Urban Outfitters created an oasis in the heart of Joshua Tree, California. From April 22 to April 24, Meet Me@UO took over the grounds at AutoCamp, bringing together members of the Urban Outfitters community and transforming the desert into a hub of creativity and connection.
Me@UO is an Urban Outfitters initiative inviting U.S-based content creators with fewer than 10,000 social followers to contribute their voices and Add to Story. From there, by adding a “Meet” to the name, Meet Me@UO takes shape and turns the digital community into an IRL shared space.
The three-day experience felt like an intimate festival. There was always something going on, between the packed programming schedule or the in-between moments and PAPER was there for all the action, alongside some of our favs including PAPER People cover alum Rebecca Black, Thomas Day and Erica Ha.
The pilgrimage began on Wednesday morning at the Urban Outfitters store in DTLA, where guests got to meet before riding together to the desert. Arriving at Joshua Tree in the afternoon, everyone settled into their airstreams before gathering for cocktails and a sunset dinner.
That evening set the tone for Thursday, which featured a plethora of activities throughout the day: nature walks hosted by TEVA and New Balance, a matcha-making class in partnership with Book of the Month, and a Nike carabiner workshop. Not to mention the cozy smores-filled night by the campfire, gossip and laughter and a palpable excitement spilling between friends.
Beyond the hands-on activations, Meet Me@UO created space for this human connection and community.
For instance, PAPER pulled Add to Story cast member Erica Ha on stage, to learn about her journey as a content creator and talk about what it’s like building her personal brand in today’s digital landscape.
Drawing inspiration from early influences like Emma Chamberlain, she shared how the content she gravitates toward consuming herself continues to shape her approach with her own work. And now expanding her community into the podcast space alongside her sisters, Erica is very open to growth. She emphasized how important it is to experiment before settling into a specific lane. “I always tell people who are trying to be content creators to literally try everything. Because there’s no harm. I do everything on my socials and I feel like that’s the best way to find your niche,” she says.
We also got a chance to listen to athlete Cash Peterman discuss his social strategy with the UO social team. It all started with a football helmet he wrapped in chrome and posted online and when people liked it, it was a spark that pushed him to keep creating and posting consistently.
“I knew this is what I wanted to do. So I just kept doing it over and over and then it just became normal for everyone else and everyone warmed up to it,” he shared.
Cash also reflected on the surreal experience of stepping into the fashion editorial space for Add to Story. “I watched Zoolander and that’s about all the modeling stuff that I’ve gotten,” he joked. “It was so much fun.”
We also checked in with Khloee Reese at the Beauty Bar, where the line never seemed to die down as guests queued up for last-minute glow-ups with Flower Knows makeup and Never Have I Ever tooth gems.
Paige Gallagher and Caroline Deery also took us on a trip in the imaginary backseat of their car, with a live taping of their podcast What a Trip! on stage. We went to Spiral City together and by the end, the audience jumped in, sharing their chaotic dating stories and turning the moment into a full group confession.
Throughout the stay, guests had the opportunity to capture content, whether it was by the airstreams, lounging by the pool, getting active in the sports zones set up across the camp or stopping by the UO Merch Shop. And we can’t forget hosts Misha Sattar and Nicky Reardon, who guided the experience from start to finish.
After everyone got their golden hour shots, the rhythm of the night ramped up with an opening DJ set by Mina that got the crowd moving, followed by another electric set by Rebecca Black. The magical flow to the night carried into a live performance by Thomas Day and his band. He played some unreleased songs, a Radiohead cover and closed out with “she got a thing about her,” which got the whole crowd fully fangirling.
We’d say the content creators in attendance were living the dream, given space to connect and create. Urban Outfitters had actively built a community where emerging voices are seen and empowered. Meet Me@UO was less a one-off experience, instead being an invitation to a growing creative ecosystem shaped by the people that made it so special.
A time was had. And if this is just the beginning, we’ll see you at the next one.
Images courtesy Urban Outfitters.
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
