Shocco Springs

What Shocco Springs does

Shocco Springs is a nonprofit Christian conference center operating on a 1,000+ acre campus in Talladega, Alabama, and structured as an entity of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. Founded in 1952 and operating for more than 70 years, the organization provides lodging, meeting spaces, meals, recreation, and audiovisual/event-production services to Christian churches, Baptist-affiliated groups, and nonprofit organizations hosting retreats, conferences, training events, team-building sessions, and summer camps. Its largest venue, the Ricker Worship Center, seats up to 1,200 people, and the campus includes diverse lodging types ranging from hotel-style rooms and private cabins to an RV park with 19 slots and tent camping sites, plus two dining facilities (Bagley Dining Room and Gilbert Dining Hall).

The business runs a direct-to-consumer hospitality model with no intermediaries; groups book events via phone, email, or an online form managed by an in-house sales team led by a Sales and Marketing Division Director. Revenue is generated primarily through event hosting (quote-based venue rental bundled with lodging, dining, and AV support) and supplemented by unit-priced ancillary fees including recreation activities (e.g., $5/person water slide, $25/hour paddle boats), tent camping ($5/person/night), and AV equipment rentals (projectors, sound systems, lighting, staging, microphones, technicians). The pricing structure is fully transactional with no subscription or recurring-revenue layer.

The customer base is concentrated in Christian organizations and nonprofits across the Southeast United States, with named clients including Church at Brook Hills and House of Hope and Restoration Church. The organization operates the Camp Happy Days sub-brand — a free overnight camp for DHR-affiliated and underserved youth ages 9–13, established in 1987 via a Horn Estate donation — which functions as both a mission deliverable and a pipeline for community engagement. Shocco Springs maintains an organizational structure of approximately 11–50 employees organized into functional divisions covering properties, lodging, programming, sales, marketing, IT, food service, finance, HR, guest relations, recreation, AV, retail, housekeeping, and maintenance.

Name

Shocco Springs

Legal name

Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center

Website

https://shocco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shocco Springs is a nonprofit Christian conference center on a 1,000+ acre campus in Talladega, Alabama, hosting retreats, conferences, summer camps, and training events for Christian churches and nonprofit organizations across the Southeast United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Conference and Retreat Venue Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (72121)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Conference Retreat Hotels (THAGALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Resort Convention Hotels (THAGALAC)

Keywords

• Christian conference center
• Religious retreat venue
• Event hosting services
• Youth camp programs
• Hospitality and lodging

Headquarters

HQ city

Talladega

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Hosting Services: Shocco Springs primarily generates revenue by providing lodging, meeting space, recreation, support services and meals for events held by Christian and nonprofit groups. The facility offers comprehensive conference center services including venue rental, food service, AV equipment, and activity programming.
2. Recreation Activities: Revenue generated from recreational activity fees including water slides, paddle boats, and other adventure activities. Activities like Wet Willie Water Slide generate $5 per person or $100 per group, while paddle boats are $25/hour for overnight guests.
3. Camping and Lodging Rentals: Revenue from tent camping ($5 per person per night) and various lodging facilities across the campus.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Shocco Springs is a nonprofit Christian conference center that hosts retreats, training events, team-building activities, conferences, and camps for churches, religious organizations, and nonprofits. The center provides integrated venue services including lodging accommodations, meeting spaces, dining, audiovisual support, and recreation activities on a 1000+ acre campus. It also operates the Camp Happy Days sub-brand, which provides free overnight camp experiences for underserved youth.

Product overview

Shocco Springs is a nonprofit, Christ-centered conference center offering a comprehensive portfolio of services including retreats, training, team building, conference hosting, and summer camp programs across its 1000+ acre campus. The facility provides diverse lodging options (from hotel-style rooms to cabins, RV sites, and tent camping), multiple dining facilities, extensive recreation activities, and professional AV/event services. The integrated service model combines lodging, meeting spaces, meals, and activities to serve Christian and nonprofit groups seeking spiritual renewal and community building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Camp Happy Days: Free overnight camp for kids ages 9-13 currently involved with DHR or who would not be able to have a camp experience otherwise. Established in 1987 through Horn Estate donation.

Products and services

• Retreats Spiritual retreats across 1000+ acres of natural setting, designed for Christian groups seeking solitude, rest, and faith renewal in a dedicated Christ-centered environment.
• Training Events Training events with meeting spaces, audiovisual support, and resources for groups seeking to learn new skills and serve others through faith-based learning experiences.
• Team Building Customized team-building experiences using on-campus activities such as ropes courses, zipline, and paintball to help groups break down personal barriers and develop collective strengths.
• Conference Hosting Conference services combining meeting spaces, lodging facilities, recreation options, and dining choices for groups of any size, integrating retreat, training, and team-building into one hosted event.
• Camp Programs Overnight summer camp experiences serving over 20,000 people during summer months, including worship space, meeting rooms, recreation, and spiritual programming for Christian and nonprofit camps.
• Camp Happy Days Free overnight camp for kids ages 9-13 currently involved with DHR or who would not otherwise be able to attend a camp experience; established in 1987 through a donation from the Horn Estate.
• Lodging Facilities On-campus accommodations including Springview, Oakridge, Mountain Ridge, Rocky Ridge, Shocco Inn, Taylor Lodge, Smith Camp Lodge, Shirey Lodge, Twin Lodge, Bethea Duplex, Wood Duplex, Puckett Lodge, RV Park, and tent camping sites.
• RV Park 19-slot RV park with water, sewer hook-ups, and 50 amp electric connections available to overnight guests.
• Dining Services Freshly prepared meals at Bagley Dining Room (largest, buffet style) and Gilbert Dining Hall (Adventure Camp), with special dietary accommodations available for guests.
• Catering and Banquets Specialized banquet menu for intimate meal options and day-only events, with catering available at Gilbert Dining Hall for smaller gatherings.
• Recreation Activities Year-round and seasonal recreation activities including zipline, ropes course, paintball, fishing, basketball, mini golf, bazooka ball, hiking trails, swimming pool, aqua park, Wet Willie water slide, paddle boats, and volleyball.
• AV/Event Services Audiovisual rental and event support including projectors, sound systems, lighting, microphones, staging, and IT/wifi support for conferences and events.
• The Station Central hospitality hub located in Bagley Center offering retail merchandise, activity tickets, golf cart rentals, and guest assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 20,000+ people annually during summer camp season

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Alabama Baptist State Board of MissionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShocco Springs is an entity of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, who generously provide funding through the Cooperative Program. This organizational relationship provides operational support and access to the Alabama Baptist network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ridgecrest Conference Center (LifeWay Ridgecrest): A Baptist-affiliated conference and retreat center in Ridgecrest, North Carolina offering lodging, meeting space, recreation, and dining for church groups and Christian conferences — directly comparable mission, customer base, and integrated service model.
• Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center: Oklahoma's premier Baptist conference center operated by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, hosting summer camps, retreats, and conferences for Southern Baptist churches — directly analogous faith-based venue with similar scale and denomination-affiliated structure.
• Glorieta Camps: A faith-based camp and conference center in Glorieta, New Mexico providing camps, retreats, and corporate team-building experiences — comparable in bundling lodging, meeting, dining, and adventure recreation for Christian and nonprofit groups.
• Montreat Conference Center: A Presbyterian-affiliated conference center in Montreat, North Carolina offering lodging, meeting space, and programming for faith-based groups and nonprofits — closely comparable integrated service model and religious-affiliated customer base.
• Kanuga Conferences: An Episcopal conference and retreat center in Hendersonville, North Carolina providing lodging, meeting facilities, and recreation on a large wooded campus — directly comparable faith-affiliated conference center with multi-day retreat and camp programming.
• WinShape Retreat: A faith-based retreat center operated by the Chick-fil-A Foundation in Mount Berry, Georgia offering conferences, retreats, and team-building events for churches and nonprofits — comparable mission, target customer base, and integrated hospitality services.
• Cross Roads Camp & Retreat Center: A Presbyterian-related camp and conference center in Oxford, Mississippi providing summer camps, retreats, and conferences — closely comparable faith-affiliated integrated service model and target customer segments.
• Mo-Ranch Assembly: A Presbyterian-affiliated conference center in Hunt, Texas offering lodging, dining, meeting space, and recreation on a riverside property — comparable faith-affiliated retreat and conference operations.

Broad incumbents

• Kalahari Resorts & Conventions: Large-scale indoor water park and convention resort operator (Sandusky OH, Wisconsin Dells, etc.) competing for the broader family retreat and conference market — relevant as a broader incumbent for the recreational conference segment.

Others

• Young Life's Camps & Conference Centers: A faith-based youth organization that operates multiple camp and retreat properties across the U.S. — comparable in faith-aligned retreat programming and integrated lodging/recreation offerings, though operating as a youth ministry rather than a venue-rental business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shoccosprings
• Facebookfacebook.com/shocco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shocco-springs-baptist-conference-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shocco Springs