You\u2019ve heard of celebrity meet and greets. Welcome to the era of the creator meet-and-greet.<\/p>\n
In the last year, creators across industries have taken it upon themselves to get out into the world and engage with their fandoms IRL, ranging from podcast tapings to book tours and run clubs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels like it has grown exponentially, the amount of creators wanting to put on these events,\u201d Sophie Crowther, global talent partnerships director for creator agency Billion Dollar Boy, told us.<\/p>\n
For creators, in-person events open up the opportunity to diversify and meet their audiences in a more controlled, less algorithmically dependent environment\u2014and potentially create a new revenue stream. Attendees, meanwhile, get the opportunity to not only engage with their favorite creators, but also with fellow fans who share common interests.<\/p>\n
As the internet grows more saturated and, at times, overwhelming, and as creators and fans alike seek offline interactions, marketers said creator-led IRL events may only continue to grow in popularity in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe early pioneers in the market are very much seriously thinking about what this looks like in the next year,\u201d John Hu, CEO and co-founder of creator platform Stan, told us.<\/p>\n
Reversing the formula<\/strong><\/h2>\nAbe Santos, partner and head of sports and outdoor lifestyle at Underscore Talent, said that while creators have historically relied on brands to put on events, he\u2019s been inspired in his work to flip that idea around. Some of Santos\u2019s clients include creators like Claire Kittle, wife of 49ers tight end George Kittle and host of the House of Sport & Sisterhood (HOSS) Tailgate Tour, and Tyler Bergantino, who\u2019s known online for his viral \u201cTall Tour\u201d meetups.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea was helping them to build and expand their own brand, and not having this idea that they always needed to have brands involved,\u201d Santos said.<\/p>\n
Brands might not be hosting, but Santos said they\u2019re eager to get involved. Kittle\u2019s tailgate events have drawn brand sponsorship inquiries, he said, as well as larger inquiries about creator-level partnerships with Kittle. \u201cWhat\u2019s been cool about what she\u2019s doing is it\u2019s bringing out more of her personality and brands are super attracted to that,\u201d Santos said.<\/p>\n
Brand interest and ticket sales from the Tailgate Tour have allowed Kittle to build up her revenue streams as a creator. Bergantino\u2019s Tall Tour, which is free to the public, has attracted thousands of attendees, Santos said, and brands have provided title sponsorships and giveaways.<\/p>\n
This year, Santos said, both creators plan to scale and broaden their events, with nearly double the amount of HOSS events and new singles meetups for Bergantino\u2019s audience planned. Santos said he\u2019s helping launch a series of run clubs, and exploring the possibility of branded community events around marathons with creator Lizzie Ramey.<\/p>\n
Nice to meet you<\/strong><\/h2>\nUltimately, Santos said, creator-hosted events are \u201ccommunity first and brand second,\u201d meaning there are opportunities for fans to get closer with the creators and communities that resonate with them. As the Tall Tour has grown in popularity and attracted media attention, Santos said attendees are becoming more central to Bergantino\u2019s content. For Kittle, he said, some fans have flown in from across the country for the chance to attend a HOSS event.<\/p>\n
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When creator Elyse Myers released her book, That\u2019s a Great Question, I\u2019d Love to Tell You<\/em>, last October, a tour was an opportunity for her to meet some of her millions of followers as much as it was to promote her work, Linnea Toney, partner and manager at Underscore Talent, told us.<\/p>\n\u201cAs a creator, you create in a vacuum a lot of times, and you\u2019re not meeting these people,\u201d Toney said. \u201cWhen you get to meet them, you see the greater purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tour was the first time Myers had done in-person events, and Toney said its success has inspired ideas for future IRL opportunities. Onstage Q&A and VIP experiences proved to be very conducive to UGC and social content, she said, as were in-person connections among fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had people in line for the meet and greet\u2026who hadn\u2019t known each other 30 minutes before, and they decided to do a book club,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re getting introduced to people around you who are really there with an open mind and looking to connect with people in real life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Building the brand<\/strong><\/h2>\nNot every creator has the time, money, or resources to put on an event, so some agencies are stepping in. Billion Dollar Boy recently created its Your Community IRL initiative, in which creators applied for a $3,500 grant to host in-person events with their followers, Crowther said; creator Alexis Barber was named the winner in December. The agency is planning to host additional initiatives in New York and LA, as well as potentially some smaller cities where there are \u201cburgeoning creator hubs,\u201d she said, like Austin and Atlanta.<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of creators are still just one person,\u201d Crowther said. \u201cAnd they are limited in terms of resources and time.\u201d<\/p>\n
But not every event needs to be a big, branded ordeal to make an impact. Hu said his agency\u2019s creator meetups, called Stan Sessions, are kept intentionally unbranded to provide an unfiltered environment that, for some fans and creators, serves as an antidote to other aspects of the industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything else,\u201d he said, \u201chas been eaten alive by capitalism.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ultimately, Santos said, creator-hosted events are \u201ccommunity first and brand second,\u201d meaning there are opportunities for fans to get closer with the creators and communities that resonate with them. As the Tall Tour has grown in popularity and attracted media attention, Santos said attendees are becoming more central to Bergantino\u2019s content. For Kittle, he said, some fans have flown in from across the country for the chance to attend a HOSS event.<\/p>\n
Get marketing news you’ll actually want to read<\/h5>\n
Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
When creator Elyse Myers released her book, That\u2019s a Great Question, I\u2019d Love to Tell You<\/em>, last October, a tour was an opportunity for her to meet some of her millions of followers as much as it was to promote her work, Linnea Toney, partner and manager at Underscore Talent, told us.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a creator, you create in a vacuum a lot of times, and you\u2019re not meeting these people,\u201d Toney said. \u201cWhen you get to meet them, you see the greater purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n The tour was the first time Myers had done in-person events, and Toney said its success has inspired ideas for future IRL opportunities. Onstage Q&A and VIP experiences proved to be very conducive to UGC and social content, she said, as were in-person connections among fans.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had people in line for the meet and greet\u2026who hadn\u2019t known each other 30 minutes before, and they decided to do a book club,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re getting introduced to people around you who are really there with an open mind and looking to connect with people in real life.\u201d<\/p>\n Not every creator has the time, money, or resources to put on an event, so some agencies are stepping in. Billion Dollar Boy recently created its Your Community IRL initiative, in which creators applied for a $3,500 grant to host in-person events with their followers, Crowther said; creator Alexis Barber was named the winner in December. The agency is planning to host additional initiatives in New York and LA, as well as potentially some smaller cities where there are \u201cburgeoning creator hubs,\u201d she said, like Austin and Atlanta.<\/p>\n \u201cLots of creators are still just one person,\u201d Crowther said. \u201cAnd they are limited in terms of resources and time.\u201d<\/p>\n But not every event needs to be a big, branded ordeal to make an impact. Hu said his agency\u2019s creator meetups, called Stan Sessions, are kept intentionally unbranded to provide an unfiltered environment that, for some fans and creators, serves as an antidote to other aspects of the industry.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything else,\u201d he said, \u201chas been eaten alive by capitalism.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nBuilding the brand<\/strong><\/h2>\n