When Creators put Cincy on the map.

Creators don’t lack ideas.

They lack community, validation, and access — especially outside of coastal hubs like New York and Los Angeles.

In the Midwest, creators are everywhere: shaping culture, influencing buying decisions, and helping brands build relevance in real time. But they’re often working in isolation, overlooked by national conversations and disconnected from one another locally.

In 2025, Dooley Social Studio set out to change that — not with another panel-driven conference, but by building a brand platform designed to connect, create, and activate the Midwest creator economy in real time.

The challenge?

We had six weeks, a scrappy, self-funded budget, and a bold ambition: unite creators, brands, and content leaders in one room and prove that Cincinnati belongs on the national creator map.

THE INSIGHT

Most creator events are transactional.

Speakers talk at creators. Brands observe from the sidelines. Connections feel forced, fleeting, or performative.

We believed creators didn’t need another lecture — they needed a shared stage.

If we could bring creators and brands together in a live, participatory environment — where content was made, deals were sparked, and collaboration happened in real time — we could transform an event into a working ecosystem.

Not SantaCon. Not ComicCon. CreatorCon.

〰️

Not SantaCon. Not ComicCon. CreatorCon. 〰️

THE IDEA

CreatorCon was conceived as a bold evolution of Dooley’s long-running Social Media Show & Tell series — but it quickly became something bigger.

To support the idea, we:

Completely rebranded Social Media Show & Tell
Designed a distinct brand identity system for CreatorCon
Launched a brand-new website (socialmediashowandtell.com) with all new visuals, copy, and UX
Built CreatorCon as a scalable brand platform — not a one-off event

The goal wasn’t just to host a conference.

It was to create a cultural moment for creators in the Midwest.

THE EXECUTION

In just six weeks, with every member of our team involved, we:

Developed the CreatorCon brand identity, visual system, and messaging
Built and launched a new website
Created and marketed ticket tiers (General, VIP, Virtual)
Secured sponsors using a custom sponsorship deck
Partnered with brands including Back To Nature, Gold Star, Drees Homes, The Christ Hospital and more, signaling credibility and cross-industry relevance
Designed highly visual event swag — hats, tees, stickers, notebooks — extending the brand into the real world
Curated speakers spanning creators, artists, and brand leaders

Not SantaCon. Not ComicCon. CreatorCon.

〰️

Not SantaCon. Not ComicCon. CreatorCon. 〰️

From this…

to that.

The 2025 event took place on May 13, at The George in Clifton.

The experience was intentionally immersive:

Live, on-stage collaboration between brands and creators
Real-time content pitching and production
Panels and keynotes from voices like Jason DeMeo, Brianne Fleming, Hood News Cincinnati, Sincerely Shelbie, Maria the Wild, CincyScoop, and “That One Mailman”

One brand worked directly with creators on-site to ideate and produce content live.

One creator secured a brand deal with Kroger during the event itself.

CreatorCon wasn’t theoretical — it was operational.

THE IMPACT

What started as a risk became a movement.

200+ in-person attendees
70+ virtual attendees
20+ creators and influencers featured
Completely self-funded
Immediate creator-brand connections formed live
Overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees and speakers

CreatorCon quickly established itself as the premier gathering of digital creators in the Tri-State, with momentum already building for a return in 2026.

As one attendee shared:

“Still on a high from yesterday. It’s no surprise that @dooleysocialstudio absolutely showed up and showed out for their very first CreatorCon.”

Another added:

“I just really wanted to share how amazing today was. Ready for 200 more CreatorCons!”