Any DMO could use this creator concept by partnering with member hotels, restaurants, and attractions, scaling the project to fit the destination.

Matador House

Eight talented creators have arrived in South Carolina ready to unlock their creativity and step over the threshold into “Matador House: Creators in Residency Myrtle Beach.” This first-of-its-kind creator residency is a production of Matador Network. Calling itself “the world’s No. 1 media brand for modern adventurers,” the project is a partnership with Visit Myrtle Beach.

Creators will spend a month at a beach house along the sandy beaches of the destination, where they’ll undertake personal quests, group challenges and local collaborations. The aim is to have all participants inspire and push each other creatively while engaging with and showing off all Myrtle Beach has to offer. The projects will be revealed at the end of September.

The eight creators who are taking part in this first-of-its-kind residency are:

Phil Calvert — Comedian who’s all about positivity
Colby Eubanks — Filmmaker and adventurer
Wade Holland — Video creator and adventure personality
Haley Paez — Passionate food enthusiast
Tasha Roth — Artist with a deep love for the beach
Rick Southers — Photographer and filmmaker
Abby Wren — Makeup artist with Alopecia Totalis
Travis Yee — Country singer/songwriter

In addition to participating in a series of activations and set pieces as a full team, each creator will be responsible for a project connected to Myrtle Beach’s culture, people or natural environment. For example, the Nashville-based Travis Yee will challenge himself to write and perform live an original song while staying at The Beach, and Tasha Roth will lead the team in creating a nautical-inspired mural at a local business.

Beautiful Destinations Academy

In partnership with Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, BD Academy is a new model where education, tourism, and digital content intersect. By investing directly in creators, Dubai isn’t just telling its story, it’s shaping who tells it next.

It’s an intensive, all expenses paid, 12-week program for a selection of rising storytellers who live, learn, and create, combining classroom fundamentals with field production across the city’s iconic and hidden locations, delivering campaign‑ready work on real timelines. The first cohort, launched in April, had four creators graduating from the academy. Two were hired and the other two creators were added to the company’s roster of freelancers.

Beautiful Destinations is going full speed ahead for Cohort 2 beginning in September and applications for Cohort 3 are now open for a mid‑January start. If you’d like to learn more, find an application at: https://lnkd.in/dfAPxeat