Supporters of #TeamTrees MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, one of the world’s most famous YouTubers, are really angry. This reaction comes on the heels of an exciting three-day gathering at Resorts World Las Vegas. The event touted an “immersive,” “unforgettable” experience. Most attendees were disappointed, leading the hotel to refund participants.
Resorts World and MrBeast’s partnership did sound like a fun time, though—intimate experiences with high-priced hotel packages in the $1,000 range. Each package offered a three-night stay and came with a limited-edition mystery bag packed with MrBeast loot. Oh, and one very lucky attendee might even discover a hidden gift voucher worth $10,000 tucked inside one of the bags! Once the real event—itself a historic first—got going, many of their invited guests ended up standing around frustrated.
MrBeast’s team first reached out to an organization known as Random Recess. This unexpected linkage resulted in a thrilling partnership with Resorts World. The hotel then followed that up by sending an email to MrBeast’s team that explicitly laid out the terms of the event. Most of the participants were looking forward to fun activities and learning experiences, but their reality exceeded their expectations in a very significant way.
Abed Nader, a disappointed attendee, expressed his dissatisfaction saying, “I was telling Chris that I’m ready to leave. I’m not gonna spend another dollar here at Resorts World, not in the casino. I don’t know, the lack of information.” Unfortunately, his sentiments were confirmed in other guests who felt misled, even deceived, by the advertising and event materials.
Activist Theresa Metta spent two very long days holed up in her hotel room, anxiously awaiting a package. Upon its much-awaited arrival, she was met with a selection of chocolates and other clothing items that just didn’t make the cut. She described the contents of the mystery bag as “kids shorts, an extra small shirt, a hat and a medium shirt,” which only added to her disappointment.
In response to the backlash from concert-goers, Resorts World announced that all guests would be refunded. The hotel’s goal was to avoid a public relations disaster and regain faith with its patrons. Though we reached out to him multiple times, MrBeast has yet to comment on this story. He has yet to publish an official postmortem of the event.
Fans are looking back on what that experience was. They come to understand that it is their marketing expectations that stoked the fire of their disappointment. That original promise of an exciting, invigorating experience served to only bloat expectations and thus disappoint these attendees rather than fulfill them.