Why I'm investing in IRL events

· 4 min read

I've been thinking about events a lot. Technology has given us the (awesome) ability to reach people all over the world. But even as it's gotten easier to be closer to others, it feels like we're drifting apart.

We've been replacing human experiences with digital experiences.

As AI tools get better, this is just going to get worse. To some degree, we'll all happily embrace AI as a way to do better work. In other ways, it will present a dark side. More content for the infinite scroll. More attention hijacking. More face time with our screens rather than other people.

And how much humanity was poured into the content we're consuming? It seems like less and less. As more people ​use AI to "engage,"​ we create a vacuum of connection.

The problem

We're starved for human connection. We're starved for REAL experiences. On a biological level, we need more – REAL – social interaction.

At first, I thought this was why creators would need to double down on video. Surely we can tell in video whether a human ACTUALLY made it, right?

Well...AI is coming for video. AI has already ​nearly mastered audio​, but now I'm seeing AI video doubles that are passable for the real person (without the blur that comes with most deepfakes). See ​this video clone​ of Zuckerberg.

At the speed this technology improves, this will be indistinguishable in a matter of years (if not months). As a result, we'll soon have implicit doubt about even seeing people on camera. Is this real? What amount of it is real?

The solution (stage one)

Where this WON'T be an issue is in person. Sitting side-by-side or standing face-to-face with another human being is something we're still biologically wired to understand and trust. Which is why I'm more and more bullish on in-person gatherings and events (of all sizes).

So events are a priority for me this year. First up, I'll be at ​CEX​ in Cleveland (May 5-7). Later this summer, I'll be at ​ConvertKit's Craft + Commerce​ (June 5-7). And in the fall, I'll be at ​VidSummit​ (Sept. 3-5). At each of these events, I'm hosting a private dinner for members of ​The Lab​ for us to meet and connect in person. We did this last year too – and it was such a memorable experience.

Hosting meetups alongside existing events is a great way to test the waters. Instead of taking on all the pressure, expense, and marketing of hosting your own event, you piggyback on an event you know your community is already interested in. That event leads the way to making the trip (and expense) worthwhile, but your meetup is a memorable cherry on top.

The solution (stage two)

Hosting a meetup alongside an existing event is a nice start, but it comes with some challenges. Namely, logistics.

These events tend to be ~3 days long, and they also do a GREAT job of their own programming. With so many people traveling in for an event, they tend to provide programming from dawn to dusk.

Scheduling our Lab meetup at CEX meant finding a time between official CEX events and unofficial speaker events (because many Lab members are also speakers). Some of those members are hosting their own meetups at the event too!

So the next step is organizing your own dedicated event. And that may not be as huge and terrifying as you think...

In episode #144 of the podcast, I spoke with ​Bari Baumgarder​, the queen of organizing three-day events. We got really nerdy, diving into the specifics and even the economics behind events. She made some great recommendations for when and how to host these events to make them cost-effective, even with a small number of attendees.

This week on the podcast, I'm speaking with Michael Stelzner, the founder of Social Media Marketing World. At its pre-COVID peak, SMMW hosted 5,000+ attendees per year. With tickets ranging from $500 to $2000, you can do the math – several million in revenue from ticket sales alone.

And that's actually Michael's unique viewpoint – he designs his events to be profitable from ticket sales. While many event organizers urge you to take on sponsors or sell high-ticket programs from the stage, Michael believes in creating an attendee experience that resembles Disney or fine dining.

Though it's more expensive to attend, he really doubles down on the ticket holder as the customer. He contrasts this with sponsor-driven events, which he says turn the ticket holder into a product rather than a customer.

In this episode, you'll learn:

It's an eye-opening conversation. If you're interested in organizing your own event, it's a must-listen.

#187: Michael Stelzner – How to run profitable events (without sponsors or selling from the stage)
How he grew Social Media Marketing World to 5000+ annual attendees.

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