Program Marketing 2024
