The 13th International Camping Congress (ICC2026) will bring together practitioners, thinkers, and changemakers from across the global camp and experiential education community. Rooted in the field, carrying warmth, and driving transformation, they represent the vital forces shaping the future of camping education. The ICC2026 speaker lineup features distinguished industry leaders, dynamic youth representatives, and inspiring young voices—together with our participants, they will create a diverse, authentic, and thought-provoking exchange of ideas.
Industry Leaders
Among them are founders, program directors, and scholars who have dedicated decades to advancing the camp and outdoor education profession, alongside seasoned practitioners from related fields such as educational innovation, psychology, outdoor sports, and organizational management. With years of hands-on experience and well-developed methodologies, they will share actionable, replicable, and in-depth insights that combine theory with practice.
| Name (Nationality) | Bio | Speech Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Keynote Speech | ||
| Henry DeHart (USA) | President, American Camp Association (ACA) | Global Campfire: Sharing Wisdom, Sparking Futures |
| Gabrielle Rail (Canada) | Co-Founder, "Women in Camp Summit" & "Thanks to Camp" | #ThankstoCamp |
| Jeff Bradshaw (Canada) | Vice President, International Camping Fellowship | ICF Awards Presentation |
| David Strickland (Australia) | Executive Officer, Sport and Recreation CampsExecutive Officer, Sport and Recreation Victoria, Australia | Partnering for Impact: An Australian Story of Camping, Education and Community |
| Pep Esteve (Spain) | Emotional Educator and Head of the Corporate Area La Granja Ability Training Center | Beyond Fun: How Camps Can Train Emotional Wellbeing Through Science and Play |
| Igor Dinner (Russia) | PhD(Economics), Associate Professor of the Faculty of Economics, Psychology,and Management, Dostoevsky Omsk State University | REVERSE MENTORSHIP and Intergenerational Communication as the Foundation of Effective Camp Management |
| Alexander Dzheus (Russia) | Camp Director, All-Russian Children's Center "Orlyonok" | Oases of Humanity: raising Generation Alpha in the Age of Algorithms |
| Heena Patel (India) | Deputy Director –CARS(Centre Advanced Research Studies)Ganpat University, India | From Camps to Catalysts: Transforming Youth Development Through Research, Innovation, and Global Collaboration |
| Parallel Workshop | ||
| Jim Cain (USA) | Author & Facilitator, Teamwork & Teamplay | World Class Teambuilding and Facilitation |
| Carolina Fleix Wright (Spain) | Co-Owner and Director, English Summer S.A. | Why the Best Camps Are Felt, Not Explained |
| Kiky Reski Amrullah (Indonesia) | Camp Director, Green Camp Bali | "Beyond" Sustainability: How to Integrate Regenerative Learning in Outdoor Education |
| Polina Eletskaya (Malaysia) | Co-Founder & Camp Director, Embassy Camp | What It Really Takes to Scale an International Camp: Systems, Structure and Hard Lessons |
| Alisher Makhmudov (Uzbekistan) | Vice President, the Asian Pacific Camping Association (APCA) | Architecting Childhood Happiness: How Investing in Camps Rebuilds a Nation's Operating Logic |
| Natalia Solovei (Russia) | Director, Russian Children's Center "Ocean" | Patriotic Education as an Open System |
| Xenia Bezhenar (Russia) | International Program Director, Robin Hood Camp | Camp Management Internship Training: Look at Your Camp with Different Eyes |
| Tennant Kiu (Singapore) | Founder & Camp Director, Singapore Adventure & Leadership Training Pte Ltd | Activities Begin the Journey, Facilitation Shapes the Growth |
| Jorge Meizner (Mexico) | CEO & Camp Director, Lago Y Tierra | From Fun to Impact: Designing Camp Experiences That Truly Transform |
| Jeff Bradshaw (Canada) | Vice President, ICF (International Camping Fellowship) | ICF Past, Present and Future |
| Sarah Vanasse (Canada) | Coordinator, Camp Tawingo Outdoor Centre | The Magic of the All-Camp Gathering: Intentional Leadership That Shapes Camp Culture |
| Fahrettin Gozet (Turkey) | President, ICF (International Camping Fellowship) | Selling the Concept of Camp in a Country without Camp Culture |
| Irina Serebriakova (Russia) | Commercial Director, ProstoLeto (Moscow Region) | International Cultural Experience |
| Zoya Lavrentyeva (Russia) | Professor, Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, Institute of History, Humanities and Social Education, Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University | Axiological Foundations of Education in Temporary Children's Communities |
| David Berkey (USA) | Project Manager, Inside Out / UMCRM | Spirituality and the Camp Experience: Identifying and Fostering Meaningful "God Moments" for Campers and Staff |
| Kaory Rios (Mexico) | Film Producer and Director, Esfera de Cristal | From Camp to the Big Screen: A Work-in-Progress Documentary |
| Steve Haines (USA) | President & CEO, Advantage-USA | People Over Product: Unlocking the True Value of Summer Camps Through Social-Emotional Growth |
| Federico Rivero (Venezuela) | Logistics & Staff Coordinator, La Lanada | Making Every Moment an E.P.I.C Experience! |
| Pablo Casas Alastriste (Mexico) | Founder & CEO, Kin Camp | The Thank You Economy |
| Andrey Bereznikov (Russia) | Chairman, the Association of Program Camps (Russia) | Maintaining Energy: Key Tasks for Leaders to Prevent Burnout among Camp Counselors (Based on the Research by the Association of Program Camps, Russia) |
| Oksana Savelieva (Russia) | Leading Specialist in Scientific and Methodological Work, Children's Health and Education Complex (educational institution of PJSC "MMK") | A Structured Multi-Level Training Program for Children's Camp Counselors |
| Elena Filkina (Russia) | Director, Educational Center "Smart" | Crafting Perfection: The Hidden System of a Great Camp |
| Juan Mario Gutierrez (Colombia) | Founder & Director, Camp Kayuali | Camp Doesn't Need More Counselors |
| Larisa Shilova (Russia) | President, the "We Are Together" Association of Recreation and Health Improvement Organizers (Tyumen Region) | Development of Public and Children's Diplomacy: Examples and Prospects for International Cooperation |
| Svetlana Petrova (Russia) | General Director, LLC "Children's Creative Center "Pioner" | Program Diversity in Children's Camps: Traditional Practices and Trends |
| Vikhareva Tamara & Utesheva Nailia (Russia) | Vikhareva Tamara – Internet Marketing Specialist; Utesheva Nailia – Deputy Head, Children's Health Complex "Burevestnik" | From Celebration to Sustainable Dialogue |
| Kurt Podeszwa (Canada) | President & CEO, Camp Aranzazu | Beyond "Disability": Designing Camp Experiences for Children with Disabilities and Chronic Illness |
| Rayyan Affan Bin Basir (Singapore) | Lead, Special Educational Needs Program, TOUCH Adventures | Adventure Without Barriers |
| Elena Zhivoglyad, Anastasiia Gorokhova & Anna Mamykina (Russia) | Elena Zhivoglyad – First Deputy Director; Anastasiia Gorokhova – Head of the Department for International Relations Development; Anna Mamykina – Head of the children's camp "Lesnoy", the International Children's Center Artek | The Artek Mission in a Multipolar World |
| Valeriy Dolgikh (Russia) | President, Russian Camp Association | Camp & Government: A Russian Model of Systemic Partnership for Sustainable Youth Development |
| Gabrielle Rail (Canada) | Co-Founder, "Women in Camp Summit" & "Thanks to Camp" | The Power of Women in Camp |
| Teresa Tucker (USA) | Risk Consultant, The Redwoods Group | S'mores, Stories, and Safety: Risk Management Tales from 2025 |
| Steve Haines (USA) | President & CEO, Advantage-USA | Leadership in Motion: Games That Build Trust, EQ, and Community |
| Jane McCutcheon (Canada) | President, Think Muskoka Consulting | Fifty Years of Experience – If I Could Do It All Over Again |
| Andrea Veloz Blanco (Venezuela) | Owner & Camp Director, MG Campamento | 7 Keys for Talent Attraction and Retention |
| Sarah Vanass & John Jorgenson (Canada) | Camp Tawingo Outdoor Centre | The Power of Singing Together: Intentional SingSong Leadership |
| Artem Boltyan (Russia) | the International Children's Center Artek | Profile Tourism Squad in International Children's Centers |
| Natalya Goncharova (Russia) | the International Children's Center Artek | The Camp Psychological Service as a Driver of the Educational Program: From Crisis Intervention to Developmental Pedagogy |
| Valeriya Shuvalova (Russia) | the International Children's Center Artek | Specialized pedagogical squads as a tool for patriotic education of adolescents in a children's camp setting |
| Sanpi (China) | Founder of Solar Energy & Wild Hero | The New Mission of Outdoor Education |
| Yang Qi (China) | Founder & Brand Director of Camp Cedar | Camps: Children's Second Home, a Catalyst for Family Parenting — Our Vision for the Future of Camp Education |
| Wang Shu (China) | Founder of INDIGO ERA | Mindful Wisdom in Camp Education: A New Paradigm for the Internationalisation of Chinese Local Education |
| Zhou Kang (China) | General Manager,Max.Pioneer Camp | Camp-plus in China, Ten Years — Urban-Rural Camp Planning, Construction & Operation Since the 2016 Study Tour Policy |
| Qian Fangyang (China) | Director , International Business of DS Jungle Race | International Songs and Games |
| Liu Xin (China) | Founder of Xinran Fun Study TourPioneer in the 0-1 implementation of community-based research and learning in China | The "Community+" Model: New Traffic and Income for Traditional Camps |
| Wang Yong (China) | Founder & CEO of Hope InsuranceSpecialist in risk management for culture, sports and tourism enterprises | Global Camp Industry Risk Analysis |
| Guo Ji (China) | Co-Founder and CEO of Unionplus International Travel (Beijing) Co., Ltd. | Empowering Family Education Through Broad-| Spectrum Camp Education |
| Song Qing (China) | CEO,Sichuan Xiao Jiao Ya Happy Learning Education | All-domain Study Tour Era: New Incubation Models for Camp Education, Government-Enterprise Partnership & Full-chain Closed-loop, Practices from Tianfu Science-focused Study Tours |
| Li Jinghui (China) | Founder & CEO of YMCE Camps | The Impact of Outdoor Sports on Youth Development |
| Liu Shenghai (China) | Founder of Camp Education Online | Post-Camp Traffic Operations and Value Monetization |
| Chen Yanyan (China) | Founder of Beijing Star Knight | From Winter-only to Year-round: A Decade Review and Future Growth Logic of China's Youth Skiing Sector |
| Li Xiaohuan (China) | Chairman of BSCGeneral Manager of Vanhang Sailing | The Educational Functions of Sports Camps |
| Yan Guoqing (China) | Chairman, Inner Mongolia JU ZHI YI Study & Travel Co., Ltd. | How AI Empowers Camps for Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement |
| Ji Dawei (China) | Chairman, Start Camp (Beijing) Education Technology Co., Ltd. | Exploring the Path of Camp Education in China |
| Zhang Weifeng (China) | OVEP Educator, International Olympic Committee (IOC) | Leverage Resources from the General Administration of Sport of China to Boost the Robust Development of Youth Camps |
| Zhao Chao (China) | Founder & CEO of Life of Naturalist | How to Operate Nature-Education Centers Sustainably |
| Zhou Rusheng (China) | Chairman of Shaoxing Keqiao Kuaijishan Study Tour Culture Development Co., Ltd. | Deep-diving into the Core of Three-Competency Education for Diversified and High-Quality Camp Development |
| Wang Yongtao (China) | Director of Wisdom Camp Research Center | Strengthen Camp Safety Barriers: Build an Emergency Rescue System for Youth Camp Settings |
| Yi Li (China) | Vice President, BONSKI | Operation and Management of Camps at Indoor Ski Resorts |
| Hu Xiaoyang (China) | Founder, IDEAS Camp Learning Center | presenters.table1-row68-c |
| Hu Xiaoyang, Cao Peijie, Li Songwei & Ye Xunqian (China) | Education Experts | In the AI Era, How Camps Can Achieve Synergistic Development across Education, Psychology, Brain Science and Intelligent Agents |
| Research Forum | ||
| Masako Harigaya (Japan) | Founder & President, Deaf Adventure Camp | Turning "Teaching" into "Living Together": Mutual Growth Through Inclusive Camps |
| Irina Lotova (Russia) | Founder, Great Change Camp | It's Business, but It's Personal: Culture, Succession & Leadership in Contemporary Camps |
| Jacob Waiswa (Uganda) | Founder & Executive Director, Integrated Mental Health Initiative – International | Outdoor Camping as Socioculturally Informed Trauma Care: A Pathway for Mental Wellbeing and Substance Abuse Prevention among Young Adults in Kampala, Uganda |
| Fr Mark Obayi (Nigeria) | Board Member, Lanlate Youth Initiative | How Lanlate Youth Camp Sparked a Vision in a Region Where Organised Camping Is Not Yet Recognised or Funded by Government |
Note: More guests are being added, stay tuned for updates.
Youth Leader Representatives
As a rising force for social transformation, they may be young entrepreneurs, camp leaders, international project coordinators, or outstanding individuals who have achieved remarkable personal growth through camp experiences. Bringing fresh perspectives, cross-disciplinary projects, and resilient real-life stories, they embody the spirit of the new generation—bridging tradition and innovation while sharing their vision for change.
| Name (Nationality) | Bio | Speech Topic |
|---|---|---|
| ILIANA TOLIDOU (Greece) | Delphicamp | As a Coordinator, How Can Someone Win Their Team's Trust and Work Around Common Problems That May Arise? |
| Valentina Slyadnikova (Russia) | Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution "International Children's Center Artek" | The Ecosystem of Children's Recreation at the ICC Artek: Cultural and Educational Effectiveness of International Cooperation |
| Darina Mashutina (Russia) | Federal State Budgetary Educational Establishment "Russian Children's Centre "Orlyonok" | In the Rhythm of Friendship: Dance and Song in Camp Counsellor Work |
| Daria Liusina (Russia) | Federal State Budgetary Educational Establishment "Russian Children's Centre "Orlyonok" | Excitement and Ingenuity: Board Games in a Camp |
| Kira Gavrilova (Russia) | Federal State Budgetary Educational Establishment "Russian Children's Centre "Orlyonok" | Russian Folk Games: A Bridge Between Cultures |
Note: More guests are being added, stay tuned for updates.
Young Voices
We believe that listening lies at the heart of education. That is why we invite teenagers from diverse cultural backgrounds to step onto the ICC2026 stage. They will share stories of transformation through camp, their hopes and reflections on education, and their visions for the future. Understanding young people is, after all, the true starting point of education.
Applications to become a session presenters at ICC2026 remain open! If you are ready to share your expertise, your story, and your actions, we welcome you to become one of the voices of ICC2026.