close

Come to Camp

Local News Camp · Durham
Come to Camp!

A unique experience for courageous, ambitious local news leaders. Together, we will get stuff done, have fun, and leave inspired to crush 2027.

Join us for three days in Durham, NC to build your local news business.

October 14–16, 2026Durham, NC
Come to Camp →

Supported by

The Lenfest Institute for Journalism

Meet your Camp partners

NewspackBlueLena
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Get Stuff Done · Have Fun · Leave Inspired
Why Camp?

Why you'll love Local News Camp.

01

The experience.

Camp is designed to be more collaborative, hands-on, and, frankly, human. We've designed every aspect of the gathering—from workshops and campfires to meals and informal conversations—to help local news leaders make better decisions.

02

Get the big things right.

We need to get the big business decisions right. To do that, you'll focus on the biggest, toughest challenges in the local news business.

03

Everybody's in this canoe

You'll talk, work, and explore with leaders who get things done: publishers, editors, CMOs, audience directors, product leaders, and analytics mavens. Attendance is capped to preserve depth, connection, and meaningful exchange.

Outcomes

Crush your 2027 plan.

Participants leave with ideas and relationships that feed directly back into their organizations, including a clear plan for the five trends shaping local news next year.

Come to Camp →
  • 01Building world-class news products.
  • 02Making money with video
  • 03Becoming a marketing machine
  • 04Putting AI to work (for real)
  • 05Making the sale to advertisers and philanthropy
  • + so much more.
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
Three days in Durham

Schedule of events.

Wednesday
October 14
  • BlueLena Summit · 12–6 PM

    Optional half-day gathering of BlueLena publishers.*

  • Newspack Summit · 12–6 PM

    Optional half-day gathering of Newspack publishers.*

  • Evening welcome drinks & snacks · 6 PM

    Boxcar. Pizza. Party. Two hundred people who immediately feel like they've found their people, because they have.

Thursday
October 15
  • Full-day conference

    Sessions and workshops with the people building the business of local news.

  • Afternoon Field Trips

    Camp sends attendees on curated visits to Durham businesses doing something worth studying. Live case studies in what it looks like when local wins.

  • Evening cocktail reception

    Wind down together over drinks.

Friday
October 16
  • Brunch

    Sit down with your new best friends.

  • Campfires

    Small-group conversations on the questions that matter most to your business.

  • Expert-led workshops

    Put your new ideas into motion alongside your new BFFs.

*BlueLena and Newspack publishers get these summits and Local News Camp for only $100, thanks to The Lenfest Institute for Journalism.

Speakers

Meet your Camp Guides.

Candice Fortman
Candice Fortman
Executive in Residence, Blue Engine Collaborative
Cierra Hinton
Cierra Hinton
Director of Development, Blue Engine Collaborative
David Grant
David Grant
General Manager, Partnerships Products & Strategy, Blue Engine Collaborative
Idalmy Carrera-Colucci
Idalmy Carrera-Colucci
General Manager, People, Programs and Operations
Ned Berke
Ned Berke
Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, BlueLena
Samantha Bennet
Samantha Bennet
Vice President of Programs & Operations, BlueLena
More to come

Additional speakers and session leaders announced soon.

Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Testimonials
Can you prove it?

People love Blue Engine events.

Maybe the most valuable event I've attended in the past five years.

It was a nonstop learning experience, surrounded by other passionate local news leaders and market players.

I had so many great takeaways. It was refreshing to attend a conference focused on revenue generators for for-profit orgs!

I left with a lot of action steps that didn't feel overwhelming, because I had already started to put them in motion before leaving.

For You?

Are you a Camp kind of person?

If you have the courage to build an amazing local news business and the ambition to believe it can actually be done, we want you at Camp.

If you believe you'll better understand where to go next in conversation with other brilliant people who don't take themselves too seriously, we want you at Camp.

If you think your 2027 plan will be better with input from dozens of other people on the same journey, we want you at Camp.

You'll leave with unrivaled practical inspiration for your business, a head start on implementing it thanks to experts including Blue Engine coaches, and you'll have a ton of fun with your courageous, ambitious peers.

Buy a ticket →

We're eager to answer your questions. Just email us at Hello@BlueEngineCollaborative.com.

Scenes from Camp

Have fun getting things done.

Real conversations. Long dinners. Working sessions that go somewhere. Camp is hundreds of small moments that add up to a different way of running your business.

Camper laughing during dinner conversation
Two campers in animated conversation over wine
Camper waving and smiling during a working session
Three attendees deep in discussion at the bar
Small group collaborating on laptops
Campers chatting at a lively bar
Group of attendees networking with drinks
Outdoor patio conversation between campers
200+
Operators in the room
3
Days, no fluff
1
Canoe
Come to Camp →
Sponsors

Meet our incredible sponsors.

Presented by
The Lenfest Institute for Journalism
Supported by
Newspack sponsor logo
BlueLena sponsor logo
BERJAYA
Hosted in Durham, NC
Hosted In

Durham, NC

Wed Oct 14, 6:00 PM to Fri Oct 16, 12:00 PM
Come to Camp →
Get Your Ticket

Come to Camp.

October 14–16, 2026 · Durham, NC · Capped attendance.

FAQ

Questions?

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 6:00 PM through Friday, October 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. Durham, NC.