Inside the 'creator retreat' for influencers trying to replicate the collaborative success of Hype House and the Vlog Squad and make as much content as possible
The Skorys are a group of four siblings, aged 19 to 28, who have been creating content on YouTube since 2012. They've also gained nearly 2 million followers on their main TikTok channel, where they often post comedy sketches and challenges.
The Skory siblings invited six of their friends with TikTok followings to join them for a weekend in Arizona for an event they dubbed "Creatortopia." The creators picked were similar to the Skorys on TikTok: funny, family-friendly videos.
"We didn't want to throw people in a house who didn't get along," Cole Skory, 21, told Business Insider. "We wanted cohesiveness in content and personalities ... We felt they would each fit with the general content we were looking for."
The objective to the "creator retreat" was simple: Create an atmosphere where the group of TikTok stars could brainstorm, create, and collaborate. "You create better videos when you work together," Cole Skory said.
When choosing a location for Creatortopia, the siblings looked for a house that was accessible for everyone to travel to, and was "eye-catching" enough to serve as the background for videos posted on TikTok.
The Skorys chose a modern, four-bedroom house in Scottsdale, Arizona. "We were trying to find a house that really fit the vibe we were going for," Cole Skory told Business Insider.
The Skorys paid for the 10 total creators to stay at the house, although each creator was responsible for travel and food. Creators traveled to the house from different parts of Arizona, California, and Washington State.
The house featured amenities beyond just a nice kitchen and lots of lounging space. With two floors — as well as a pool table — the creators had ample room to film videos that didn't all have the same background setting.
The house also came with several outdoor areas, so creators could take advantage of the sunny weather in Scottsdale, where temperatures were temperate and hovered around the high 60s.
The house featured a modern pool and spa, which featured LED lights that made it easier to film content outdoors at night.
The backyard also included its own full outdoor kitchen and living room setup, including a TV. There was also an outdoor toilet and shower.
Creators who attended to the retreat received an old-school invitation in the mail. They were told to come with ideas for content, but weren't told what other creators were invited.
The four-day retreat was creating content "basically all day," said Erica Cornelius, a TikTok star who makes content as @EricaLovessYou. "We got a lot of skits in and did fun videos. We did team building, and lunches and dinners and a lot of Postmates."
All of the creators invited are known for their comedy on TikTok, unlike other stars on the platform who have become famous for viral dances or online challenges.
A few of the creators, including Cornelius, are known for characters that they perform. The collaborative retreat offered these creators a chance for their alter egos to play off each other.
For creators who don't live in Los Angeles or New York, Creatortopia was a rare opportunity for face-to-face collaborations. "It's easily to get discouraged when you're creating by yourself sometimes," Cornelius, who lives in Arizona, said.
One of the days was spent taking a trip to the nearby Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary, a nonprofit conservatory for reptiles. The creators were given the chance to take pictures with the sanctuary's snakes — with the help of a trained employee, of course.
So far, it seems that Creatortopia has paid off. TikTok videos tagged with #Creatortopia have already garnered more than 13 million views on the platform.
"We're trying to create a community of people we can trust and will have your back," Cole Skory said "No one is using you for clout, or is using the collaborative space to get what they want and leave."
The Skorys hope that they'll be able to make Creatortopia into an event that happens regularly for more collaborative content. However, the siblings say they are aiming even higher: They want to be able to rent a bigger house, invite more people, and even get brands involved.
"We could make it a really big spectacle, try to make some sort of a more produced theatrical event," Cole Skory told Business Insider. "It would be really cool if we were able to reach the level of a Hype House or Vlog Squad name, where everyone knows about Creatortopia and wants to get invited to Creatortopia."
While the concept of Creatortopia may be similar to that of established squads or collaborative houses, the Skorys' creator retreat is temporary. This set-up makes Creatortopia itself even more of a "spectacle" when it takes place, Cole Skory said.
"Everyone was genuinely so amazing," Skory said. "We hit the nail on the head."
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