My role
- Experience Strategy
- Creative Development
- Partnerships
- Community
- Production
01
The Opportunity
When I built our brand calendar for the year, I had “Camp Reese’s Book Club” sitting in the summer. I didn’t know exactly what it was yet, but I knew it should feel different from a typical event.
Around the same time, World of Hyatt was exploring the idea of a reading retreat. The fit felt natural: books already give people an excuse to slow down, step outside their routine, and disappear into another world for a while.
The question became less about what activities we could schedule and more about what kind of feeling we wanted people to leave with.
02
The Idea
A reading retreat built around the care people could feel.
Once the partnership came together, I focused on what Camp Unwritten should feel like from the guest’s point of view.
That meant thinking beyond the obvious decisions—authors, programming, creator partnerships—and paying attention to all the smaller signals that shape an experience: what guests saw when they arrived, where conversations could happen naturally, what made people comfortable enough to talk to strangers, and how the books themselves showed up throughout the weekend.
The goal was to create something thoughtful without over-programming it. Enough structure to make connection easier, but enough openness that people could actually exhale.
03
Designing the Guest Journey
Before they arrived
We started building anticipation before anyone reached camp, introducing the authors and creators, setting the editorial tone, and giving guests a sense of the world they were about to enter.
Once they were there
The weekend was designed to feel flexible rather than scheduled minute by minute. Guests could join conversations, read, hike, spend time alone, or connect with other readers. Authors and creators were part of the experience without feeling separated from it.
After camp
The experience continued through creator content, newsletters, editorial storytelling, and social. The goal wasn’t just to document the weekend—it was to let people who weren’t there feel some of what made it special.
04
The Details Did the Work
A lot of what made Camp Unwritten work lived in the details. Books appeared everywhere, but never like props. Programming gave people reasons to gather, while quieter moments gave them permission to disappear. Even the campfire conversations, gifting, signage, food, and little surprises were designed to make the weekend feel considered without feeling overly produced.
The goal was simple: make it easy for people to feel cared for, then give them room to make the experience their own.
“Disconnecting and going analog with fellow book lovers? 10/10 in both vibes and experience.”
05
What Happened
The response showed that the idea had legs beyond a one-off event. Camp Unwritten returned for a second year, reached capacity across both experiences, and helped position reading retreats as part of a broader cultural conversation.
- CapacityAcross both Under Canvas Yosemite and ULUM Moab experiences
- 2.7MTotal content views during the first half of the campaign
- 7.5×Instagram performance above benchmark
- 2×TikTok performance above benchmark
- Top paid assetThe “What is Camp Unwritten?” FAQ carousel ↗ drove bookings
- 1.1MImpressions from six newsletters
- 5,400+Newsletter clicks
- Year TwoExpanded from one author to two based on Year One learnings
06
What Stayed With Me
What I remember most isn’t one program or one perfect photo. It’s the moments that happened because the environment made them possible: an author talking to a reader by the fire, strangers comparing books over breakfast, someone disappearing with a novel for an hour and coming back completely happy about it.
Camp Unwritten reminded me that the best experiences create just enough structure for connection to happen naturally. The details matter, but only because they make people feel comfortable enough to be present.
Project archive
The story kept traveling.
This is what a reader’s retreat looks like.
Interviews conducted by me + edited by Team RBC
The Reese’s Book Club team recap
Edited by me
Your sign to unplug and read in nature.
Edited by me