How creator-led retreats help build a stronger brand

If you’ve ever planned a family vacation, you know that it can be hard work. But what about hosting a once-in-a-lifetime international trip for 15 readers you’ve never met? For many creators, it’s a daunting prospect that seems like more trouble than it’s worth.

Taking the first step

That’s exactly how Noelani Meirowsky of La Vie On Grand felt before launching Savoir Retreats in 2024. Readers had been asking for years if she’d ever host trips taking women around Paris, but she had reservations.  

“I wondered why people would actually want to hang out with me in Paris,” she said. “I also thought, ‘what if they don’t like the experiences we’re providing?’ It’s like anything else you do in life; it’s scary not knowing what to expect.”

She eventually met another Francophile creator who invited her to co-host a retreat, which brought her around to the idea. Noelani’s site focuses on the French lifestyle and Paris travel tips, so the retreats were a natural extension of her brand. She’s now co-hosted two small group retreats in Paris, with two more on the calendar. 

“I love being able to share Paris with these ladies,” she said. “It makes me so happy to spread the magic of the city with other people.”

Saeng Douangdara of Lao food site Saeng’s Kitchen had a similar reaction when he was first approached by Laos Mood Travel about hosting curated trips to Laos. 

“I was very hesitant,” he said. “I thought, ‘how am I going to bring 15 strangers with me to Laos?’”

When a chef friend gave a glowing review of the company, Saeng started exploring the possibilities. Now, they’ve worked together on two Lao Foodie Tours with a third coming up in October. 

“I wanted to work with a company that specializes in Laos just as I do, and also helps the local people,” he said. “It’s such a privilege to be able to go back to a country that I love so much.”

A brand-building experience

For David Leite of the award-winning food site Leite’s Culinaria, the trick was overcoming imposter syndrome to see that a food tour in Italy could make sense for his brand. His first guided trip, A Cook’s Tour of Florence at Christmastime, sold out in three days.   

“My readers don’t associate me with Italy or travel, so I was shocked at the response,” David said. “I’ve been doing this now for 26 years, and I still have this imposter syndrome. I thought, ‘No one’s going to accept me as this travel guy,’ and they proved me wrong.”

On a friend’s recommendation, he worked with the agency Vita Bella to develop an itinerary that reflected his brand, from a hands-on pasta class to visiting an Italian nonna’s house for a meal. 

“What I’ve noticed is that everyone who signed up said, ‘We want to go with you,’” he said. “The location was almost secondary.”

In an industry where algorithms are constantly changing, and AI is scraping your content, the most valuable product you can offer might just be yourself, in person.

“It says so much about the creator economy in the AI age,” he said.

AI can recreate your work, but it can’t recreate you.

Someone who goes on a trip with me versus another creator—to the same place—will have a very different experience. The people who are drawn to you will want to follow.”

How retreat buzz creates growth

Though Noelani, Saeng, and David cap their tours at 10-20 people, the impact on their brand is much larger.

As her retreat attendees shared their experiences with their own networks, Noelani saw a snowball effect contributing to her overall growth. 

“Many of the ladies are already followers,” she said, “but the retreats have helped boost their social engagement, which in turn drives traffic and newsletter subscribers for me.”  

Saeng has seen an indirect increase in traffic as a result of the tours. As his attendees post photos and videos on social media and talk to others about their time in Laos, interest in the country and Lao cuisine has slowly increased. 

“I’ve noticed that searches are slowly going up for Lao food,” he said. “And because I rank number one for a lot of Lao recipes, they usually land on my website first. Then they end up on the Lao Foodie Tour website posts, which sparks their interest in joining the tour. It’s been a full-circle experience.” 

Navigating retreat logistics

Saeng works with a small travel company, so he’s very hands-on with logistics. He asks all of his attendees to sign a liability waiver and encourages them to get travel insurance. 

“Bigger US-based companies might have taken care of that for me, but I had to take on the extra work because the agency is so local,” he said.  

He coordinates the itinerary with the agency, hosts the trips himself, and hires a local guide, who has been so well-received they’ve worked together every time. This year he’s adding a co-host to reduce the stress that comes with coordinating a group of travelers, from unexpected medical issues that may arise to making sure everyone gets to the bus on time. 

Like Saeng, Noelani works with a co-host, and they do all of the planning themselves. 

“We plan each experience based on how we would want to spend a week in Paris. If we haven’t personally experienced it, we don’t incorporate it into the retreat.”

However, she noted that it gets tricky dealing with business practices in France when she doesn’t live there, so they work with an in-country team member to handle contracts and negotiations. 

David is also heavily involved with developing his itineraries, and likens his on-site role to that of a cruise director. 

“I’m Julie from The Love Boat,” he said. “I want to make people feel extraordinarily comfortable, part of something bigger.”

He emphasized the importance of working with a well-vetted company that can handle any challenges that pop up along the way. 

“You’re the marquee, but they’re the execution arm. If they execute poorly, it’s your reputation on the line.” 

Promoting the experience

Once the agency is vetted and the itinerary is secure, the hosts tap into their marketing skills and advertise the retreat. All of the creators we spoke to have had incredible audience responses, with no trouble filling slots and several attendees expressing interest in multiple trips. 

Saeng learned valuable lessons while promoting his first retreat that made subsequent marketing much more effective. He initially shared the news in an Instagram post, which didn’t do as well as he’d hoped. Then he used his video expertise to better showcase the experience for his audience.

“Not many people go to Laos because it’s such a small country, so my videos showed them it’s safe, fun, and there’s a lot to explore.” 

He gives his newsletter subscribers the first chance to sign up, and makes it clear that spots are limited, which has helped generate interest. 

David also announced his tour on his newsletter, following his agency’s advice on when to start advertising for sign-ups. 

“I thought earlier was better,” he said,” but the magic window for promotion is 8 to 9 months out. That’s when people are planning the vacation after their upcoming vacation.” 

The timing was right, and his first tour quickly sold out. The overwhelming demand for David’s Florence trip piqued the interest of a Portugal-based agency, and they’re already deep in planning for an upcoming food-centered retreat around Lisbon. 

Is hosting a retreat the right move for you?

Creators already wear so many hats, and hosting retreats can be a major undertaking that might not be right for everyone. But as you think about how to build your brand and audience loyalty, in-person experiences like these could be the key to lasting, reliable connections.

“The tour isn’t traffic driven, it’s brand building,” David said. “The brand is the hub of a bicycle wheel, and the spokes that go out are all of your activities, and the wheel itself, the company, ties it all together. These trips are one spoke in that wheel. It’s a different way to reach my audience.” 

But of course, these trips are so much more than a vacation with your most loyal and intrepid readers. If you’re thinking about adding retreats to your business strategy, it’s important to “make it make sense,” as Saeng said.

Think about what your community wants to do with you in person, rather than what you want to do.

Luckily for me, I want to go to Laos as much as my followers do.”

For Noelani, the challenge of launching Savoir Retreats has paid off both personally and professionally. 

“It’s a lot of hard work,” she said. “You’re constantly ‘on’ during the week, but in the end, knowing I’ve helped someone enjoy Paris makes every challenge completely worth it.”