The annual Camp Symposium brings together camp leaders from across Black Rock City to connect, learn, and grow. Held every spring, the event helps kick off camp planning for the year and provides camp organizers with important tips and information – from logistics and finances to culture and leadership development.
Check back here as the date gets closer for the latest info about this year’s Camp Symposium. We will post new information as it becomes available.
2026 Camp Symposium
When? March 14, 2026 from 10am-4pm
Where? Online on Zoom
Join us for inspiring breakouts, in-depth spotlight sessions, and a plenary to spark excitement for Black Rock City 2026! More details about specific content, speakers, and schedule to come on this page.
Schedule for the Day
- 10:00-11:00am: Welcome Plenary & Spotlight Presentations
- 11:00-12:15pm: Breakout Workshops
- 12:15-1:00pm: Lunch/Break
- 1:00-2:35pm: Main Plenary
- 2:35-3:05pm: Spotlight Presentations
- 3:00-3:15pm: Break
- 3:15-4:30pm: Breakout Workshops
- 4:30pm: Closing
Plenary
- Making HUBS Work Better
- Weather Resilience
- 2025 Camps in BRC: Stats and Trends
- Innovate Community Participation
- BRC Gate Updates
- Proper Fuel Storage
- DMV’s “Wheel Deal”
- Safety in Camps: Fire Safety, Batteries, Radios, and more!
- BLAST: Green Your Burn
- The PEERS Experience
- The 2025 MOOP Map Worldwide Release
Workshop & Spotlight Descriptions
Come to Your Census! (Census & Data)
Take a deep dive with the Data Masters of BRC to hear how we learn about ourselves so it really was better next year!
Panelist: Maher “Random” Abdel-Sattar from Census
Coming Together, Staying Together (Acculturation)
Coming Together, Staying Together is about how to prepare campers before the event and welcome them effectively once Burning Man begins. We’ll look at setting clear expectations ahead of time, communicating roles and responsibilities early, and creating pre-playa touchpoints that help people arrive feeling informed rather than overwhelmed. From there, we’ll explore practical ways to onboard newcomers during build and early camp life, integrate them into shared work and rituals, and prevent cliques or hierarchy from forming in those critical first days. The focus is on what actually builds belonging from the start.
Panelists: Michael “Dustin” Fasman from Media Mecca, Andy Bauman form Desert Masochist Support Club, Camp Daddio (Jethro Ruthrauff) from Delicioso, and Brian Probst from Awkward & Tawdry Lounge
F* yes! (Consent) & BEDside Manners: Mastering Camp Consent
Get in BED with us. Put your camp on the map by joining the Bureau of Erotic Discourse’s BEDucator Program. Craft a custom policy that fits your camp’s unique vibe. Our online course turns “did-that-just-happen” moments into proactive “Teachable Moments,” moving your neighbors from bystanders to active allies. Show the playa what true radical respect looks like.
Panelists: TFire (Teresa Delfin) of Barbie Death Village, Momo Kellar from Bureau of Erotic Discourse (B.E.D.)
Leave No Trace! (MOOP/LNT)
Your annual update of What was Where?! And the release of the 2025 MOOP map from our very own Dark Angel of Playa! Learn some best practices to make LNT easy for your camp.
Panelist: Dark Angel (DA) of Playa Restoration (“Resto”)
Radical Inclusion with Mobility Camp (Mobility Access)
Accessibility isn’t about the few, it’s for the many! Learn more about resources you can use to help from the Camp that’s making BRC more accessible for everyone!
Panelist: Katy “Bookfairy” Tahja from Mobility Camp
Stuck in the Mud? Extreme Weather Preparedness & Resilience (Weather Resilience)
When unpredictable weather hits the playa, we secure our structures and belongings from getting swept away in the wind and rainstorms. Come engage with other Burners and hear how the experienced are honing their ways to address extreme weather and prepare for it in advance. Find resilience and strength in your community as we all are impacted and need to find ways to move forward together. Tough days never last, but tough communities do!
Panelists: Mindy “Mashiha” Walker from Sloth Sinema, Trey from Orange Heart, Lyndsey from Astrak Outpost, and Mark “Organism” Chang from Playa Piano Bar
Sustainability Recipes (Solar Power)
Transitioning your camp to solar power can happen gradually – and even be easy for camps of all sizes and those not electrically inclined. Come learn how to start or improve your solar system with scalable recipes from R.A.T. (Renewables for Artists) and others!
Panelists: Ken Rehor and Scott Williams from Renewables for Artists
Join us for the post-Symposium Happy Hour!
When? 5:30-7:30pm (immediately after the Symposium)
Where? Burning Man Headquarters in San Francisco!
Meet fellow camp organizers, discuss what you learned, and make connections in person! Space is limited, so sign up today. Tickets are $15. Refreshments and clothing swap provided.