Moments Matter
You’re Doing Events All Wrong: Why ROI Is About Connection, Not Capacity
The majority of people completely fail to understand what events are all about. The presence of large stages combined with flashy booths and big budgets does not lead to a return on investment but only produces noise. The modern world has shifted its value system to attention so noise gets dismissed quickly.
The truth? Your focus on counting attendees instead of measuring “connection” and “impact” puts you at a disadvantage.
The Myth of “More”
The conventional wisdom tells us that bigger quantities lead to better results but the real value comes from quality over quantity in events.
Think meaningful.
Think Intimate.
Create moments that spark something deeper than a “hey, thanks for stopping by our booth!”.
Connection > conversion. Every single time.
People Crave Authentic Connection
People do not attend events to listen to marketing pitches. They come to feel something. To be challenged. To feel seen. To see a new possibility for themselves and their business.
How many stale keynotes and overcrowded panels have you attended? Be honest!
Your audience will remember events for a long time after discarding their swag bag when they experience:
The event made them pause to reconsider their approach through a speaker’s words.
A lunchtime conversation transformed their worldview.
The experience of being understood by someone who has experienced similar circumstances which is why I love bringing raving fans and potential buyers together. They can talk shop. Feel seen, valued and heard. And your raving fan helps you sell without the “ick” because they are sharing their story.
The goal is not to tell them what to do. It’s about creating space to actually experience transformation.
The practice of peer-to-peer interaction has become mandatory
The highest-value currency in your event? Peer-to-Peer connection represents the most valuable asset at your event. Having a customer talk to a buyer about how they engage and use your product or service builds trust quickly; I’ve been able to attribute these customer referrals with higher ACVs and shorter sales cycles which makes creating these moments a no-brainer for our budget.
When attendees experience learning from each other and share their stories and validate life experiences they access a powerful force.
You build trust. A community without walls. The result of this approach leads to both loyalty and retention and actual ROI.
Have a Point of View or Get Out of the Way
A strong point of view stands as the essential element for creating exceptional events. Facilitate the conversation. Don’t play it safe. Challenge assumptions. This is how you spark important discussions that matter.
Has anyone ever left an event to say that a middle-of-the-road keynote presentation deeply impacted them?
Didn’t think so.
Your content fails to deliver any real value unless it makes people stop to reflect on their leadership approach and challenge their current practices and personal growth paths.
Connection IS the ROI
The fundamental truth reveals that connection leads to trust. Trust allows change and transformation to be a possibility. And trust? This serves as your ultimate return on investment over time because relationships and business should not be transactional.
Your events need to function as miniature experimental spaces for personal development rather than as loudspeakers for promotional messages.
The time has come to shift our evaluation of event success from seat counts to moments of trusted connection.
