What kind of event would bring together social media influencers, innovative digital media producers, and consumers from across Nepal under one roof? The answer is Creator’s Mela.

The US Embassy hosted the Mela, which took place at the Aloft Hotel on July 26 and 27. The theme was ‘Build, Brand, Boost’.

The two-day digital conference featured 19 lectures and interactive workshops on topics such as brand-building, monetisation, and mental health.

Complementing these sessions were 12 main-stage artistic performances, making for a dynamic and enriching experience.

The workshop kicked off with two sessions happening simultaneously at the two halls, which were ‘Grow your social media presence across different platforms’ by Lemii, a professional makeup artist and Parakram Rana, a digital creator and ‘Podcasting workshop: setups and skills’ by Sushant Pradhan, CEO of Physique Workshop and American broadcaster, Elise Hu.

Lemii and Rana shared their experience and initial struggles to establish themselves on social media. Lemii emphasised the importance of being consistent on social media platforms and how uploading posts regularly related to your niche helps you gain organic followers and build a strong base.

“When I started on Instagram, there were fewer people, so I stood out. But now, the crowd is increasing, and so is the competition,” Lemii remarked.

Parakram added, “Anyone can be a content creator, and you can live comfortably in Nepal creating content if you are consistent enough.”

Another highlight of the day was the session ‘Competition, Collaboration & Consistency: Reaching Social Media Success’, which featured media personality Oshin Sitaula, the founder of Ideapreneur, Sanjog Koirala, Miss Nepal 2019, Anushka Shrestha as speakers. The three speakers, each with different backgrounds and social media presences, emphasised how quality of content beats quantity.

Koirala shared his experiences of needing more resources, such as lights and camera stands, in his initial content creation phase. He further added that the lack of resources did not matter, but the quality of his content.

“When creating content, it is crucial to follow your passion and vocation while also considering whether society is ready for it,” said Sitaula.

Throughout the session, sign language interpreters helped make those sessions more accessible to the audience.

In addition, there were sessions on leveraging AI for social media success, the art of visual storytelling, addressing social media regulations, and interactive Q&A sessions. Dance and music performances were also held between the workshops.

In a notable addition to this year’s program, several parliamentarians joined the session to address the concerns of content creators regarding social media regulations, providing a platform for dialogue and collaboration.

Day two commenced with workshops on ‘Food vlogging’ and ‘Navigating Privacy and Mental Health as a content creator’. Anish Tamang, aka Divinish, Nepal’s first body painter, performed live body painting and an SFX demo simultaneously.

Notable personalities, including actress Priyanka Karki, actor Ayushman Desraj Joshi, Miss Nepal 2018 and the founder of Gaatha, Shrinkhala Khatiwada, and director and Director and actor Nischal Basnet, were also speakers on the second day.

Sign language interpreters were also present during the musical performances. The Embassy took a commendable step to make the event more inclusive and accessible to diverse audiences.

Wide ranges of workshop sessions throughout the second day included ‘What is funny? Comedy writing workshop’, ‘Travel Vlogging: Success and Social Responsibility’, ‘Instagram stories and reels workshop’, ‘Building your brand on social media’, ‘Beauty through the machine gaze’, ‘Protecting your online business’, and so forth.

The two-day Mela aimed to enhance the skills of aspiring and established Nepali digital creators and influencers, empowering them to launch and grow their online presence or businesses.

Overall, the event brought together a vibrant community of digital innovators ready to build, brand, and boost their impact in the digital world.