Zapier Outpost: Desert Glamping Retreat

What's the play

Fly a small group of the most influential creators in your space to a stunning, slightly unfamiliar place for a few days of hiking, meals, s'mores, and a hackathon. They make content the whole time, and the relationships compound for years after.

What was the alternative?

Sponsoring another webinar or a booth that creators forget by Monday.

Results / what moved

Zapier flew 20 of the best AI, automation, and content creators to a glamping retreat near Zion, 'Zapier Outpost,' pitched half-jokingly as a cult in the desert or 'Burning Man in shell jackets.' Over three days they hiked, shot content, ran a hackathon, and the creators posted it all, turning an amazing trip into reach outside their audience and lasting relationships.

Cost breakdown

Travel, glamping, and food for a small group..not cheap, but worth it

Time to pull off

Months to plan, a few days to run

Would you run it again?

Yes. Zapier ran a second Outpost and treats it as a preview of how brands and creators will collaborate.

Steps

1. 1

   Pick a tiny but mighty guest list

   Invite around 20 of the most influential, open, and generous creators in your space. Make sure you pick the people that are a good hang.

2. 2

   Choose a beautiful place

   Take them somewhere stunning and just unfamiliar enough to spark new thinking, like a glamping retreat near a national park.

3. 3

   Give them things to do together

   Hikes, meals, s'mores, and a hackathon so the content and relationship don't feel forced.

4. 4

   Give them easy content

   The creators documenting the trip is a huge piece of the return on the event, so make everything worth taking pictures of.

Notes

Obsess over who is in the room, since a small group of the right open, generous people beats a big list. Pick a beautiful location and just unfamiliar enough to spark new thinking. Give them real things to do together, like a hackathon, so the content and bonds are genuine. Make it easy for the creators to post it.

Receipts

Ryan Quindlen's 'cult in the desert' postDenise Hibbard on the event designDmitry Shamis on the hackathonWade Foster: 'most exclusive...' postAJ Eckstein (attendee) recap